DIWALI 2024..........chaos begins....

Diwali at home this year was all about family time, food, decorations, and some unexpectedly intense board games. It started off simply enough, with everyone pitching in to decorate the house. But what should’ve been a quick job turned into a three-hour debate over where each diya and garland “should” go. We had a few self-appointed “art directors” in the family, each absolutely certain that moving a marigold garland a few inches could make or break the whole look. I swear, we nearly broke out the measuring tape. But in the end, the house looked festive and beautiful, even if it felt like we’d already survived our first family battle.

Then came the food. Oh, the food! Plates of crispy samosas, steaming sweets, and every indulgence you can imagine made its way to the table. With each bite, it was clear that we had made enough for an army—or at least enough to feed us through the next festival, but we couldn’t resist. One round turned into two, and before we knew it, everyone was sprawled out, stuffed and content, looking like we’d all just finished a marathon. Diwali meals really are something else—equal parts joy and exhaustion.

But the main event? The board games. Now, I love my family, and in the spirit of Diwali, we were all smiles as we sat down to play. Little did I know that this “friendly” game session was about to reveal everyone’s inner cutthroat competitor. Monopoly? It turned into a full-on showdown, with everyone suddenly strategizing like seasoned real estate tycoons. Our polite “you can pass on paying rent” attitude lasted about five minutes before we were hurling accusations of cheating and making sly alliances. Then came Uno, which should be innocent fun, right? But when someone threw down that +4 card and said, “Sorry, it’s all I had,” let’s just say it felt personal.

Scrabble was the real cherry on top. Apparently, every random combination of letters was, according to someone in the family, an obscure “real word.” By the end, we were “confirming” words with Google, and I’m pretty sure my phone learned a few new “words” that night. Our Scrabble game turned into a mix of vocabulary lessons and creative bluffing, and honestly, no one trusted each other by the end.

Finally, we all agreed to put the games aside, mostly because we were too exhausted to argue anymore. As we stepped outside to look at the diyas flickering in the evening breeze, all our little board game grudges faded away, leaving just a sense of warmth and laughter. Watching the soft lights together, I felt that familiar Diwali warmth—a reminder that even through all the chaos, Diwali really is about feeling at home with each other.

Here’s to another Diwali of food comas, decorating debates, and board game battles that prove just how perfectly imperfect family can be.