Diwali Party in Montreal!

It was a typical day in Montreal when my roommate, Megh shouted “Diwali party karte he!” (Let’s throw a Diwali party). We all laughed it off initially. After all, we were newcomers in town, barely knowing anyone. Plus, organizing a party? That meant dipping into our already tight budgets and squeezing time out of our busy schedules. So, we just dropped the idea or so we thought.

As days passed, Megh’s idea, like a seed, began to sprout in our collective minds, gaining more traction (Megh’s birthday was on the same day). Before we knew it, we were caught up in a wave of excitement. The problem? We had absolutely no idea how to host a party, let alone whom to invite. But there was something infectious about our naive enthusiasm, and we found ourselves committed to making it happen.

The excitement about our Diwali party plan just kept growing. Eventually, all four of us got together in Aayush’s room to hash out the details. We were all in – this was really happening! When you’re a student, the first thing you think about for a party is how much it’s going to cost. This was our first big hurdle. We wanted our first Diwali party to be a bit fancy and memorable. At first, we dreamed big – imagining a wild, ‘Project X’ style blowout. But then we started adding up the expenses and our big dreams got a reality check.

After a lot of talking and a bit of arguing, we finally agreed on how much we could spend – which, to be honest, we ended up going way over – and what kind of party it would be. We decided on some tasty snacks like samosas and pani-puri, a variety of sweets, and drinks with a BYOB rule. We were ready to make this party one to remember.

With the party plan in place, we faced our next challenge: the invitation and guest list. This part had us scratching our heads – how many people should we invite? Would everyone we invite actually show up? Or, the scariest thought, what if nobody came? Amidst a mix of laughter and semi-serious debates, we took the plunge and compiled a list. We ambitiously settled on around 50 people (Yep, after everything about budget!). With the list ready, we crafted a fun invitation and sent it out to everyone. There was no turning back now. As soon as we hit ‘send,’ RSVPs started flooding in. This was really happening.

Fast forward to the day before the party, and guess what? We had done absolutely nothing. Nada. The living area, our designated party zone, was a disaster zone the night before. It was finally the day of the party when we realised “Kuch karna padega!” (We need to do something!). Suddenly, we transformed into a whirlwind of productivity. Aayush and I tackled the Herculean task of cleaning (God! We saw some scary stuff XD). Megh was on a mission to gather all the food and drinks. And Yash? Well, Yash was being Yash – my man bought shit load of nothing and spent all day doing so ! And then, as if by some miracle, by 7 pm, everything fell into place. The room looked great and the food and drinks were ready. Party time had officially arrived!

Cleaned kitchen. I was soo proud

I vividly remember Le and Qian being the first to arrive, punctual as always. Meanwhile, I was still in the shower . As time ticked by, guests started trickling in, gradually filling up the space. What amazed us was the generosity of everyone – they didn’t come empty-handed. Drinks were the most popular offering (seriously, everyone brought drinks), but we also got a variety of fruits and food items. I was on a mission: introduce non-Indians to the wonders of pani puri and samosas. Watching their reactions was priceless – a mix of surprise, delight, and the occasional puzzled look.

The decoration made by Yash . I make fun of the guy but he is very resourceful

In the midst of all this Megh decided that it would be a good idea to make pani puri shots. It was an abomination and blasphemy. This was the day, the holy pani-puri that has sustained us in times of both happiness and difficulty was desecrated. Please don’t try this. I intially spent a lot of time explaining people what Diwali was but as the evening rolled on and more drinks were consumed, the significance of Diwali became less of a focal point. There were about 35 people who attended the party with some coming and going.

Finally it was 12 a.m and Megh’s birthday. It was the perfect climax to our first big bash in Canada. Not to toot our own horn, but I think the party was a hit! Eventually, it was time to bid farewell to our guests. With the last person out the door, we let out a collective sigh of relief. But then we saw it – the aftermath. Our house looked like it had weathered a storm. There was cleaning to be done, a lot of it. But in that moment, with the fun we had and my roommates a little too tipsy to care (Mom! If you are reading this I don’t drink), the mess didn’t seem to matter. We were just enjoying in the joy of the night and the sweet success of our Diwali celebration.