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The Sparkle of Love

October 29, 2019 | By

“I think that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” Vincent Van Gogh’s words ring true as the lights of Diwali spread love and affection, bringing on the smile on every face.

65 the sparkle of love Diwali story

One more Diwali had come and gone.

It was not yet six, stars were still up there in the sky, and there was a slight chill in the air. Suddenly sleepy eyed cows erupted from some corners of the neighborhood, and converged on the scene, looking balefully at me. Was it my imagination or did I really see an admonition in their eyes?

Why did you create such a ruckus last night? Is this what they were trying to say? Before I could stutter in ineffectual self-defense – ‘I did nothing, just lit some candles, the others did it,’ a couple of mangy little dogs also appeared, looking at me in a petrified manner , probably wondering why the humans were bent on creating such a hullaballoo?

Suddenly someone burst a firecracker. Some over enthusiastic humans had been bursting cracker bombs the whole night, not at all bothered by the plight of the old, the infirm, the dogs and cats. Jumping out of their skins, the mangy dogs suddenly looked mangier, and scampered away from the scene, their tails between their legs.

As I walked a little further, I glimpsed the remains of last night’s celebration in front of many apartments. A cow heading towards the debris and sniffing it made me shudder. Before she could gobble something up, her eyes went towards her calf, which was standing some distance away, looking absolutely lost and forlorn. Giving up her plans, she sauntered towards her calf and started licking it all over its small frame. Now there were two of them looking around with a forlorn air, but cocooned in love, nonetheless.

burnt crackers

The remains of the day

Now it was the turn of the rag pickers to make their appearance – a tiny boy and a girl. Armed with a stick and a sack, the boy, bending over a pile of rubbish, was poking at yesterday’s remains, while his tiny sister hopped next to him.

Arrey yeh dekh!” He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and heading towards his sister with an unlit annar and a packet of phooljharis, which the owners had forgotten to light yesterday night. The smiles on the faces of the brother-sister duo, were so sparkling that they could have illumined an entire colony. Their eyes fell on me, and they first smiled a trifle sheepishly and then openly.
“Namaste aunty,” the boy said and the girl smiled a shy smile, her eyes refusing to leave the booty in her tiny, grimy hands. Then putting their hands around each other’s waists, the two walked on towards the next building, in search of more treasures, which would lend some sparkle to their dismal lives.

On Diwali eve, as I was rambling outside my house, I had seen Nazneen talking to the elderly lady who stayed all alone in her house after her son had shifted to the States. Nazneen, the pretty girl with the most beautiful smile, had just occupied a flat on the third floor in our building. “I think that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” Seeing the girl and the old woman together, I was reminded of this Vincent Van Gogh quote. I looked at her as she kept some diyas on her wall, the woman blessed her endlessly, her gnarled hand not leaving her head.

Morning Meanderings by Dr Santosh Bakaya

Morning Meanderings by Dr Santosh Bakaya

“Aunty, making these diyas is my hobby, so I thought of getting some for you,” she said, smiling, and putting some more lit diyas on her barren wall.

“Bas aap aisey hi dua kertey rahiyega, [Keep blessing me like this], she said, with a smile. I felt that if Nazneen smiled some more, the old, and lonely woman wouldn’t need any diyas.

“Actually, my son was supposed to come home for Diwali, but he did not get any leave ….” The old lady’s voice trailed off with a wistful yearning.

Hum hain na,” Nazneen said, smiling again, dispelling the drabness of the surroundings, like a magician, which I was convinced, she really was.

“Diwali Mubarak ho aapko, I will come again,” she said, waving to her and smiling expansively in my direction.

(Pics: Pixabay)

Watch this space for more Morning Meanderings every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.😊

Click to read all Morning Meanderings here.

Dr Santosh Bakaya is the author of three mystery novels for young adults, and a book of essays titled Flights From My Terrace, which was recently published as an e-book on Smashwords. Her poetic biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Ballad Of Bapu has been published by Vitasta Publishers, Delhi, India in May 2015 and has been receiving rave reviews from everywhere. Although a Political theorist, with a doctorate in political theory, it is literature which has been her first love. She was awarded the Reuel international award for language and literature 2014 for her long poem Oh Hark!, which forms part of the Significant Anthology. Many of her poems have figured in the highly commended category in Destiny Poets, a UK based website and many are part of international anthologies. Right now, she is giving the final touches to her satirical novel, tentatively titled Sanakpur Shenanigans.
All Posts of Santosh Bakaya

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<div class=at-above-post addthis_tool data-url=https://learningandcreativity.com/learnign-quote-on-culture-jawaharlal-nehru/></div>The word Culture comes from Latin cultura amini' which means cultivation of the soul, and thus Jawaharlal Nehru said Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings above via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings below via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons above via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons below via filter on get_the_excerpt --><div class=at-below-post addthis_tool data-url=https://learningandcreativity.com/learnign-quote-on-culture-jawaharlal-nehru/></div><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt -->
The word Culture comes from Latin "cultura amini' which means cultivation of the soul, and thus Jawaharlal Nehru said "Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit"