halva revisited

This time it was the Indian version rather than the Lebanese, at Diwali in Southall. Giant neon chilis overhung the street, but there was no savoury food to be taken away: all must be sweets, and we started off with a mixed box of carrot and pistachio halva.
Later in backstreet traffic gridlock we got the opportunity to see local firework usage in closeup: the accepted mode of rocket launch seemed to be from the hand, at the end of an extended arm.
All the western horizon of the city rumbled that evening: Hounslow, Southall, Harrow, Wembley; the light from the explosions giving Rama and Sita safe passage homeward from the Slough hinterland.

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