Holi re...!!!

The splash of colors…

The pinkish skin post Holi day…

The energy it imbibes within…

The feeling of togetherness…

Oh!!! Holi is a festival which always entices me.

But, unluckily, I am incompetent when it comes to Holi. I feel scared and I start shivering from within. Holi may be a festival of colors to the World. But, for me it brings back the blunt memories of childhood. My heart feels suffocated because my memories of Holi are black and not colorful.

It was a Holi day. Bangalore was surrounded with colors. Shops were crowded to buy color guns and other such color splashing tools. I was too eager to play Holi. So, my ammaji had gotten me such a device too. I did not have colors though. So, I was splashing the colorless Water all over the terrace. My ammaji was watching me helplessly. I was feeling as if I am in seventh heaven.

At that time, I would have been barely five years old. Our house-owner who was residing in the ground floor had a teenage son. On that Holi day, he came panting towards our home. A gang of guys came following him. They were call bathed in colors. Red color was dominating all others I could not see their faces. But, I felt terrified seeing them. Our house owner’s son pleaded them to spare him. But, they were mean enough not to listen to him. They spattered it over him.

Their teenage son struggled hard so that he would not get hold by them. But, it was only a vain attempt. The gang contained about 6 to 8 of them. They cornered him in the garden which welcomes us inside the home. He pleaded them not to dispense that tin of silver fluid on him. But, they let out an evil laughter. They kicked and beat him hard. Blood started to flow from the wounds. He lay on the ground helplessly. But, those devils made him stand on legs and poured the silver colored fluid onto him. They beat him more until our house owners, who by then had come out listening to the noise, ran towards them to rescue their child who was in a pathetic state by then. The gang dispersed by throwing that tin upon the Rose plant nearby.

I was sobbing by then, clutching to my ammaji’s dress. She took me to our home. The entire drama would have lasted only a couple of minutes. But, I remember staying in the house locking myself in a dark room and sleeping on my ammaji’s lap.

My appaji came back from the office with a tinge of pink on his shirt. I started to cry madly seeing that. My appaji could not figure out what has happened to me suddenly. He consoled me and they both sat with me for a long time holding my hands.

Next day, we came to know that the silver fluid which was splashed was, actually, metallic paint. Our house owner’s son had to each himself in kerosene to get rid of the paint. And, the smell of kerosene made him fall sick. To add on, he had injuries.

The incident would have taken place a couple of decades before. But, the memories are as fresh as early morning blooms. I could still remember the minute details of that day. The fear is too hard to forget. I feel mortified at the thought of Holi. I feel petrified at the sight of people carrying an ocean of colors on Holi day.

And, it is Holi today. I don’t feel holy though. That childhood incident is getting replayed in the back of my mind. I remember that I used to lock myself in the room for all the Holi days that followed in the succeeding years. I also remember how relieved I felt when my appaji was transferred to Salem and then to Palakkad. I thanked God silently because these places don’t celebrate Holi. I am hoping that Thiruvananthapuram also stays away from colors. I am still shivering.

But, for all others who have only happy memories associated to Holi…

HAPPY HOLI…

Its Holi re…

Don’t be such a lazy bum

Turn off the computer…

Go out and splash colors….

Be safe at the same time…

Take care of your sense organs and hair…

And play responsibly. You mindless action may shake the wits off some tiny tot and make him/her a anti-Holi person. You may spoil someone’s fun and make him/her sit and write a post on blog, while the World outside is being kissed by a platter of colors.