Diwali's Spark and the Lesson Learned

For weeks, the arrival of Diwali was creating excitement in my seven-year-old heart. The trip to my home town, Guntur, only made me more excited for the events that were to turn out.

The morning and afternoon consisted of the activities that should be done prior to the pooja. I helped arrange the diyas while watching my family members placing all kinds of presentations for decorations. During the ceremony, I struggled to remain calm as my attention was focused towards the many crackers outside waiting for me.

As soon as the last prayer was over, I rushed to the back porch fully charged and anxious. In my excitement, I got a little careless with a cracker and I instantly regretted it as a blinding pain erupted in my hand.

While I let some of the people treat my hand while weeping, others in the distance were busy lighting crackers which was rather unfair as they were enjoying yet I was not. Instead of being an evening of marvel, it turned out to be an evening of lessons on how to be careful.