Happy Diwali!!

Wish you all a very Happy Diwali!! 

Diwali means everybody has a story to tell about their Diwali experience.  For me, it reminds me one of the many Diwali's I have celebrated as a boy in Tuticorin.  Diwali is usually most sought after festival for me since it brings along a new pair of dress year after year.  Yes, getting a new pair of dress was never easy as it is today but I would not crib that I got only one every year. 

It used to be still the custom tailoring days even for boys and it was before the advent of readymade dress culture in Tuticorin.  For that particular Diwali, the cloth was purchased from D.Arumugam Pillai & Sons and the tailoring was given to Sreema Tailors on the West Car Street atleast 15 days before Diwali.  The tailor was given very specific instrutions on how the shirt was to be stitched.  Mind it, I was a boy, probably 10 years old!!

On the date of delivery of the dress, I was all charged up and excited when I went along with my father to collect the Diwali dress.  But on receiving the stitched dress, I was shocked as I found that the shirt didnt have any "pleats" on the backside.   Shirts with pleats were a big rage at that time and I felt that my Diwali shirt without a pleat is like no Diwali at all!! I can't accept that and I was totally dejected even showing a mild dissent to my father in front of the tailor .  When we come back home, I was in full rage and started shouting at my father.   This tailor is useless, doesnt know how to stitch and all.  A compromise formula was arrived at whereby I would be bought a fresh shirt cloth and it would be specifically stitched with "pleats" on the back side.  But the only downside is that it would be available only after Diwali.  I accepted to the compromise formula, just like how Karunanidhi accepts to the Pranab's compromise on the Srilankan issue, as there is no other way out. 

When I look back now, I could laugh at myself on how adamant I have been in insisting that my shirt should have pleats!!!