Colored Memories....

The festival of color was here once again - bringing along with it and coloring us all - with those myriad shades of joy, fun and happiness!!

And I just realized how time just flew by; It was exactly on the day of this colorful festival 'Holi' last year, that we (a team of about 15~20) had to involuntarily move to Hyderabad from Chennai (my Motherly-home town) for carrying out the implementation of our ongoing project, which had started in Chennai and was going on smoothly till the news came as a bolt from the blue for some of us at least.

And so here I was on the day of color, @ Hyderabad last year. And as I have my maternal aunt's family residing out here in the city, headed straight to her home after checking-in to the hotel. And as it was already late afternoon, did not expect my cousins to be adorning the Laal-Hara-Nila (Red-Green-Blue) stYiSH looks, but that was not to be, as I found myself drenched in a similarly wEt ouTFit in no time once I entered my aunt's residence!! :) And the rest is bright N colorful history!!

Well, thinking about this day, it brings back some nostalgic colored memories of the different phases of my life -

Those kiddish days :), I mean when I was a kid with those chubby cheeks and a gol-matol body, juz nebulously remember how my elder cousins and our family friends would paint me red-blue-green (yellow-pink-black also sometimes) with the 'Gulaal' as we call it in hindi. Those days when we would run around merrily on the terrace of our home, flinging those rainbowish-colors and splashing n spraying water of similar shades on each other. Oh and how can I forget those special entities which have their own gr8 significance on this day...yeah, I am talking about the bAlLooNS. We would fill them up with the colored waters and hurl them on one another and of course on the people going down the street :)

Those teenish days....I mean when I was a bright, energetic boy of about 15~18 years, remember how my school-friends-gang would come, call out, and then shout my name standing outside the house on the road. And my Mommy would say, "Yeh tel laga ke jaa, issey rang jaldi utar jaayega" (Apply this oil on your body, it would ease the color-removal process :)) And as soon as I'd open the main gate, those 'Rang-Birangey bhoots'
(Colored demons) would make me identify as one amongst them in no time. And then we would be out on the streets with look-alike-masses, our caravan going around the different addas (hubs) of our locality and spattering the shades of fun n joy around!! It was like, only if one was dressed very formally and seemed to be going to office, or if one was a student, one could barely think of being spared from the colorful extravaganza. But then remember that one day towards the end of my schooling life, when we had our board exams of +2, when unfortunately one exam was scheduled on the day of Holi, and my my....wasn't that a Rangeen (colorful) exam, many of my friends had to sport the colorful fury on their anatomy, while I somehow luckily managed to escape unscathed with only some minimal damage done...but the 'Mission-Reach-ExamHall-Uncolored' accomplished :)

These youthfully employed days....Of Oh U guys never understand :) Ok in relatively simple terms, I mean these days when I am a smart and handsome guy, and an even smarter professional, life seems to have become a bit monotonous with the Color TV which had all those beautiful shades, turning in to a black and white one nowadays :( Ok its not that bad I guess, but still miss those kiddish and teenish days of enjoying this day of color in its true and vibrant spirit!!

Wish you all a very happy and colorful holi; and a bright and glorious journey of life ahead!! :)