jonathan/ferguson

nagpur is the geographical center of india. north, west, east, south. they all meet here. there’s a monument that says so. and this year it was the center of my very first diwali celebration. a true festival of lights. i reached nagpur the day before diwali with punit. it was his birthday and by the end of the night we were stuffing cake down each other’s faces. a tradition here. but during the day, we passed out all the gifts he brought home with him. and it was fun to be a part of it. new saris, new clothes, new sheets, new bed covers, new dishes. all sorts of new things. all sorts of new smiles.

diwali itself was a blast. crackers bursting left, right and center. you’ve never seen so many going off at the same time. every house shooting off fireworks. setting off huge explosions. all permited. all part of the fun. no crossing state boundaries required. indiana, tennessee and alabama don’t stock ‘em like this anyway. they were beyond illegal by american standards. but so easy to use! so entertaining! so fun! after lakshmi pooja, we set off “spinners” and “flower pots” (the brightest), a 1,000 piece firecracker kit, and two huge ones we saved for last. they were awesome. this went on for hours, just about every night, the entire week. and everyone seemed to enjoy it. except jani, the dog, who sat crouched under the table, under a bed, or under the stairs with a pathetic look on her face. she’s not a fan.

while i was originally planning to be there only for the weekend, i continued to battle fevers and a dry cough (which has since turned out to be a bacterial infection in my left lung). so, with the family begging me to stay, i decided to change my return flight and stay the rest of the week. i was relaxed. i had a family. and they were feeding me three meals a day. it was refreshing. during the week we went all over nagpur, to the orange market, to a nearby jungle on our scooters, to the newly opened baskin robbins, and even north to the temple at ramtek where monkeys ate from my hand. i was desperately trying to breathe in all the fresh air i could. anything to purge my delhi infected lungs.

but the most meaningful part of the week was spending time with punit’s family. and in the end, becoming a part of it. it was refreshing to relax among a large group of people who loved each other and were comfortable being with each other. genuine love. genuine hospitality. three generations under one roof. constantly sacrificing for me and for each other. and all with such joy and contentment. that was the most refreshing and relaxing thing of all. and it came at the right time. i’m grateful to punit and his family for allowing me the privilege to join them.

enjoying freshly made upma, dosas, pakoras, and coconut chutney while we all sat around and laughed at the indian soap operas. except for ammaji (grandmother) and akkaji (eldest aunt) who watch them intensely every night. having dida (the youngest aunt) become my nurse for the week, insisting i visit the doctor, monitoring my fevers, examining my medicines, and ensuring my recovery. hanging out with mohit (punit’s brother) pooja, sudha, and rashmi (punit’s cousins, but close enough to be sisters), and laughing and laughing. hearing punit’s dad wander around the house chanting om every morning then trading it in during the day for hours of video games on the computer. and having endless discussions into the night with punit about my future. about my family. about america. i needed it.

i filled up their dust bin with stacks of huge bisleri water bottles. i coughed all day and night. but no one complained. no one forced me to eat more than i could. no one told ammaji that i was secretly drinking ice cold pani (water). i asked punit to go here and there and pick up this and that. to turn the fan down. to turn the fan up. to let me drive the scooter. he always graciously agreed. and while he accused me of almost running over an old man and he beat me in our rangoli competition, he was the perfect host. they were the perfect host family. it was a perfect diwali in the center of a now cooler india surrounded by the love of a warm family.