STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE
The Tough Holi
The story of a woman celebrating Holi without Hooliganism
by Lt Col Ankita Srivastava
Holi always scared her . As a newly married young bride , Avantika wasn ' t looking forward to her first Holi at her in-laws place in Lucknow .
A regimented childhood that she spent in Allahabad under her strict father ’ s regime thankfully killed her desire to play Holi . Firstly as every March she was studying for her final exams and secondly because her father told her it wasn ' t a safe one for girls .
So every Holi , as a young curious girl she would however peek into the lane from her second story flat windows that were made out of weak wood in that shoe shape white building .
The green wooden window panes would squeak while opening but being on second floor not much was heard from down below .
The day of Holi would begin with total serenity in the surrounding areas .
Even the sky would appear soft , bright light blue as if readying itself as a canvas for the ensuing colour riot of the day .
By 10 am various small and large gang of men and grown up boys , inebriated , dressed in white kurta pajamas would begin to show in those narrow lanes .
Avantika would pull the window pane a bit towards her , lest some rowdy guy looks up and sees a spotless face hanging out . She was told by her neighbors it was an offense to have a spotless face on a Holi in Uttar Pradesh .
She would hide her face behind those panes but her curiosity would let her hang there only .
Hindi movie songs would be blaring loud . The Sridevi song from Himmatwala would repeatedly play in blasting noise . By 10.30 am most boys would be seen dancing on streets . The kids would throng with little or huge pichkaris and water balloons . Teenager boys moved around with pocket full of paint , Greece and even rotten eggs .
Holi in Allahabad would produce some real hooligans . It was a strong catalytic festival ; it would convert even the otherwise sober boys into
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