Bura na mano.. holi hai!!

I was headed out of my colony to the market and was discussing something intently with my friend when suddenly we hear a PHAT!! And another PHAT!!! And realized a couple of water balloons had been aimed by the kid next door. My friend's light grey top were splattered with coloured water. The kid immediately ran inside his house. We went and rang the door bell. Noone opened the door but his father came to the balcony and asked us what happened. So we told him that his son was throwing water balloons and it had narrowly missed us. And all he had to say was “Bura na mano holi hai. Yeh to hota hi hai. bachche to khelenge hi.”I asked him if I could slap him and get away with “Bura na mano holi hai”. He had nothing to say for that. I asked him what if his son threw a balloon on someone who is driving a car or riding a two-wheeler and caused an accident. His son isn’t a little kid anymore but is old enough to now understand this. We had to leave then because we were getting late.

I have also played holi as a kid and I still play. But it is only in my colony that I have seen people throwing balloons randomly at strangers and passers-by. I fail to understand what is the fun in this. I was a pretty naughty kid myself but had the sense not to throw it at random people. The one and only time I did something like this, it landed on my dad’s friend who was in his white shirt. I was lucky it only had water in it and not coloured water. My parents however, were anything but amused. I have seen kids here throw it on the delivery boys on their 2 wheelers or at drivers (including a few on a bus driver who was driving at that time) which can cause a serious accident. Don’t their parents ever think of that?

I don’t mean to be the criticize Holi but I don’t understand why it cannot b restricted to friends and families and not the passers by. I still don’t think that Holi gives anyone the license to misbehave. So people better celebrate Holi with their friends and family and not with the people who dont want to be a part of it!