Fireworks of Conscience! *********************** I had taken my sister with me. Sabin was very greedy but we took our chances. Maybe, just maybe, seeing both of us, he'd give more. He hardly acknowledged our presence. He was busy drying his innumerable stacks of firecrackers: maltawada, bombs, rockets and our favorites: chakras and gamala spread around as if he were selling them. Sabin was a very good friend but not the kind who?d want to light his stash together. Surprisingly, he?d offered me some that were redundant. I knew his dad didn?t buy those for him and I couldn't comprehend the Custom's office relation he often mentioned about. "Yo tihar ta ekdam ramailo hune bhayo." He rubbed salt in our wounds. "katti dherai aloo bombs cha, chaincha yo?" If there were two things that my Dad absolutely hated in this world were "balloons of holi" and "firecrackers of tihar." "bomb ta chaidaina, boru timi sanga katti dherai gamala ra chakra rahecha ni" so the negotiations began. After sometime, we settled with a pack of maltabada, two chakras and two gamalas. "hatti ko mukh ma jira": we were both utterly disappointed. *************************** With only a day to Laxmi Puja, my other sisters were in their own world preparing for Bhaili dances with horrible Indian songs. Dad was sulking like most festivals on the ever increasing expenditures. Maami was busy as always preparing food, cleaning and virtually everything else. Perhaps, it was only two of us, sitting under Parijaat, wondering if we had enough firecrackers for the next three days. Anyhow, as soon as our parents left to do some shopping, we sneaked up to the chaut, with an empty container of Lactogen, and the firecrackers at our disposal. As usual, we wound few maltabadas together and put them underneath the "Lactogen Twak"and lighted it up. It was a spectacle for us to see how far up the vessel went. We were euphoric. We did this till we ran out of maltabadas.. After some lousy dilemmas, we decided to light up the gamala and chakras we had got from Sabin. It lasted a few minutes as we danced, clapped and jumped up and down in excitement as the sparks spewed around like the sprinkles of a fountain, just more brighter. Soon, it was all over and it began to grow very dark around us. Very dark indeed with no more firecrackers. ************** A feeling of voidness had seized us. We sneaked up to maami?s lap sitting in the porch. "bhok lagi sakyo timi haroo lai? Aba ekai chin ma Anarasa ra SelRoti tayar bhai halcha ni." We stood silent looking at the constant grinding of the "silauta" on the wet "chamal." My sister pinched me, and I reluctantly asked my mom, "Maami! Hamlai ali kati paisa dinu na. euta bada ni ???" I couldn?t finish the sentence as Dad made his way towards us. "K bhayo? Kina adhyaro anuhaar layera basi ra!" "Ali kati paisa disyo re, bacha haroo ko rahar ta ho..bada sanga khelne". Maami made a case for us. Before my dad went on with his usual grumbling, my sister to my surprise added to the pleading case, "Daddy, hami padkine lyaudainau ni ta. khali gamala ra chakra" Seeing her valor, I joined her in the pact. Reluctantly, Dad handed us a crisp 20 Rs note before letting out his usual dialogue we?ve heard all life long, "..maile SLC padda samma jamma 32 rupiya kharcha garya thiyen.." contd...