Goli No 17...... Nagesh and me...... Happy Diwali

I was a Seven Year old………………..staying in Dombivali……………. In 1973 Dombivali was a sleepy little town…………far away from Maddening crowds of Big Mumbai ………..A Small Suburb………….lots of trees………..old wells………….ponds……….a small village……….. trying to metamorphosing into …………. big town

…………..ours was a ground plus one Bungalow…………….landlords were a Big Maharashtrian joint family staying on 1st Floor ………. We Tenants resided on the ground floor ………… lots of Trees Ashoka …. Coconut ……….. Jamun …….. Peru …………SitaPhal …………. Mango……… etc …. and lots of colorful Flower Plants… All colour Roses………. Gulmohur………… shoe flower……Hibiscus…….. Jasmine…... Mogra…… A tiny Tulsi at the Entrance………

Nagesh was the landlord’s grandson………a year older than me……fair ………. Brown Hair …….. sharp features ………. Resembled Junior Gavaskar ………. he was Bold …… courageous and adventurous ………. he was the guru ………and I was his chela …… whole day I would ball for him under arm and he would bat………

My father was very strict……….and had a good temper………I was always afraid of him…….. once during diwali………on the first day………Nagesh asked me to spend the night in his terrace………so that we could get up early and start Diwali fireworks ………… reluctantly though my mother agreed………without informing my father

………Around 12 in the night Nagesh and I sneaked in to the neighboring Gogte Kaka’s ………. Bungalow……. a hot tempered……..… Six feet plus……… Scowl faced……. Mean eyes………. ever ready to scream at Kids…….. and always wearing……White Banyan………. Pajamas………. Nagesh's family had a bhaandan with him just two months back……and we wanted to get even………

We carried some Sutli bombs……Nagesh would light the Sutli bombs………threw into Gogte's Balcony………….and we would hide in the bushes outside the gate………. Gogte Kaka …………. came out after the Second Bomb exploded ………… screamed Kon ………. ahey ……… *@## $##@……… Samor yaa………. I was shivering in the Bushes…………lots of Mosquito’s were biting …………… But I didn’t move …………. Nagesh was smiling

……After “Gogte Kaka” went inside……….Nagesh and I slipped into his Backyard……This time we threw the Bomb………through his Kitchen window…………and ran out…………climbed a tree in his compound and waited……….”Gogte Kaka” was Mad……….He came with a Torch…….this time his wife and kids along with him ……….. He went into the Bushes ……….. near his kitchen ………..

I was trembling with fear……… Nagesh lit a Bomb and threw on his terrace ………..Gogte Kaka rushed to the terrace screaming & shouting @##$...... followed by his wife ……… I froze ……….. couldn’t move out of fear ………… Nagesh was Gutsy ………… This time he carried a ladi in his hand ……… lit it and left it on his front door ………………… and ran out thru the main gate ………… I got down fast and followed him ...... we hid in the bushes outside his gate .......

Suddenly somebody grabbed my shoulders…………..and then Nagesh’s Neck ………. He was a strong man in khakhi uniforms ………… he was a havaldar on night patrole ......…… I was terrified ………trembling with fear …… It was like a lion who had a goat by the neck…….…He took us to down the road ……… 5 minutes of walking ....... I trembled ........ after we entered the police station......... They asked us about our parents ....... I knew what will hapen to me....... if my father came to know about me being in a police station.......

I started crying ...... Nagesh didn't drop a shed of tear ...... The havaldar .... threatened that he will put us in a lock-up ...... we saw some drunkards ...... and gaudily dressed females ........ I even saw the lock-up room ....... I had visions of me and Nagesh behind bars........ in a filmy style....... the inespector asked me and nagesh to do.......... hundred Uthak baithak's ....... by the time the clock struck Four Gongs of Ding Dong …………. Ding Dong

I knew my father will get up ....... Nagesh and me appologised ........... after hundred baithaks ....... the havaldar saw me trembling ......... sympathised and let us go ............. I and Nagesh ran straight home..........

I reached home…..Mother had meanwhile got up………..was puting rangoli ………… I took …………. oil Bath…………Got into new Dress ………… lit some crackers with my Dad and Sister’s………………went to the Temple……..on our way back ………with some Diwali faral ……. we visited our neighbours………….

I was reluctant ……….. But amma insisted ……………as I went in and sat Gogte Kaka wished every body Happy Diwali ………….. and offered Diwali Faral…………….to every body…………..I didn’t touch it …………. My Mother asked me to take ……….. my favourite Karanji ………. Gogte Kaka smiled at me and said…………happy Diwali………. with a twinkle in his eyes..... I thought may be ....... he knew........ about the crackers..........

Diwali ended....... but the next few nights I sweated with fear ……… that will the havaldar come home and expose me to my father ………….. though it never happened ……. even now after thirty five years...... as I hear the diwali crackers bursting ………some where in my subconscious mind ………. I can still see very clearly Nagesh and me at the police station ....... doing our Uthak Bhaithaks...............

I saw many more Diwali's ....... but this Diwali night ........ in Dombivili police station is the most memorable......... Diwali ..........