Diwali Blast!!

Collins brought home a pretty large box of crackers and another box of sweets a week before diwali, gifted from office. We all wished our offices too did something of that sort, at least a small lamp would have been a generous gesture. But naah! our places just sucked. But then later, when we thought about the cost that it'd incur a 40,000 or 50,000 strong company, I think we got the whole point. (And I guess when it omes to a raise too, the same thing applies).
Now the sweets hardly lasted more than a couple of hours, except for the large tin of rasagullas that we quietly smuggled into Satya's refrigirator. That too, was almost empty by the next day.
But the crackers were another story altogether.we thought we'll burst them for diwali, but then no one was home during diwali. When I came back from a weeklong vacation Collins was rearing to burst them, but then we thought we'll let the others also come back and then go about it.Monday night, everyone was back, but then, it was too late.
Finally, on Tuesday, a week after diwali, at ten o'clock in the night, we decided that the time was ripe to do away with the crackers. No one was worried about the "sparklers". They won't make much of a noise, and then, what was the terrace for?
So, armed with a bottle to launch the rockets, a cigarette lighter, a couple of candles, we climbed upto the terrace . We, as in Rajesh, Jason, Simon, Joseph, Collins, Susheel (the Doc), JOsy and I. Vipin was not feeling well, and so had gone to bed early.
There is a small house on the terrace (and yes a nice girl living there with her family), but I guess they were out because they did not come out to admire the fireworks or anything.
More than the fireworks, it was the palpitating sense of excitement . We gigled and ran across there and here. And yes, it was a nice time to be up on the rooftop, firing rockets. Some of them did nearly miss destroying half of the neighborhood, but finally out it was all good fun.
It was half past 11 when the "noiseless" things got over and well, the excitement gets onto one's nerves and we decided to burn away the real "crackers" too.
Hey, after all, it is "Diwali season".
Of course, we couldn't burst them on the rooftop, but there is a small road nearby and well, its almost deserted at this time of the night. Hmmmm...
So, down we went.
I am a bit scared of crackers so stayed with my ears tightly closed. The rest were all bravehearts at this sort of thing.
The first one was a "maalappadakkam", where about a 50 (or many many more) crackers are tied as a string. This sets of a machine gun like barrage and well, that really went off well. In the sense that none of the neighboring lights went on, no one threw stones and yeah, no one let out angry dogs on us.
This was indeed encouraging.
The next one was "Hitler" and I think that was an apt name. It blew up with a ear splitting sound. And I guees that really justified my fear of these crackers.
Everyone was bold now.
There was another "maalappadakkam" and then...
Hey wait!! Is that a policeman at the end of the street? No dear, its not a policeman, its TWO of them!!
But what the heck, this is DIWALI SEASON, and Susheel, a Kannadiga is there with us.
No one is sure if Susheel saw the policemen or not, but he lit another one of those "Hitlers" and BANG!!
The next thing we see, poliemen running towards us, Susheel running towards our apartment, and yes, Jason, Joseph, Simon (with the rest of the crackers tightly clutched), Collins, Rajesh, Josy and I all followed suit. We ran all the two floors in no time and grappled for the keys to our two apartments.
Jason Rajesh, Susheel, Josy and I managed to get into the house, and Collins, Joseph and Simon barged into the other. I actually belong to the other house, but by some turn of luck, I went into this room. As soon as we got in Jason switched off the light in our room.
We sat absolutely still, and no, I have seldom been more worried than I was, then. Looking back I really don't know what scared us so much that day, but then, it was like a real nightmare.
Suddenly we heard footsteps on the stairs and then Police banged on the other door.
I guess they knocked on the other one because the lights were off in our room. They banged a couple of times, then shouted that they knew we were the ones who were causing public nuisance at this hour, and threatened to break open the door.
Joseph called from his cellphone, whispering, asking what to do. Well, even we did not know what to do. We just stayed all quiet, walking around in the dark, trying to get a look at the other door through our keyhole.
The policemen were still there and they told that they'd come and get us the next day if we did not open up then. Well, they did not budge. Finally after a long time they gave up and went away. Meanwhile, Rajesh had excused himself into the loo, and had started sending all sort of funny messages from his mobile phone. Most of them were ones exhorting the yo-yo tigers to wake up and attack the policemen. And some were wondering the consequences if the Yo-yo tiger leader, Vipin, woke up and roared.
Gosh...what all it takes for imagination to bloom...
The night was spent that way - all quiet and secretly, deep within, a bit scared.
Morning!! I've read in some Russian fairytale that "morning is the mother of wisdom". I guess its true.
We found our house bolted from the outside, but then the other flat was not and someone came up from there and opened the door for us. We all left for office in a hurry, and even Josy, who's a bit late in the mornings, hurried out. Well, after all, the policemen HAD said that they'd come for us in the morning, didn't they?
************************************************************************************
Simon would be the first one home, at around 3 in the afternoon. All of us, without exception called him up between 3 and 4 and asked if there were any issues. I guess all of us were still scared to go home. Moreover we thought that they'd come back when their "beat rounds" started.
Collins, who's almost never seen a hindi movie in a theater in almost a decade, went for a movie with his team. Rajesh said he had a dinner engagement. Joseph said he's got loads of work and will be late from office. Well, that's about what I said too. Jason too had some work.
Well, well, well...really, a bunche of cowards, we were...
Finally, all of us, except Collins, met up in a nearby restaurant and well, it was almost 11 when we reached home.
I guess by then the possibility that they'd come for us had greatly diminished, at least in our minds.
Hmmmmmmmmmm...funny way to celebrate Diwali...