Junior Vocab
Diwali Memories
Meera: "Arjun, why did you stop the story there? What happened after the power cut?"
Arjun: "I don’t know… Amma shouted, ‘Light a candle!’ and everything went dark. That’s it."
Ajji: "Arjun, you were just reaching the best part. What did the laddus smell like when the fan stopped?"
Arjun: "Like hot ghee and cardamom… and everyone was fanning themselves with plates."
Meera: "And the diya on the rangoli was shaking, remember? You said the flame looked like it was dancing."
Arjun: "Oh yeah! And Dadu was grumbling, ‘Every year, same power cut on Diwali.’"
Ajji: "Mmm. Then what did you all do in that darkness, with the laddus and the dancing flame?"
Arjun: "We… um… we sat near the window. The neighbours’ crackers were the only light."
Meera: "And Amma said we could eat ONE laddu each before dinner, because it was too hot to argue."
Arjun: "Yes! And the sugar stuck to my fingers, and I licked them so slowly."
Ajji: "Did the celebration stop because the electricity went? Or did it still go on?"
Meera: "It didn’t stop. We clapped when the sky lit up with rockets."
Arjun: "And we sang that silly Diwali song you made up, Ajji."
Ajji:continued, just in a quieter way, with candlelight and sticky fingers." "So the festival
Meera: "And your story can continue too, Arjun. Tell how we played shadow puppets on the wall!"
Arjun: "Okay! The rabbit shadow continued jumping over the laddus, and you kept trying to eat it!"