Me ... growing younger

This October 23rd, I turned 21. Actually speaking, I turned 21 two years back, but I have this strange belief that I have stopped growing beyond 21 (voluntarily or involuntarily I can't say). I selected 21 as its the legal marriage age, and I am really tired of explaining this fact to every person who does not forget to mention my age as soon as he/she wishes me.

Either a birthday celebration is a 'typical one' like an early morning head-bath, a visit to a nearby temple, wearing a set of new trousers and a bright full sleeved shirt, distributing sweets, and making a vow to get transformed that very day to a perfect individual. Or else, its 'the better way' involving taking friends or family out to a posh restaurant, eating like a hog, doing something un-conventional like a cool outing, go-karting, whatever. Mine wasn't both. It was more of a 'trend-setting' style of celebration. Going to the garage to get my bike serviced.

Yeah ... I was gonna have a great birthday. I dropped off my bike at Infantry Road, decided to walk till Indian Exress, and catch a bus. The walk proved a bit tiring, not to mention my desperate tries to foil the attempts of the BMTC buses to run over me. Then, came the long wait for the bus. When it finally came, and I got in, I realised I had taken the wrong bus. He dropped me off near TV Tower, I had to walk to the bus stop again. Another long wait. And then comes this bus, where the driver is also a conductor. I quarrel with him for sometime, as he refuses to give me a ticket, and I really wanted to unravel my fight for social justice on my birth-day. Another long walk back home, and my legs were killing.

A short nap. Come evening, and come rains. Lots. I was under house-arrest. Nothing to do, I just opened my GRE text, and gulped a few words. Nothing registered. Watched TV for sometime. Then watched a Kannada movie - 'Duniya', loved it !!

I forgot to mention, all day, all afternoon, all evening, all night, I kept getting phone calls from friends and cousins. It was too too much this year. I was literally tired of receiving calls. On the contrary, few of my close friends forgot to even wish me. And one of my real close friend, first asked whether it was really my b'day that day, and then went on to wish me. Crap birthday !!


24th October, Venue - Home

Usual day, got up late, did all the usual stuff, had lunch, decided to read a couple of old letters I had written to sister-in-law. Heard a knock-knock. Who's there ? As I rub my eyes in amazement, I see a cousin and 2 of my younger brothers, all clean shaven, handsome, and grinning. There was a look of 'mischief' in their faces. Thinking this to be a trap, I maintained a bit of distance, but welcomed all home. They hand me over a big cover. What did it contain ? Sewage water that would splatter my face the moment I opened it ? I slowly peeped into it.

There was a greeting-card. It was a perfect birthday card. And a big big handwritten letter. I read it, I read it again and again. It was so so touching. Never realized my little brothers and sisters liked me so much. Every past experience, every memorable event, moments of fun, mischief, joy, laughter, adventure, grief ... was recalled. The whole letter was a journey back into the past. If I was a girl (which mom thinks I am), I would have really cried. I read the letter almost 8 times that day.

And then came the gift. A huge book of Calvin Hobbes collection. My dream possession. A book I was dying to have. A book that I hugged in every book store, or a book fair, but kept it back, as it was way too expensive, the book was all mine. They not only gave me a perfect card, not only wrote the perfect letter, but also found a perfect gift. And this was not one person's doing. The whole team of all my cousins, brothers, sisters teamed up, and contributed.

If this wasn't enough, my cousin Vikki also gave us a big treat for getting a job. To Cafe Coffee Day we went, ate a couple of veg burgers, somethin called a Submarine, Green Apple and Strawberry Sodas, came home and gobbled up a few Gulab Jamoons ... phew !!

Well, if those guys are reading this, I think you are just amazing. You made my birthday one of my favorite ones, because I realized how much you all love me. I have decided I shall write about everyone of them in this blog, how much they mean to me, and how they make my life complete (miserable sometimes ... no denying that ... they are the biggest brats too) I'm sure lucky to have all these bunch of people around, I realized they ain't just blood-relatives, they are also my really wonderful friends !!