Never say Good Bye to me..

Its been a quiet week for me.. (ok.. the HoLi-day was an exception). Playing with colors is always fun.. more so on the day of holi. Its not often that you throw a bucketful of colored water on someone and still get away with it. Past few years have only made me lose my excitement for this day that once I used to have but this time, I saw myself getting colored and get into the act.. (I couldn't escape though I had tried to). I even wanted to lock myself in the room and stay away from all this but soon realized that it was a very bad idea after seeing someone doing so only to find his room being flooded with water and the door.. well, it was being turned into a piece of an art. ( I don't think I need say, how did the other guys manage to throw water inside..!!). Some guys just go wild when it comes to coloring others (or even getting themselves colored). Indeed it is a festival that brings everyone together.. a festival of joy thats celebrated overwhelmingly in most parts of India. (and sometimes it can be over-overwhelming..).

Its like a tradition here in the university that the students go to the staff quarters where the faculty members of respective departments reside and wish them, put some colors on them and so did we. We were wished by them too and all of us returned back to the hostels after having some sweets they had offered (this is the best part of holi.. loadz of sweets everywhere.. :) ).

On our way back, I saw some kids there trying to play and fight among themselves with whatever holi arms they had.. the colors, the water bottles and all. It was then I started looking back at the yesteryears and those memories kept hitting back to me. My mind seemed wholly taken up with reminiscences of the past as I took a tour back in time. I was now watching myself closely.. the part of me which existed years ago, an innocent little boy. I could now see him playing with all his little friends. He would just go on playing till someone stops him and the only thing he would then have in his mind was how well can he throw the little amount of water he then had in his bottle, on others.. Sometimes he would be in a blissful state and some other times, totally upset. He would pour that holi water on his elder sisters and would start jumping with joy as though it was one of the greatest achievements in his life. And when he had no more energy to play he would come back home, sit quietly and wonder what if everyday would have been like holi.. No school, no studies.. only playing with colors. And when he had asked his mother the same question, she would tell him some stories and he would then happily get convinced.

Well.. as I was watching him I couldn't help but smile for he was the one, a known stranger to me.. I could see him smile back too. He was not gone yet. I thought he was waiting for me to tell him bye bye.. So I said good bye to him.. and to my astonishment he replied back with a smile, "Never say good bye to me.." and then walked away into the thin air. At that moment, I felt that he has conveyed a message that I would try not to forget. I wish I could become a kid all over again and live all my life like that innocent little kid, who never had any feelings of hatred, jealousy or anger !! I wish..