It's a Snowy October Morning in Chicago with - 3 degrees Celsius. Megha is busy with packing lunch for her husband Prithiv, the twin kids Anu, Adhi and herself, while Prithiv is helping the kids to wear their snow pants. Prithiv asked, 'Megha, Finally, It's Friday. Can we go out for dinner today?'. Anu said, 'Yes Mom, Let's go. I need Momos'. Adhi said, 'Yes Mom, I also need Momos'. Megha said, 'Yes, of course! I don't cook Friday night'. Everyone laughed out loud. Though it is a busy morning, the family enjoys the time at the breakfast table, which will be covered with funny jokes and laughter. Megha hugged and waved bye to 3 of them happily and jumped on the couch to stretch herself for a few minutes. She enjoys this ME time after the busy hour in the morning. She slowly woke up to collect her bags and the car key to drive to her office. Suddenly, she looked in the Calendar and her face turned pale. This will happen every October or November of the year because the Calendar shows the Diwali festival dates.

Megha got into the car and the cool breeze froze her. She turned on the heater and saw a note from Prithiv saying, 'I cleaned the snow in the car, have a Great Day and Love you dear!'. Megha smiled to herself and said Love You too! Megha and Prithiv are a happy couple and blessed with twin kids. Though it is an arranged marriage, they got to know each other very quickly and take care of each other with lots of love. They got married when Prithiv was in US and after the wedding, Megha came to live with Prithiv in the US. Initially, this snowy weather was so romantic, and she enjoyed Prithiv's love and cuddle to tackle the weather. In the next year, she got pregnant and delivered the twins. Both the grandparents took their chance to travel to Chicago to assist them to take care of the kids and, for the next time, they were not interested in living in Chicago due to the severe cold.

Megha has two sisters who are living in India, close to her parents. Megha is the youngest and she enjoyed the pampering of the entire family. When Prithiv's alliance was brought in, she cried a lot that she cannot go far away from her parents and sisters. The entire family convinced her to accept this alliance due to Prithiv's family, education, and qualification. Prithiv is the only son, and his dream is to get settled in the US.

Before the wedding, Megha's Diwali will be a big festival. A month before Diwali, her parents and both her sisters will take her shopping. She will buy minimum of 5 sets of clothes and all the matching accessories. Her dad takes her to the Fireworks store, and she loves to see the names and colour of the fireworks. Her mother will sit with her and her dad to prepare the list of sweets and savouries to make for the festival. A week before, her mom's friends will join her to make the sweets and savouries. She will sit next to her mom, enjoy the aroma, and taste each and every dish as soon it is ready. Her sisters will come with her husbands a day prior the festival. The entire week will be sleepless night for her thinking about the day of Diwali. Her cousins will also arrive to make the day special. On the day of Diwali, the entire family will be awake early in the morning, wearing new clothes, accessories and will sit together to apply oil before shower. Megha's dad will be giving gifts to everyone in the family and Megha will be receiving gifts from her sisters and their husbands as well. They all crack the fireworks together and it will be the precious days of the entire year.

Thinking about her old memories, she reached the office. Her friend Kathy was waiting for her to discuss on the stand-up meeting. Megha got diverted with her work since she had a busy day. While driving back home, she called Prithiv and checked if he picked up the kids. Again, her mind started thinking about Diwali. This is her 7th year celebrating Diwali away from her family. She has never expressed to Prithiv how she misses her family and her home during Diwali. Indian People in US celebrate most of their festivals by visiting temples, inviting friends’ home, visiting friends, making sweets at home. Megha's friends in her community will meet at the park, wear ethnic dress, crack some fireworks, and exchange sweets. There will be a dinner party with all Indian cuisine food. Prithiv and Megha's parents used to send a big box of clothes and sweets from India for every Diwali. But Megha is not happy with this kind of celebration.

