An Unusual Delicacy

“Holi re Holi...Holi aayi re!" Joyous cheers echoed in Chetan's grandmother's courtyard.

- Shikha Gola Prajapai

Children were running around, smearing colours on each other. Some of them were dashing to hide behind pillars and escape the colours. The entire courtyard was a chaos of gulals, bursting water balloons, and coloured sprays from water guns.

Chetan was witnessing such a grand celebration of Holi for the first time, as this year, instead of celebrating it in Bangalore, he was in Rajasthan, at his grandparents' place.

As Chetan stood there soaking in the vibrant scene, his cousins came up to him, covered in colours.

"Come on, let's eat something now!" they said and took him to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, delicacies like gujiyas, thandai, gulab jamuns, jalebis, and Bikaneri snacks had been laid out, and the kids eagerly dived in.

"Wow, jalebi!" one exclaimed, while another declared, "I'm going to have gujiya first!"

"Here, brother, have some kanji," said Chetan's cousin Naman, offering him a steel glass filled with a muddylooking liquid.