Crackers

Once again, I was woken up by the sound of crackers which is into it’s third day for the Diwali celebrations. Folks were already setting them off at 6.00am and it continued all day long. In fact, I’m not sure if they stopped at all, ‘cos it was still going on when I went to bed the previous night!

So accustomed to not being able to set off crackers back home, it was the professor who reminded me that I could and should try it while I am here! We went to his place after work, where we set off “flower pots”, “rockets”, “spinning wheels” and the usual red crackers.

I did not have enough of the crackers. On my way home, I stopped by the festive bazaar across the road and bought some more crackers. They were not expensive at all. For Rs450, I got a box of sparklers, a packet of rockets and another type of crackers. This, as the stall owner told me, will shoot 60 meters into the sky before it bursts into beautiful patterns of glitters. Yes, fireworks!

Unable to contain my excitement any longer, I happily ran back home where I showed Paramjeet my “shopping”. For the first time, I saw him smile. He promptly switched off the television, took a box of matches and off to the rooftop we went.

Skillfully and effortlessly, he set up the cracker, lighted a match and passed me the fiery red sparkler. The rockets let off a massive trail of fire as they zoomed into the sky and bursting into a little green light that lingers in the air before they quietly disappear. We saved the best for the last.

Cylindrical in shape, these power-packed crackers looked innocently harmless. Heart beating faster, I lighted the fuse near the bottom of the cracker and quickly ran aside. Following a loud bang, the sky lighted up in shimmering green and yellow showers that fades into the night as they gently falls… I stood and looked in awe of the beautiful fireworks, my very first…

We lighted the remaining sparklers and Paramjeet set off the second and last cracker. We stayed on the rooftop for a while more to enjoy the display of fireworks coming in all directions from other households.

I have also learnt that one should not stand in between the cracker and the wall after lighting it, unless you want to have remains of gunpower all over you…