A SMALL BOX OF DIWALI WISHES








I was talking to a very elderly woman, who I call aunty. I have always admired her for her grace and wit. Every Diwali, she would send to our place a small box containing homemade Diwali sweets and snacks. We always felt special warmth when we opened that box… Simplicity, sincerity, love and blessings always came packed in it… 

Yesterday, when I met her, she was very apologetic… “I have not been keeping well for some months… I won’t’ be able to send you Diwali box this time,” she said, “This is my age of no choice, no voice!”

I pulled aunty close to me and said, “Aunty, don’t bother about the sweet box… You did it for so many years… Now, you take some break. Wishes and prayers are enough… You give us yours and we give you ours.”

“I feel bad,” aunty said, almost choked with emotions!

Later, at noon, I had been to the station area to pick some simple Diwali gifts to ‘a couple of people’. I saw a white, posh, chauffeur-driven Audi. I was curious to see who was in the back seat…. Surprisingly, the back seat was majestically occupied by at least a dozen giant-sized Diwali gifts! The Audi was on its ways to deliver the ‘Diwali gifts’ to the ones they were intended to be delivered…

The sight brought a smile on my face… I was also on my way to pick some ‘small gifts’ to the ones I had intended to offer…

“Who are these people who we intend to offer our ‘gifts’ on Diwali?

I am still smiling!

Aunty couldn’t make sweets and snack at home, this Diwali… She is 80-plus and she is sick. Suddenly, she feels, that she is losing her self-confidence to live life the way she had been all these years… She colorfully described her situation as ‘the age of no choice, no voice’…

I have picked some small gifts to give to a couple of people, as I told you. Aunty is one of them!

Happy Diwali to all…


GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic.: ScoopWhoop (Internet)

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