The Night

The night i never forgot. It was Diwali and i must have been 7 years old. Though the memories are faint and the visuals of the night blurred, i remember the night. I do know i was the quintessential Indian kid with an undying passion and excitement for the festival of lights. We looked forward to Diwali with utmost avidity from the time the Durga Pooja began. The holidays meant being away from school for a good number of days after a rigorous 3-4 months of routined, placid and insipid life. To add to the fervour, was the city, beautifully adorned for the festivities. The sight on Diwali specially has always been exhilarating. The lights, the diyas, the candles, the lamps bejewelled every household in town. It was the best time of the year for me. The holiday, the new clothes and the crackers sent me into ecstatic frenzy. We went to our Nani’s like we usually did for any festival. Mama’s house was always stocked with more fire-crackers than i could ever imagine bursting in a single night. The rockets and the star sprinklers and the loud ones which could give the faint-hearted a heart attack! They had it all. I had quite a time  and  after a few hours of zealous show of crackers and a sumptuous meal it was time to get back home. I got inside the backseat of our Premier Padmini (Fiat) car and rightfully fought with my two sisters for the window seat which i always thought i deserved for being the youngest one. We bid goodbye to our cousins and were on our way. The hustle of the city had died down and there were few candles on the walls and terraces to be seen now. They too seemed to be flickering for life. The journey back home from such a delirious night always seemed uninspiring and uncalled for. We had been more than half way through when i saw a frail figure walking in the distance. His frame must have been more than feeble. By the time our car got nearer i could see the man was very old. He had long locks and long beard. His head was stooped over his shoulder and he seemed to be constantly looking at the ground walking ahead. His right hand was held out and a burning candle was stemmed on his palms. We drove past him and i looked behind in disbelief with a shiver that was sent down my spine. The man was stark naked.