Counting days for Diwali!!

 Diwali is a special festival for most of us since childhood. As we get new calendars every year the first thing we used to do is checking when is Diwali and start counting days for Diwali. That too after Pooja holidays we would be excited as the final countdown starts! Most of our Diwali purchases would have been over during Pooja holidays. We used to go to Madurai by bus the day before the eve of diwali. As bus enters Madurai  the aura of diwali enthrals us! The newly mushroomed shops for dresses and crackers fascinate us. As we enter the Ayyamma home our diwali feast (a chick) welcomes us pecking up its last feast😋. The aroma of home made murukku and athirasam stimulate our taste buds and fills our stomach as and when we pass by the containers with Diwali snacks. The  fireworks and gift boxes from perimma would be equally divided amongst us! The next day morning we await the arrival of Sujit and sahana  looking at the clock fiftieth time in half an hour. On the Diwali eve  when we go into Kamarajar road  at Gandhi pottal , we would be taken to vilakkuthun by the human floods.. so is the crowd to pick up household items put on good deals on the streets. As we reach home late, Ayyamma would welcome us with an annoyance for staying on streets late night. Before the era of mehendi cones I used to go to Usha Susi akka home to grind maruthani for me. And when it's about to be midnight Ayyamma would twist the neck of the pitty hen and de-skin it and apply salt and turmeric to detoxify it. Appa and chithappa would take turns with amma and chithi in making paniyaram and vada. And as it dawns the sounds of crackers here and there would wake us and as all of us finish our ?oil baths , I remember applying turmeric stains to new clothes with thatha.  After a small Pooja and delicious non vegetarian wholesome meal we get from thatha, our new dresses  piled up in the green steel cot. After wearing new dresses and as shanthi athai arrives after finishing her sales in cracker shop bringing us new variety of fancy fireworks, we enjoy Diwali sweets and Pattimandram. Then we go to mamammai home and Sujit and sahana would go to their achi home. There at mommammai home we have our second innings of cracker bursts and return home for the night Gala of fireworks at our terrace.  As the fireworks show comes to an end and as we clean up the terrace, as the residual flames of the fireworks are put off , the ignition of  Diwali  mood is put off.. And the next day when we return to Tiruchendur with Diwali sweets  and sweet memories tingling in our minds , we start counting days for next Diwali😁😉