The Secret Ritual of Letting Go

“Let go, let go,” they say
but how can I?
The pain, the ache…
Is it so easy to forgive?

“Let go, let go, it’s Diwali,” they say.
I may let go of old clothes,
broken vases,
wilted flowers,
cracked photo frames,
unfulfilled promises
unread letters,
but resentment—
How do I let go of those?

I ask…
But no reply comes,
Nobody knows.
“Let go, let go,” they just say.

Before Diwali, I clean my home—
an invisible burden lifts off my shoulders.

On Diwali, I draw rangoli,
And lose myself in its patterns
as if meditating,
Mesmerised by the vibrant colours
my heart fills with ecstasy.

I light a diya—
suddenly, its glow overcomes the darkness,
outside… and inside.

On the auspicious day, we perform puja—
and it stirs my soul,
as if releasing me
From the shackles of guilt I carried too long,
from the silent ache of unspoken wounds,
from the loneliness gnawing quietly at my heart—

I feel a void,
a hollow space,
gentle, luminous…

By dinner, I find myself at the feast—
with close ones,
and not-so-close ones—
yet no regrets remain,
no bitterness lingers.
Only contentment.

And perhaps this is why we celebrate—
with rangoli and lights,
with crackers and feasts,
with family and friends—
to cleanse the heart without our knowing,
to forget what divides us,
And to remember what binds us.

PS: This piece was originally written and published in the October 2025 edition of Thought Lantern magazine, where it was honored with the Editor’s Choice recognition.

PS: This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon 2025

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