From Birthday Bashes to Birthday Blues-I

22 March 2004-20XX


In a remote place in Rajasthan...

On this day, every year, as the clock stroke twelve in the midnight, you could hear the eight damsels singing on top of their voices,"We don't know but we've been told,Some one here is getting old! Good news is we sing for thee,Bad news is we sing for free.Haaaappppyy Haaapppyy Birthday To You!" The cake cutting, the birthday bumps,the small surprise on her face(even if it was expected!) the pre-birthday preparations-room decorations and the mundane albeit herculean task of choosing the gift from the very same small pseudo-Archies gift store.And then the dinner treat at the only hangout place(read C'not) followed by a small round of our favorite Ice cream soda and while we sipped in the chilling ice treat someone would always come up with the idea of birthday confessions..usually the someone would be from the singles gang, interested in knowing the confessions of the committed one, but She always managed to get around with these confessions,always giving one-word answers,not letting a single expression belie her words, seldom reflecting a feeling on her face,  and never letting that rosy shade cover her face! That was her! Calm composed and crisp! A long walk, followed by a stop at the Saraswati Temple(at times), in the cool March breeze was what ended those blissful birthday treats...

In a small place like ours we didn't have those grand birthday parties.But there is a beauty associated with the small things in life, an inherent pleasure in each others company and a Strong bond in the closeness we share. 

.....Continued