I was comfortable. The soft suede seat with warmth and soft music; I looked beyond those glass partitions that separated my comforts from the cold and harsh world outside. Today it was different. Nothing was what it used to be everyday. No traffic jams, no honking cars, no irritated stares. I was moving at a steady pace on those deserted roads.
A group of foreigners caught my attention; Dressed in their typical dress code – cargo pants, shorts with light colored shirt and a waist coat or a jacket with a backpack and high ankle beige suede or black leather shoes. I at times wonder – is it a mandatory dress code decided by their government or a freebie by Indian government to promote tourism. Anyways but today they behaved quite differently; unlike usual when they are on lookout for some garbage pile or a bare child with runny nose they looked up in the sky, a few focusing their DSLR to capture something above, up somewhere. What, well I couldn't see, my view was obstructed.
The pavements were deserted. The time when it was even difficult to imagine how this much width could accommodate those many people actually looked much broader today. A bright pink colour was sprinkled all over; a pre-event preparation or onset of celebration, a mysterious pink was smiling all over for the wise to know it all.
I took a left and my mind recollected a spicy aroma of fried snacks that I inhaled every time I passed that corner. I always promised myself to stop there once to taste those crispy teasers but alas it is yet to come. Today even that was closed.
I saw the shutters of many such shops I always thought never existed. The busiest of shopping areas were deserted and today those small chai tapris were highlighted which usually were like sugar in tea, essential yet invisible!
A boy running with a Langar(Langar alias Anchor – A very useful weapon created using a pebble with a strong thread tied on it and extended further to fish the kites) made me smile. His eyes were darted somewhere in the sky and langar was rotating with full speed, all set in position, just as a tiger ready to pounce on its target.
The long bamboos tied with thorny bushes and aiming for the best was the only movement I could see. The traffic policeman yawned as we saw a few jumping the signal carelessly. Even BRTS(Bus Rapid Transit) stood still today. The city was paused for a day.
I reached my destination. I stepped out of my shell and the cold air teased me but my mind wandered somewhere else. I looked up; the sky was filled with riot of colors. The colourful spots were swirling around in the sky with vigour. Between so many kites I could see sky in bits and pieces. The bigul was played on; the music tracks coming from all the directions created a cocktail of rhythm. Kai po che – it sounded like an echo.
Yes, it was Uttrayan in Gujarat(Makar Sankranti in many states); International kite festival and kite flying festival which everyone celebrates with family and friends. A day when terrace is our home, when restaurants offer special delivery on roofs, when sun tan is a must and sun glasses a fashion accessory. Peanuts, chikki, jalebis, kachoris and other snakes err… I mean snacks are deadliest combination with loud music and tease in the sky where kites fly beyond bounds and strengthen the bonds.
The day ends with hundreds of candle lanterns which lit up the sky; the stars moving slowly up in the sky in the hope to join those already there. Colours of hope – it does come in many shapes and sizes and flies high!
