Days from Saptami to Dashami were awesome too. The evenings were crammed with programmes. My friends and I got dressed and come down to watch as many as we could. We had our lunch and dinners in the clubhouse together. On Ashtami, we did the anjali and prayed. On Nabami we had the epic DJ dance. Then came the Dashami; the last day of Puja. We were all a bit sad. After this, we all would be studying and doing our homework again. We kind of picked at our food and laughed half heartedly. I suggested something that made my friends happy. We could meet over for the last time in the evening during the fireworks and would watch a movie. They all agreed. We arranged to meet at 4:00 pm and partied by ourselves until the end of the fireworks. So we did. After the fireworks, it started raining. Maa Durga was crying because she had to leave. Just like she does every year. It always happens. But we knew, she’d always come back next year. Then we watched Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone and said bye. This year is completely different. We have a covid situation. We can’t celebrate at that scale, with the same flare. But it doesn’t matter. We will do it at home with our families. We’ll enjoy every way we can. Because Maa Durga loves to see us happy as well. Don’t let the coronavirus be the reason you are grumpy at this time of year. Celebrating maa Durga’s homecoming is what this Puja is all about. So no matter what country it is. We will always remember our Maa Durga in whatever way we can! Whether we celebrate through elaborate parties or just by thinking and praying. It really is up to us. Upahaar 2020 39
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