That day: ONAM 2019

ONAM 2019

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Happy Onam to all of you.
Last year Onam was the first Onam, I have ever celebrated or attended. It was quite a good experience. I have many South-Indian friends at my college but I didn't even know till the date of Onam that it is Onam. I remember the celebration. It was Saturday. And we have an electronics lab on Saturdays. So I prepared my bag accordingly having a heavy laptop and an electronics kit inside it. I took my bag and left for college. In college, there was a different environment, everyone was in a different costume, they were wearing the lungi. I remembered yesterday my friend Shalika had advised me to buy a coupon for Onam lunch and wear a Mund (What she calls Lungi). But I was not interested in both of them so I ignored them. Later I searched for the Girl who was selling lunch copans but I did't find her so it was missed eventually. But now almost every boy in my class was wearing Mund and every girl was wearing white Sari, so I felt bad. The first class was GE maths, a few people were present there, and remaining were busy in the preparations of Onam. I took the class but there was no fun. Suddenly, I heard some noise, I looked outside. Some boys and girls from my classes have painted their bodies for the tiger dance. They were roaring here and there. They were looking nice, I was thinking if I can bunk the class and watch the tiger dance. but my bad luck! This story is the story of my bad luck. 

The second class was MP with Dr. CKL Guite that was canceled eventually. We were free then. I did what I did most of the times in college, I went in every corner of the college looking the decoration for Onam. My college was beautiful but it looked more beautiful with make-up. The roads were decorated with flowers, there was a swing at Cafe tree. The lawns were made beautiful with photos and flowers. A rangoli was put up in front of the college hall. But the real decoration was the people. Every boy was wearing a shirt and Mund and every girl was wearing a white sari. There was happiness and enthusiasm in the college environment. It made the college the most beautiful. People were having smiles on their faces,  they were taking pics with their favorite ones, friends. PhotoSoc people were taking all the pictures. But I was feeling tired because of the excessive weight of the laptop and electronics kit in my bag.

Then I went to the JCR lawns and I found my own people. They seemed happy and enthusiastic. They were taking pictures of each other. Some group photos and guess who was taking the photos- Jeptha. Here is one click.-

Then started the real Onam celebrations. It was fun. It was great with so many smiling faces, with so much enthusiasm. We gathered around Mess Lawns. A good amount of crowd was there when I reached. A young man inaugurated the celebration. Then a long queue of girls came there one by one. The first girl had a long, aarti ki thali type thing in her hands. She put it in the center and they made two huge concentric circles then they performed dance. That was traditional and I love traditions. That was a great view. They moved simultaneously with small but effective moves. As music became lauder their moves went faster and faster. Then a more intresting phenomenon happened. Some boys and girls collected there in semicircle. The central guy was longer than any other person present there. They sung Dhiktiktna wala song. My eyes were fixed on Aklanta our CR. He was moving his safa in a perticualr motion. Then there was a lunch break. People attended Onam Lunch and I took my ₹30 lunch in café. 

There was games after that The Tug of War. The fun was going up with time. I was enjoying that. Listening songs that I don't understand but I was enjoying them. Shouting and cheering for those I don't even know, but It was fun. Giving them water even I did't have, was great. I knew only one person Phogat bhaiya. He looks like a wrestler (the name 'Phogat' is wrestling special.) but was a Shooter. He and his hariyana team smashed all other teams. After all they were having milk and Ghee. That all was nice but I told you, sometimes my fortune, who is a good friend, makes fun of me. Here started her fun and my struggle. There was to happen bottle wars and other games I wanted to see but. 

Suddenly I realised that whether is not good, I should go to my room. If I say in my language, my fortune collaborated with inner-me and made this inner voice. I took my bag from libray property counter and left the college. I was in midway that the rain started. Imagine my situation, I was at no man's land, there was no shelter and I was not thinking of finding a roof. I was thinking whether to go back to college or go Ahed. After two mints of debate with mini-me we decided to go ahed. He was giving this advice because he was Collaborating with her. I didn't realise. I took the few steps, the rain started with full intensity. I had a laptop with me and that was not mine. I have borrowed it from college. I had to save it from water. I had to run. But my decision making court stuck here too. I have solved many machines problems to show that if you have larger velocity in rain, you will get more wet. My swadhrma as a physicst was making me to walk slow. But my inner-me was saying to run. Then guess what happened? I ran, I ran fast until I found a roof, I rested myself under the tin shade of a dhaba. I rested myself there. After some time the rain stopped, I shied. I started to walk slowly but suddenly rain started again. Fuck! What am I doing? Thank god I was in residential area. I rested myself under a roof. The rain continued. I saw  a boy going there, he looked somewhat familiar. I asked him to walk with him under his umbrella. We started walking togather. We took a few steps that our paths separated. He walked on other path and I found an another roof. 

The rain continued. I show an auto coming towards me. It had an aunty already. I smiled but it stopped few steps far from me. My smile disappeared. I ran towards the auto, without any conversation I get in. 

"Where?" the auto driver asked. 

"Kalyan Vihar."

"I won't go there."

I told him my circumstances. That I had a laptop that is not mine. 

"I will take ₹50."

"Okay." 

"Is there any short cut?"

The word shortcut lit my mind up. I said yes. I have a shortcut that I used daily for uodown. And in this excitement I forgot that my shortcut contains the thin shortcuts that only one man can pass through it not an auto but we went as far as an auto can go. My phone rang in the auto, I told my Roommate my situation and said him to pick me up. The auto stopped after a minute. Path Closed. 

He said he will take fifty rupees. I put my hand in my pocket and got that I have only twenty. I checked all my pockets and the bag. Nothing. Then I realised that I have bought lunch for thirty. I started arguing with the auto driver. We haven't even trevelled 500 meters why fifty. I won the argument somewhere but he said he won't take a paisa less than thirty. We argued for five more minutes. He didn't agree. I saw Guman coming with umbrella. I smiled. He  reached me in two minutes. I asked him "Do you have ten?" and he said.... No. I said... Nothing. We both argued with the driver for five more minutes. He didn't agree. I saw the MW shop in front of me. I said Guman to take ten rupees from him. I will pay him later. He went he denied. Guman argued. I abused. Then I took the umbrella and went there. 

"That big Coca-Cola , I want that." he gave me the bottle. 

"I will G-pay." I paid hundred rupees. 

"I have paid 100. Can you give me 10 change." he gave me ten rupees note. I gave thirty rupees to the driver. Then we came under the roof of shop. We opened the coke and share 1l each in that cold environment. And when we finished, the rain stopped. 

Guman smiled. I said:

"Put your umbrella #@&ð"

I reached the PG and found electricity was gone. 

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