Fire Cracker Dad, my Favourite.


I was sitting in my place listening to music, or a radio drama, I don’t remember. A guy with a big bag walked into my place and asked me to move in. I obliged, since everywhere else is occupied, and the seat could host another person with some difficulty. Turned out it can’t host a third person, especially if he is keen to hung on to his luggage so dearly. He seated himself beside me, opened his bag and examined a pair of chappal, which looked very small to his feet. Then he had a peek at few other things, satisfied himself and then took a brand new school bag out of his transparent cover. Had a satisfying look at it, kept it back inside. Meanwhile the Ticket collector came in, asked for ticket, punched a few times into her machine, dispersed a little change and left. Meanwhile the guy beside me took another peak into the bag, this tie with pride and a tiny amount of doubt. He took out his phone, called his wife, and talked to his children. One can see his broken screen cracks across the phone meeting diametrically opposite ends in a lightening bolt.

He took out his handkerchief, wiped his forehead, took out his phone again, took a picture of the bag he had in his bag and sent it to his wife. Waited for some time, and then finally talked to me, confirming if the bus headed where he thinks its headed. After I confirmed, he seemed relaxed and moved to a place on the other side of the bus, where he could fit his luggage more comfortably. He then looked back at me, thanked me and wiped out his sweat again.


Look at the package, and the empty bag that is inside



This clearly is a man who is returning home after a hard day at the capital, bringing home the delicacies, essentials, requirements, and wishes of his lovely family back home, after finishing his work. He is a gentle man, as he looked to me.


Here is the gentleman described above. Look at his bag


I was at once, lost in my memories smiling back at a fine day when I was 11, my father coming back from the city at midnight, and I fell asleep waiting for him. Early in the morning waking up to my lost excitement, finding a big parcel by the side of our TV stand, and eagerly opening it only to find my mom staring at me in the early hours forbidding me from playing with whatever was inside. I was disappointed, but while my mother turned her back on me, I got to have a peek at what was inside which added so much to my excitement that I didn’t want to go to school later that morning. But, I had to. More than that I wanted to thank my dad for the thing I was asking for a long time, and he was asleep after the night’s work and travel.

Ten days after that, I burned all those that are inside the package. My father was smiling, my mother a little tensed I might burn myself in the process, my excitement and fun knowing no bounds. I took out the long thing, placed it on the ground while my father watched. Pointed it in the right direction towards the sky, lit it with a match stick. It flew into the sky and burst like a napalm. My eyes shone with happiness, as it was the my most favorite fire cracker of all time, and it was Diwali time.

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