What festivals with cousins really mean

We all know that INDIA, is a place of fasts and festivals.Indian men and women observe these festivals and fasts throughout all the season-year.They celebrate these festivals with great devotion as they think it would purify their mind and soul, but not only devotion, they celebrate it with great pomp and ceremony which is no less than any fun.
More likely for a small family(as of mine), as the cousins finds the way to gather together within every 2-3 months. So we all seven have been scattered here and there, but because of these festivals we gather together with a lot of enthusiasm.For us, "festivals" doesn't only mean purifying our mind, doing puja or hawan, apart from all these religious stuff, other childhood memories folder has been created in our mind drive storage.
       Out of all the festivals, Diwali be the best as it is a five-day festival, so more time with your cousins squad. Playing cards with your family, which includes all the members from my Daadi to the youngest member of our family, lot of giggling stuff , then a mid-night coffee is made by the head of our cousin squad, which takes around an hour: Yes, a matter of leg pulling too. While all this, serious family discussion in which we children are completely ignored so we do our own planning which we know is never going to take place; uninvited door's guest are the major problem of Indian society, so we have to be hundred percent fake in front of them, as soon as they leave our house, we all run into the Kaju katli, dryfruits, other sweets kept for them(I guess it's every house story). No matter how much the food is prepared during festivals none can break the taste of maggi that has beed cooked after everyone has left for sleep, whispering all the time, not making a tingling sounds of utensils even; as soon as it is been cooked it is finished that way only, Where the maggi has gone and a big question mark. While everyone has left for sleep after a tiring day, we group of 7, tries to fit ourself on just one double bed, kicking each other, doing other fun stuff, like in every cousins group there is always one horror story teller who always tries to scare the youngest one with their own imagination so that, the youngest one would end up by rushing into the washroom at late night.Somehow we managed ourself to fit ourself there on one bed only.Then, the next day, we all get scolding by our Daadi for waking up so late and then fight for taking a bath first takes place(like every home story).  A family has gathered and how someone can forget about the future wedding planning of the eldest cousin, as the discussion gets  start - the eyebrows of my di also gets high and then again a matter of leg pulling. And the second topic on which we discuss is about our menu for next day, and this discussion takes place for hours but on the other day you'll find nothing similar on the dining table which has been discussed last night.We might get bore by eating pasta-burger everyday in our college canteen but at home during festival like holi-Diwali we never get bored by eating Puri-Kachoris every day during the festive week.As I am a Kaju katli lover, so a box full of it is kept away from me in my family;but somehow I always manage to find it and finish it overnight.Sometimes the level of leg pulling gets so high that one of them always cry, and a big family issue is also created.Lastly the irritating neighbours also play a major role in irritating us by inviting again and again to their house for fun and joy, so to them away we cousins avoid to go on terrace for any work, but for this one has to suffer who would their  work.
                          So, in short, I can say that festivals with cousins means the laughter shared, the togetherness that can't be explained so easily, sharing a double bed with 7 and compromising our parents for those five days and lastly, a good food:which is everything to everone in my family.But now, as we all are in college, I miss my those days, I wish one could relive those moments again and cherish my childhood life.
Lastly I would like to add: "Family is like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions,yet our roots remain as ONE".