'Happy Diwali'

The SMS greeting arrived the night before Diwali. It was a long one and it ended with,

“May the festival of thousand lights illuminate your life - Happy Diwali”

Just as I finished reading the message I heard the sound of a cracker bursting and the lights went out.  It was not a cracker. A fuse had blown in the fuse box of the transformer next to our house. Total darkness. I called the electricity department. No answer. I went there. There was only one clerk sitting gloomily in the office. I wrote the complaint.

“No staff. There is only one line man on duty”. 

I waited in the office. A line man arrived after half an hour lamenting that he has been put on duty when everyone else is in ‘Happy Diwali’ mood.

“Our driver is not there. You take him with you and drop him back” the clerk said. 

I took the line man on my scooter. He replaced the fuse in the fuse box and voila, our life was illuminated! 

I dropped the lineman back wishing him ‘Happy Diwali’ and placing a fifty rupee note in his hand without which there would have been no happiness.  

That was last year. Our lights are on this year and I am able to send this to wish all of you   

“A VERY HAPPY DIWALI”

‘May the festival of thousand lights make your life glow. May the fuse in your life's fuse box never blow’.