Sweet Love bond bomb... A gift (pun intended)

Next time you think of re-gifting ( as our usual custom is. . we all say we dont though ) sweets to someone on diwali think twice because the bomb might just drop back on you. Diwali no doubt is the festival celebrated with most fervor and zest. Lots of lightings, pooja, fireworks. . but not to forget the most dangerous firework. . the sweets. I can never forget the grenade moving from hand to hand and then dropping back at my granny's place. A few years back my dad mom sis and I went to my granny's place for diwali. Lots of preparations were being made specially coz my dad had come for diwali there. We took our best of clothes, not to forget matching lipsticksafterall it was diwali. that was or rather still is the only definition of makeup for usa nice lipstick.

My mom has lots of her relatives there, her brothers, cousins, uncle aunts etc. More the number of relatives more is the number of bags stuffed with clothes, not to forget a bag of gifts for everyone. So it was diwali time and the relatives kept hopping in for the celebrations, we too got busy with the diwali preparations, pooja, rangoli, diyas, fireworks etc when suddenly BUBBLY aunty, moms cousin entered with her husband. She is a sweet fat lady with a long lean, completely dedicated husband. Every time we saw him he seemed still leaner and longer. yeah longer may be the theory of relativity applied here, bubbly aunty looked rounder and shorter everytime. She as usual brought a big dabba (pack) of sweets the same way she always brings we a crowd of say around 2 dozen people with 11 children chirping, shouting saw her entering and there was a pin drop silence. . everyone was more anxious or worried rather about what she had brought with her. As she kept her packet on the table the kids started peeping in. one said “dabba to alag lagta hai, packing is different, shop name is different the elders put him away from the box.

Bubbly aunty is a bit loquacious and you could count her teeth with her two black wisdom teeth when she laughed, and her husband smiles or speaks whenever he gets a chance to, we all got busy celebrating the much awaited festival and had great fun, after bursting crackers, pooja and a sumptuous dinner, finally BUBBLY aunty and her husband left. We ran to open her packet. This time it was a different packing, different shop, we opened it. . . the same gummy green and red balls which looked more like watermelon shaped scented erasers, we knew bubbly aunty wouldnt change we very nicely packed it up again with more colourful ribbons ( Indians as we are ) and immediately went to our neighbors to wish them diwali with the big dabba after passing the sweets on to them we heaved a sigh of relief and as usual bubbly aunty called up early morning, mithai kis tarah lagee. we are Punjabis ( how were the sweets? ) A typical Punjabi reply from my maternal uncle o wadiya ji, bahaut vadiya, har sal tainoo akhde han formality di ki lod hondi hai ( oh too good, you dont have to be so formal ever year).

People kept dropping in to exchange gifts sweets etc. After two days in the evening a friend living near by came to wish diwali, when he left we as usual. first thing to do. opened his gift not the same shopsame packet. . we crossed our fingers and opened it. The bubbly auntys sweet had landed back to nannys houseafter two days. we had a great laugh. the love bond had brought it back so you get what is in store for you, no matter what. . right?

These small things are good for a laugh in a lighter vein but genuinely speaking, the authentic love bond is what makes bubbly aunty such a lovable character.