Living in NDA, had one great thing that even though people were from different states, religion and caste – it really didn’t matter as everything was at the end of the day was like the drink ‘bhang’. This is a homemade drink which has all the dry fruits, milk and an herbal root which intoxicates one – this drink is mostly used during Holi festival.

Yes, Holi always reminded me of my days in NDA – where early morning we used to dress up in our old clothes so that even if harsh colors are used it won’t impact anyone!

My usual routine was to dress up and get ready with my colors and water balloons. My brother would give some instructions and will go out with his friends where as I used to run to Deepu’s house.

Deepu was my childhood neighbor; he later became my classmate too. But with Deepu I always felt closeness and that is for many reasons – I have been seeing him since my childhood; he is very caring and cautious about me. Even if he has to go with friends to play with colors, he will advise me that this group is a bit rough you play here until I finish with them and then we can go to other houses to plays. These words always made me feel secure in his company. I miss Deepu today so much!

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Deepu’s parents also used to play unlike my parents. My parents would send us out and close the door so that no one comes and colors them! But there were some stubborn ones who used to at least put the color powder on their forehead as gesture of love.

I remember we used to play until noon by putting color on each other and throwing water balloons and by noon we are soaked in water and painted in blue and red that no one would recognize anyone. People used to take advantage of such situation. Guys used to propose the wrong gal and gals used to slap the wrong guy. Not only this but we all used to feel so cold that would stay in sun and this used to lead us very tired and by 2:00 pm everyone is gone for a shower and lunch and then sleep.

My parents usually used to come out during that time sitting on the front porch and would see the after effects of this Holi. After holi one can see men all colored and drunk riding bicycle or bicycle riding them. They used to enjoy that very much.

When I reached college, in Pune people used to celebrate Holi however the main celebration was during ‘Rang – (color) Panchami’. That’s when the tradition festival starts as per the calendar for Maharashtra’s natives.  I used to look at it as celebration and fun twice!

I still can’t forget my second year in College where I had totally forgotten about ‘Rang Panchami’ and was attending our Chemistry practical’s early morning. Many people advised not to go to college as people will color you on the roads, buses no matter where. But being a sincere student, we couldn’t bunk our practical’s which is more important than attendance.

I still remember the College staff had decided to go ahead with the practical and Student Union was pressurizing to declare as a holiday. Anyway we four girls from NDA entered the Fergusson College and were about to go near Chemistry lab, a group of students all colored in purple came from behind and colored everyone. I could only feel someone rubbing the color on my cheeks and then on face and they all say ‘Happy Rang Panchami’ and they all ran away.

I was stunned as how someone could do like this. You are always under assumption that no one can do something like this because you feel you are conveying message to people that you are not participating in this!

“Colors answer feeling in man; Shapes answer thought; and motion answers will.” ~ John Sterling

After that our classmates and friends came running and they all added more colors to us. The first time I felt like crying but then I just burst out in laughter. They were all our friends and even though we were running away we enjoyed it.

Later in the afternoon, when we remembered there is something called home, we all started worrying, as in NDA it is not Holi. Holi was already celebrated so what is this? And why is this? For me more than anything, it was the fear that how my dad would react looking at my face and my dress which was all purple and silver.

Our group of friends who often used to come to NDA just to see the NDA Khadakvasla dam – suggested not to – worry, as we will be going there and will be cleaned in water before reaching home. I still remember that nightmare where I had to sit on the bike of a guy whom I don’t know personally. The moment we came near NDA I started freaking out as what if someone sees me with this guy …but I forgot that we were in such condition that even our parents wouldn’t have recognized us!

We reached the dam and played in water for some time and then I saw the color was not going away. It was like the skin had absorbed it completely. I was so scared of my dad that I took a stone and started scratching my cheeks such that the color would come out.

Anyhow, when we felt we are in an okay condition we planned to go home. Some of our friends came home with us just to give us the courage to face our parents. I really never understood why it happens so that the time when we fear the most – it’s only that time people don’t take us that seriously and take things so lightly.

When I reached home with fear my dad only could laugh at us. I still remember, I started giving explanation and my dad didn’t even listen to that and said,

“Its okay – it’s rang panchami so this will happen. Go and get yourself a good shower.

I was stunned and felt like a fool.

But the marks of those scratch with the stone remained with me. It gave me a tickling kind of feeling even today as some unknown hands came in and colored and the color had the impact so deeply that it always brought happiness in mind.

Happy Holi To All – one must enjoy the freedom of playing with colors and getting wet with water balloons and sharing and eating sweets – this really takes away all the differences apart and makes one in one color of love and togetherness. This was the message we were taught in school and hence I always loved the holi that I used to play as a kid and later as a college student.

“Share our similarities, celebrate our differences” ~ M Scott Peck