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A QUIET DIWALI FOR YUVI-HAZEL
The cricketer and actor couple will celebrate by spending time with family... and without crackers
With Diwali just hours away now, newlyweds in the celebrity circuit are preparing to celebrate with zest and fervour. However, for cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Hazel Keech, who married in November last year, the first Diwali after marriage is going to be sombre. Yuvraj’s mother, Shabnam Singh, tells us, “I lost my parents recently, so Diwali will be simple. Since it’s Yuvraj and Hazel’s first Diwali after marriage, the family will sure be together for puja. Hazel is excited about celebrating with us.”
The couple will be in Chandigarh for Diwali, as Yuvraj is playing there for the Ranji trophy. Shabnam, who will join them soon, says, “The traditional Diwali puja will be followed by dinner for the family. I’m sure that my sisters and other close relatives who live in Chandigarh, will drop by to meet us. I’m yet to take Hazel out for shopping, so that she can buy her Diwali gift.”
Adding that the family supports the ban on fire crackers imposed in DelhiNCR by the Supreme Court, Shabnam says, “We won’t burn crackers, because of the death in the family, and also because Yuvraj is supporting the cracker ban. Crackers harm the environment, so we won’t add to the pollution.”
Shabnam reveals that Yuvraj prefers to support social causes as a way to celebrate festivals, and that they’d rather do their bit to make underprivileged children smile. “Yuvi has always believed that Diwali is about spreading happiness, so we plan to cook at home and feed underprivileged kids in a nearby slum in Chandigarh,” says his mom. “We believe that instead of spending on crackers, it’s wise to help the poor and needy.”
Since Yuvraj is mostly travelling for matches, we ask Shabnam how much time does the family get to spend with each other. “Oh, we make sure that we meet, at least once in every 10-15 days,” she says. “Either Yuvi and Hazel come to Chandigarh or I visit them in Mumbai. We’re happy we’ll be together on Diwali.”