Roshan is in an irritable mood today, not only is his leave rejected but he is expected to work overtime. He was just cursing to himself when his inbox showed a new message, he was just about to ignore and cancel the window when he saw that the message was from his best friend. Or should we say ‘his once best friend.’ Curious about what would Mahesh want after so many years, he opens the mail and the mail says
‘Hi, I know, it’s been a long time but its better late than never, rite? I have just returned to India after 5 years and was visiting all our old haunts and couldn’t help but mail you.
Toh saale, gussa chod and come and meet me at my old address. And haan Happy Diwali!
Waiting for a reply,
Mahesh’
Roshan read the mail 3 times and finally decided that the world wasn’t that bad after all. Roshan visited his friend and the joy of Diwali doubled.
So, like Mahesh, why not make this Diwali special? Rather than just sending the same old meethai boxes to same old friends and families why not go ahead and send a gesture of affection to those distanced from us. Time and situations may have separated your close ones but Diwali is the right time to bring them back in your life.
Remember the good old time when Diwali was synonymous with laughter and happiness, now it is just filled with bumper offers, expensive gifts wrapped in expensive papers, hundreds of sweets and millions of crackers. But when everything is bigger and better why does it feel so shallow? The big expensive gifts seem pointless and the greetings fake.
Don’t let your Diwali celebration be the result of the marketing tactics of a company, let’s bring the life back in Diwali and see how brighter it seems.
Here are some tricks to bring your loved ones back in your life:
You are away from home: You might be calling home frequently, even sending money but the distance seems to have taken its toll. This Diwali, go home not as a guest but as family. Call your mom a week before Diwali, ask her how the cleaning is going, come home a day early and help her in the preparations. Go along your dad to his walks and try and gauge how things are going… remember the old times, talk about how much these walks meant to you when you were little. Gift your brother the guitar he always wanted, or buy your sister a brand new watch.
These gifts should be something they really want and would appreciate, something valued not in money but in emotions…
Apologize: I know ‘sorry seems to be the hardest word’ but ‘sorry’ is the perfect ointment to old wounds. Maybe both the sides are ready to make amends but waiting for the other party to make the first move. Don’t try to explain or shrug off the event, say a simple sorry and look how easily hearts melt. You would be wondering why you didn’t do it first.
