Mixed Feelings 1: The Festival Hater

Oct 15. 2009:

It was one of the most unusual evenings I've had in recent times. My sis called me up and told me dad has been worrying himself miserably over the last few days, especially ever since I attended my last job interview and they told me they'd get back to me by Friday. It was only Thursday and dad already had his bouts of severe headaches wondering if they'd take me or dump me for a better and deserving candidate and my sis feared the worst and took him for a scan. The results came in and just like she feared it was another one of those internal bleeding cases, a subdural haematoma in medical terms... something we thought we had buried in our pasts. Already having had 2 brain surgeries in April and May 2009 respectively, it was too much in too less time. No one even dreamt there would be a 3rd one because the doctors assured us there was nothing to worry. So much for their goddamn assurance, coz sometimes god's plans don't go hand in hand with a doc's assurances.

The city of Chennai was gearing up to celebrate Diwali which was in a couple of days. Hoardings and posters everywhere suggested large scale celebrations and joy and fun times. Not for me though. If it were up to me I'd definitely have torn down everything that suggested happiness in the city. But then, that would be too selfish of me. So I walked ahead on the streets, almost ignoring people having fun and making last minute purchases or just going about their festive business. I had no clue what to do coz I was 'ordered' by dad before he was taken into the neuro ICU 'not to' rush home while ma job status was pending, and I was in no mood to celebrate Diwali as well.

Kerala is not known for Diwali celebrations as much as Chennai or any other state down south or up north. I had never really given it a thought as to why only my state has a problem with a festival that's otherwise so much fun & has a lot to do with gods who're pretty big deal in our state too. Maybe Kerala has an attitude problem or is trying to be different or perhaps the folks only wanna celebrate local festivals like Onam & Vishu [which by the way is not a local festival coz its known as Ugadi, Pongal, Baisakhi, Sankranti etc in other states. So there!] Anyways, I almost felt like my state, Kerala; while I was trying to "avoid" Diwali and say no to any kinda celebration. Yes, I did feel stupid doing so but had no choice not to. A pending job status, Dad in the Neuro ICU, Dad's 'order' not to come home, My best friend Elviz admitted in a hospital in Mexico due to severe health complications, Myself beginning to have a cold coz of the smoke in the atmosphere resulting from the Diwali crackers people burst in the narrowest of lanes without even thinking for once how it'd affect a person living on the 3rd floor of the adjacent building next to the shoddy lane.... and finally a sad case of one's self respect & worthiness hanging on the noose when someone you love more than your life accepts you & then rejects you in the same week & vanishes into oblivion shutting the doors of communication behind them.... Doesn't seem like a time to celebrate, does it?

I lay in bed half asleep that night, tired & worn out and sort of wishing if there was something I could do to change things.... at least one of the many things. Hours rolled by and as the wee hours of the night gave in to a dawn that was only a horizon away, my tears had dried up and i made my priorities clear to God. I looked out to the purple sky through the window and said; Take care of Dad & Elviz... They're the ones who need care & blessings... Forget ma job right now... Or bring it down the list coz nothing is important than these two to me... I can survive this cold or an impending fever and wouldn't mind succumbing to it coz in any case 'she' was making me feel utterly miserable trying to avoid me like the plague. Having been convinced that my prayers reached their destination i gave in to impending sleep or probably the weariness induced by several hours of crying.