One of the advantages of having a big family is ... you have so many cousins...great... I remember I used to tie rakhi from all the cousins and my hand used to be full with rakhi. I liked it...and I still like it. Pradnya, Shilpa used to put a BIG kumkum on my forehead that used to touch my hairs...and I liked it. Pradnya still does that... and then tie a rakhi on my hand. Morning of Rakhi has always been amazing... We used to get up with all our cousins waking us up ... and if not...then sometimes throwing water on our face and although I used to get annoyed with that, I liked it. Rather I waited for that. Then after bath, when I used to come in the hall, I used to see the Baithak decorated with Rangoli around it... and I used to enter as King. All sisters ( I hate to say them 'cousins') were anxiously awaiting to tie rakhi... and get a gift from us. Shilpa, Chetana, used to be the first ones to get the 'Honor'....and the gift... then came Yuga, Janhavi, Sharvari, Siddhi... I can still see the enlighten faces of all of them in the aarti. I was always jealous with my Dada's rakhi...becuase his Rakhi always used to be better than mine... I always have admired what he does and what he wears....I still try to kinda copy him. His choice is just amazing. Afterall I am his little brother grown under his shadow... Why isn't there any festival for brothers... I wonder!!! And now we laugh at this... so many good memories...
And then I used to await for the Rakhis sent by Gayatri, Manasi, Shivani, Mayura... And when there was delay in getting the rakhis by post...I used to get sad. I remember them all now...
On this Rakhi, as usual, everyone met again at Prashant's place. I talked with all and then typical sadness captured my mind... because I am not there with them. I am missing all of them. Damn, how many more years I am going to miss these festivals... why these festivals dont come again in December when we are in India for holidays... Childish thoughts!
This was the first Rakhi for Madhura and she sends an e-Rakhi to Arjun and she is happy now.
...and now I always get e-Rakhi, e-Cards, e-Sweets and e-Gifts. Life has become so much 'e-fied' but I can feel the tender love, softness of relations and a strong bond in these 'e' things sent by these loved ones. I am still seeing the happy, bright faces of all my sisters. Memories linger in my mind of all the good-bad times, moments that I shared with them and unknowingly a small teardrop falls ... and I call them... and we laugh. Life goes on and I wait for the next Rakhi...every year...
Happy Rakhi, though its belated now...
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling, i felt same last year and this year i was so happy to be here with my family on this day ! :)