Happy reading yrra's 🩷
next day morning 6 am
I woke up early, feeling the weight of the day ahead, but the routine was familiar, grounding. I freshened up and headed out for my daily exercise, a way to clear my mind and get my energy right for the busy day. Afterward, I changed into my favorite white kurta and draped a white shawl over my shoulders, completing the look with my rakshasutra, my chain with a small rudraksh, and a silver pendant—a reminder of my strength, my faith.
Once I was ready, I went to my temple to offer my prayers to Bhole Baba. The pooja and aarti were calming, a ritual that always helped me reconnect with my inner peace before facing the world. By the time I finished, I felt almost complete, like everything was aligning.
And just then, Ram entered.
"Happy Holi, Sir," he greeted, his voice cheerful, but he paused, waiting for my response. I simply tilted my head slightly in acknowledgment, giving him a silent nod.
Ram didn’t seem to mind the quietness; he continued on with his usual professionalism, "I have today’s schedule ready, including breakfast outside as per your plan."
I nodded again, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. The day was unfolding quickly, and I needed to be ready for everything it would bring. Holi was a time of joy, but for me, it was also a time to stay focused and ensure everything went smoothly.
Although I’m not particularly fond of Holi, it’s my duty to attend and participate. As the time to leave approaches, I gather myself, knowing that it’s an event I have to be part of. The destination ahead holds a grand Holi function, and I can’t help but feel the weight of responsibility. Despite my personal feelings, I prepare to face the day with a sense of duty, stepping out with a calm composure, ready to fulfill the expectations placed on me.
Hum jaante hain aaj Holi hai, kitna bada tyohaar hota hai ye (I know today is Holi, how big a festival it is). Par na jaane kyun, in rango se chhid hain hum (But somehow, I am distant from these colors). Safed humne isliye pasand nahi, kyunki wo jajta hai hum par (White we don’t like because it suits us). Balki isliye pasand hai, kyunki uspe sab jajta hai (Rather, it’s liked because it suits everything else). Humne bachpan se aaj tak kabhi Holi nahi manayi (I’ve never celebrated Holi from childhood till today), kyunki hum bas nahi pasand karte ye mahol aur ye rang (because I simply don’t like this environment or these colors).
Magar ab to, na chahte hue bhi, humne jana hoga (But now, even though I don’t want to, I have to go).
Yeh sab sochte hue, hum jab location par pahunche, sabhi log humare swagat ke liye taiyaar the (Thinking all this, when I arrived at the location, everyone was ready to welcome me). Hum sabke saath jaise hi andar pravesh karne ke liye mudhe (As soon as I turned to enter, just a couple of steps ahead), 2 kadam hi chale honge ki kisne pichhe se aa kar humare upar laal gulal daal diya (barely two steps taken when someone from behind threw red gulal all over us). Isse pehle ki hum kuch samajh paate (Before we could even comprehend), hum puri tarah uss laal rang mein dhal chuke the (we were completely covered in that red color).
Aur jab humne piche mudh kar dekhna chaha, wahan koi nahi tha (And when I turned to look behind, there was no one).
Who the hell did this to me? I almost shouted, but my voice was low enough that only my guards could hear me—no drama could be created here because of me.
"Ram, jo bhi hai, humein 15 minute mein humare office mein chahiye" (Ram, whatever it is, we need it in our office in 15 minutes), I ordered firmly and entered the celebration. I had cleaned my face, doing my best to rid myself of the remnants of color, and I tried hard to tidy my clothes.
