Festivals in India are a lot about rituals and traditional practices, but at the same time, they are also about relishing on lavish treats and reviving the idea of brotherhood. And when it comes to the festival of colours, Holi, what precedes the delicacies and rituals is the zeal to reach out to all our loved ones. But in our enthusiasm and fervour, we often tend to forget about those who are deprived of the means to even have a decent Holi celebration, forget the delicacies and treat involved. Kahanikaar Sudhanshu Rai's latest story, Holi Wala Dost, is a tale of two such friends - Golu and Sonu - who have been deprived of the basic privileges and means of even celebrating the festival of colours.

The two kids, who are the protagonists of the story, hail from a poor background and while everyone around them have fun and frolic, all they could do on Holi was stare at others with void eyes and empty stomach. Their state of affairs is explained in just a fraction of one sentence when one of the kids says, `Bhookhe toh hum roz rehte hain`. 

But things take a turn when their conversation is interrupted by a 'Holi Wala Dost' while they are watching others play with colours. Who is this Holi Wala Dost? Did Sonu and Golu's desire to celebrate Holi get fulfilled? What happened when they went in search of their so-called 'dost' to his house? The answers can be found by hearing the heart-touching rendition of the full story on Facebook or YouTube by Sudhanshu Rai, who has conceived as well as narrated the story. Check it out here -  

 

Through the protagonists, the storyteller takes us to a world that exists just beyond our boundary walls and still remains unseen by most of us. 'Holi Wala Dost' removes the blindfold on our eyes and helps us see behind the veils defined most by societal values.