Light The Candles

Five lit every year on the darkest night.

- Rungeen Singh

Diwali did this to her. It got her mind coiled into the past because all that had happened in her life somehow chose Diwali for their occurrence, and that surprised her. Kainat wondered how a festival of lights could only have dark negativities for her to face. But why not? The Diwali night was the darkest, wasn’t it? That is why the lights shone that much brighter! But the lights in her life had dimmed on many a Diwali. Would the lights shine for her this coming Diwali?

She sat alone on the couch gazing outside and the contrast hit her. She was alone and lonely while, outside, Diwali was being celebrated with gusto. She remembered how her mother had hated the loud reports from the crackers. She would stuff cotton wool in her ears and sit inside while the revelry went on outside and she would be at her crankiest worst!

It was on Diwali only when Kainat had asked for crackers. She had just been eight years old and so, when she was denied them, she had thrown a giant tantrum and she had got an equally massive punishment. Kainat remembered the verbal callous lashing, she had got from her mother ending with, “Stop it! You are a good for nothing and a real disobedient fool, Kainat. Why didn’t you die before you were born?” And this had been rounded off by a tight slap. That had hurt Kainat and she started crying, which aggravated the annoyance in her already irritated mother and then she had smacked Kainat with all her force again.