Often we shut the doors and windows of our rooms with a desire to have a feel of undisturbed peace and safety. We sit or lean on the bed for hours to forget the complexities of the outside world. However, most of the time we find that, in doing so, we end up in suffocation instead of peace and safety. It is because Peace is something which comes from within. It is the stately dance of clear conscience on the notes of selflessness.  A broken heart and a disturbed mind cannot be repaired by simply shutting the doors and windows of a house. The healing needs something deeper, something nobler, something beyond the rules and commonsense of a worldly life.

It was Diwali. Everywhere there were a lot of shopping, print and tele ad campaigns, rush in the markets and hotels. The world seemed to move faster and happier. But Raman’s heart did not co-operate him. He could not feel yesteryears joy inside him. His feelings for Diwali had been buried deep in an unreachable soft tissue which remained obscure and undiscoverable. The day was highlighted by two pieces of SMS from his old friends whom he did not feel necessary to send return SMS. He remained in his room with his doors and windows shut.

The world around him celebrated the beauty of lights and the explosive joy of crackers and he attempted to enjoy his silence with his own self. But he could not reach the peace of mind for which he had stood aloof from the hustle and bustle of the banging evening. He opened his door and went away leaving the suffocating room behind. He inhaled the fresh air and saw that a grandfather was helping his grandson with his crackers. The grandson was inquisitively standing on his toes to learn the lessons of firing crackers. He looked at them and felt a subtle wave of inner joy because they radiated the light of joy aplenty. His gloom disappeared and he smilingly thanked Diwali because it brought an eager childhood and a loving grandparenthood giggle together when the sky colorfully illuminated in gratitude to heaven.

(Reader's comments solicited as life breath for further improvements.)