Tony and I enjoyed celebrating Diwali at the home of my lovely colleague, Devika, and her husband, Deepak, last Friday. I bought an elegant kurta and churidar (pants that fit tightly in the calves and gather at the ankles with enough room in the bottom for my whole third-grade class).
We were greeted by the whole family, including Eshana, age 4, in her shimmery sari. I coaxed her out from behind a door with a Diwali gift of markers and a coloring book, and she immediately got to work drawing pictures and writing her name. Sparkling with energy, she contracted a contagious case of the giggles when I took a picture of her taking a picture of me.
With mom. (Oh! That round thing on her plate is an idli, fyi.)
With dad. (She was giving me a finger wag! Can you imagine?)
So enamored with Eshana, I didn’t even think to take photos of the rest of the group or even the amazing delicacies on the buffet table. My plate overflowed with idli and coconut chutney (one of my favorite dishes!), vegetarian momos (dumplings), samosas with tamarind dip, chicken kebabs, and mouth-watering burfi (a milk-based dessert) and honey-soaked fried dough balls, whose Hindi name escapes me.
After the crowd thinned, we sipped wine and engaged Deepak in a discussion of Indian literature. Such a special evening!
I like the pictures. Great pics of Eshana. Thanks for coming and being a part of our celebrations.