Megha reached home while Prithiv and kids are ready to go out for dinner. She quickly changed her dress and got ready for the dinner. It’s a usual food and the time spent together with the family is very special. They were talking about the happening at kids school, Prithiv’s new project and her office jokes. While returning home, kids fell asleep and Megha initiated the Diwali topic. Prithiv was so casual and asked her, Oh yeah, I almost forgot about all our Indian festivals. Have you started looking for clothes for all of us? Megha said, ‘No, I need to check tomorrow. Anything in your mind?’.

‘Ah no Megha, these Ethnic wears are one time use. I don’t even remember what I wore last year. I am fine with whatever you choose’.

Megha was so disappointed, but she is used to it. She said, ‘Fine then, I will browse and place the order tomorrow. I will talk to our parents and see what they have planned this year’.

They returned home and Megha started looking for clothes at the same night. She loves to shop clothes for the kids. She needs to find twin clothes which is not easily available in the market. Now a days, she started ordering in the boutique to customize the clothes for the entire family. They are pretty expensive but spending once in a year seems to be reasonable for her. As days went on, she lost the interest on the day and were focusing on the work and family. She almost forgot to follow up with her parents and in laws to send the clothes and sweets.

Only one week left for Diwali and there is no excitement about it. It’s a Sunday evening and Megha was baking cake for the kids school event. Prithiv arrived home after playing Cricket with his friends. Prithiv said, ‘Megha, can we go out for vacation this week?’. Megha, ‘What? Why suddenly? Where are you planning to go?’. Prithiv, ‘My friends were planning to go to Mexico and the tickets are cheap by this time’. Kids stated screaming, ‘Mexico??. What will be there in Mexico dad?’. Prithiv laughed and said, ‘Let’s go and find it out’.

Megha was thinking about her tasks for the week and asked, ‘How long are you planning? I need to apply my leaves’. Prithiv, ‘I am planning for one week’. Kids, ‘Mom, let’s go. We will pack my toys and books’. Megha, ‘Fine then, Book the tickets and I will pack the rest’.

She entirely forgot about Diwali and packed all her things, Prithiv’s and kids stuff. The day of travel arrived and they headed to the airport. When they went to checkin, Prithiv took them to the airlines showing flight to Dubai. Megha got confused and asked, ‘Aren’t we going to Mexico? This airlines is showing Dubai, please check the airlines’. Prithiv said, ‘No, we are at the right spot’. Megha didn’t understand and they completed the checkin. They arrived at the gate and then Megha asked again, ‘Are we at the right gate?’. Prithiv, ‘Yes, we are’. Megha, ‘Why are we going to Dubai to go to Mexico?’. Prithiv, ‘Because, we are going to India through transit in Dubai’. Megha got puzzled and asked, ‘What? Really? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why is this sudden plan? Is everyone doing well at home? Is there any issue?’. She started questioning with fear and tears. Prithiv, ‘Please calm down. There is nothing to worry about. Everyone is fine at home. This is just a surprise for you to enjoy Diwali at home with our family’. Megha almost fainted, ‘Diwali? You planned to take us to celebrate Diwali with family? Why didn’t you tell me?’. She hugged him tight and started crying loudly. People started looking at them and Prithiv calmed her down. Kids didn’t understand what’s happening and they also started crying by seeing their mom. Megha came to conscious in a few minutes and had butterflies in her stomach. She hugged and kissed the kids with happy smile and the kids stopped crying. Then Megha asked Prithiv with fake anger, ‘You should have told me. I didn’t pack or shop anything for our parents and my sister’s family’. Prithiv, ‘Don’t worry, I packed everything for everyone’. Megha did not know what to say. She felt she is flying already. She was asking so many questions like ‘Did you inform my parents? What did you buy for them? How long are we going to stay there?’.

Prithiv felt tired after all the questions were answered and he slept in the entire travel along with the kids. Megha kept on thinking about the most awaited Diwali celebration with her family like she used to think before her wedding. They all reached India and the family was waiting for them at the airport. The celebration began and Megha’s long-awaited dream came true. 

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