Where to be and for how long? This dilemma of handling multiple Diwali party invites is more complicated than it sounds. And it gets even worse if you claim to have a big social circle in Delhi. This is the week when everyone seems to have packed evenings, with some or the other Diwali party to attend. From intimate house parties and family gatherings to gala dinners and grand card parties, there is quite a range to choose from. And while getting invited to all these parties might sound like a good problem to have, managing the invitations is an entirely different story. Too many invites, too little time, and the complicated business of keeping everyone happy!There are lists being drawn and calendars being marked to ensure that every invite is listed, carefully evaluated, discussed and slotted under ‘what can be missed’ and ‘what cannot’. Now, this categorisation is not as simple as choosing which party promises better food, music or company. There is the relationship with the host to consider, the location of the party, the guest list and, most importantly, the amount of damage control that might be required if you don’t show up. Some invitations can be politely declined, while others come with the risk of being reminded of your absence at every subsequent social gathering. And then there are those parties where the host has already announced to everyone that you are coming, even before you have confirmed.Once that categorisation is done, comes the other important question: How long should one stay at each party? Those where one can simply show up, pose for pictures with the hosts, exchange festive greetings and leave are the ones that come first in the order of parties to attend on a given evening. After all, photographic evidence of your attendance is sometimes just as important as attendance itself. Those where networking is involved, card games are planned or live music is part of the entertainment come later in the list. The challenge is to spend just enough time at each party to make your presence felt, without making your exit look like an escape. The fact also remains that no amount of planning can account for a party that turns out to be more entertaining than expected. What was supposed to be a quick appearance can turn into a long evening, particularly when the card games get interesting or you run into friends you haven’t met in months.And then there is the small matter of Delhi’s traffic situation. A party in Chhatarpur, another in Vasant Vihar and a third in Gurgaon might all sound manageable until you are sitting in traffic, dressed in your festive best. That’s when you begin questioning your social ambitions.While considering and making this elaborate plan of party hopping, what is also essential is the dress code. One wouldn’t want to repeat outfits at parties with common guests. So, no matter the distance or duration, some even travel with an extra change of clothes for the evening as they switch from one party to another. After all, you cannot possibly appear in the same outfit in pictures from three different parties on the same night, particularly when those pictures are likely to land on social media before you reach home.Another complication is the overlapping guest list. Delhi’s social circles might appear large, but somehow the same faces turn up at every second party. Which means the carefully planned excuse of having another commitment doesn’t always work when you run into the same people at your next stop.By the end of the festive week, the bigger achievement isn’t how many parties you attended, but how many hosts you managed to keep happy. And just when you think you have successfully navigated the Diwali social calendar, someone asks the most dreaded question, “You didn’t come to our party?” Celebrating Diwali in Delhi is one thing; navigating the party circuit is quite another. Between managing expectations and making sure nobody feels left out, the festive season can become a social balancing act.
