JUM TAASH!

This is the third year in a row that i have missed both, the Dusshera and Diwali celebrations. And it sucks. For a lot of people it might be something ordinary, almost old fashioned. But they weren't born in this 'great Mathur clan' (as somebody has started addressing it! :) )

Holi, Rakhi, Dusshera, Diwali... they are many of those numerous occasions on which the entire extended family comes together to celebrate the occasion. Ofcourse, these are but excuses for meeting up and the bonhomie, for which there are plenty of other chances THROUGHOUT the year, but when you are born in this family, and take it for granted, the loneliness that hits you when you're not a part of it.. it's palpable.

Diwali and Dusshera usually entail a lot of preparations. Like, about two weeks in advance, it's decided as to who will be playing the host. Then, the yummy food items, drinks, snacks etc are distributed.

On the D Day, once you get to the destination, you loaf around, sit on the white bedsheet with 'Saket wale babaji/ nana/ chacha*' (that's what we call the septuagenarian, my dad's uncle!), who teaches the kids of the family how to play cards and various card tricks, while waiting for everyone to turn up.

Once all the families are there, everyone sits together for the puja. The funniest part is the ''current'' bit, where everyone is supposed to connect with someone, who is connected to the person in front of them, who is..till you are connected to the direct source of connection with God. Gives everyone plenty of chances to poke, pinch or annoy each other!

Once puja is over, everyone sits down to have the mithai and paapris and pudina chutney and all other assorted things which different families prepare and get, which are graded by the elders of the family. (And no one gets higher than 6, unless ofcourse, their paapris are exceptionally crisp and yummy!)

Post this comes the card session, where a special white bed sheet is laid, drinks prepared and distributed, and everyone gets down to business. Ooh, and there are two groups of these as well.. one, where the stakes are quite low, and the other, where they are comparatively higher. Initiation of the wee ones into the game is a (pseudo!) formal way of bringing the kids out, much like the official introduction of the kids-who-are-now-all-grown-up to to alcohol! Yes, you got that right! People in our family actually introduce the wee ones to their first sip of alcohol, sometimes when they are as young as a year or so old! :) ( Ofcourse, it is but a sip of their dad's scotch or Ramesh babaji*'s beer mug at that age! But still.. could any family be cooler?! )

Around 4-4.30, everyone is reminded of the lunch, which as already mentioned, is a pot luck. Some of the typical Mathur dishes are matar ki tahiri (matar/pea pulao), kadhi chawal, mutton pulao, mutton koftas, chicken curry, roomali roti (the paper thin soft white roti), bakar khani, (the sweet brown bread that's made only in Old Delhi)... (sob! makes me wanna drop the pizza am having right now).

Again, the pseudo grading of the preparations and the leg pulling ensues. Oh boy, everyone in my family is fond of pulling each other's leg and making that occasional jibe!

Once the lunch is over, comes the second session of cards. This time, the ones who are in the red, try and buck up their game and even things out soon as they can. 

Around 5.30, they usually deal the last game, post which is the "good luck" game, where in, open cards are dealt, 3 times, and in which everyone, including the tiny tots, has his cards dealt. Packing of the last deal signals the packing up of the game, which is followed by a mug of steaming hot tea, prepared in a HUUUUGE utensil. Everyone sits around for another hour or so, lazily sipping their tea and gossiping or making plans of the next party or occasion or discussing anything and everything which of common interest to most. Once done, everyone disperses to go back.

And this time, considering my parents' itinerary, i don't think they will be back anytime soon, which means i will be home all alone till then...

How i hate this! :'(