Her Highness, the Holy Holi

colours, rang, farben, couleurs, rango, etc... the different ways in which this vivid word can be translated is still less than the variety of hues that it can produce... for artists who literally live colours, it is an everyday affair, but for the common man who has null relationship with anything to do with paints, cordially appreciates the splashing of colours and coloured water as if it were a pay hike or better grades! and amidst the riot of red, blue and green, we take feeble potshots at achieving artistic traits, by effecting colours of many more shades and aspects... begetting encouragement and a certain companionship in this hatred-filled, love-lacking monochromatic world, of tinted vibrancy! he forgets that he has to be tensed for his daily expenses, for his studies, for proposing to his girl, for reducing the flab, for countless aspects of one's life that are simply washed away, albeit momentarily, washed away with the gaiety that rejuvenates itself once in a year, brought in by these very colours which he has avoided for the remaining 364 days... emanating now in a renewed form, he takes a dab at the dry colours and throws them in the air, revelling in the rainbow he has just created in the sky. he enjoys his handiwork and tries his tired, wrinkled hands at different colours, bouyed by the encouragement he gets from spectators. having had his share of amusement he proceeds now to distribute his day's mirth with others. the shagun ka gulaal is applied on foreheads and cheeks alike, invoking similar gestures from those applied. the ritual, he feels is much better than ruthlessly aiming at innocent, undesirable passers-by. why try filling colours in their lives when they are happier with their blacks and whites? he returns his focus at rejoicing one colourful day. he wonders why should he not indulge in water? maybe he should not, courtesy the BMC or maybe he should not for the millions of draught affected people or maybe he should not as a sincere condolence to the Haitians! analysing in depth before acting is a recurrent phenomenon he practices everyday. and even on a day when his regular beliefs have been coloured, he has not lost track of this habit. he decides to use little water, just enough to wash away the colour, lest it bring happiness and sparkle throughout the year. he carefully transforms himself to his earlier solemn self as he ventures from the lively world of colours to his life full of his own colours!