Holi Hai!

Holi day - Morning

We usually get up early. You know, because who starts to play Holi in the afternoon? You just have to start by 10. So we get up and grab something to eat which would give us instant energy. The rest of your calories you can get from ghujiyas, samosas and kachoris that you will be served all day!

Holi day - Mid Morning

We go in the wash room and apply oil in every part of the body so that the color comes out fast. I don't know the logic behind it. And frankly, I have never played Holi without applying oil, so I don't know if it is just an illogical tradition or it really works.

But festivals are about traditions. Some of them you follow without questioning. Just like eating ghujiya on Holi and no other day! Anyway, we then wear old clothes and basically get ready for the day.

Holi day - Late morning

We play songs, the Holi songs in particular. The same Rang Barse sounds totally boring on any other day. But on Holi, Ang se Ang Lagana is not cheap. I, for one, put on loud music as soon as I get up. My favorite is the Anu Malik number - Do me a favour, let's play holiiiii!! LOL!

We start with putting color on our close family members - parents, siblings, spouse, kids.. and then the party begins.

Holi day - Early afternoon

Me and the Boy, we have lived in the Middle East for 6 years now. Ever since we have been playing Holi here. Thankfully we have a building which is not particularly rigid about rules. So they give us a permission to mess up their pool side. Every year, some 20 of us gather at the same spot and play Holi like jokers. I am telling you, even my family members back in India don't play the kind of Holi we do.

Apart from the regular gulal, someone sneaks in some eggs and tomatoes. Someone would be nasty enough to get pakka colour from India. This year, however, we were saved from eggs and tomatoes because we told people that the manager of the building will not let us play next year if we make that mess again. Somehow it worked!

Holi day - Late Afternoon

Your patience is tested. You go in the bathroom and scrub yourself for hours only to look like a clean monkey. The bathroom is dirty. Your clothes need to be washed before you give them away. And well, you are dead tired. All that scrubbing and hot water makes you feel very, very sleepy. Not to forget, that thandai you had while playing Holi starts to show its true colours!

Anyway, I don't mind all this. Holi is one festival that I totally love. It really does make you forget everything in the world. I had a terrible pain since the last two days. So much so, that I could not even walk around for long. But this Holi, my pain has vanished!! You shed inhibitions and just go for things. You eat, drink, dance, and paint each other red, blue and green. Sometimes I don't even know the person I am putting colour on. But this is what Holi is, it lets you make friends easily.

Everyone should celebrate this festival. It really is a day when you can forget all past hate and renew your relationship. Here is a snapshot from our day. Be scared!