The Very Belated Birthday Post

Things that should not happen on one’s birthday :

1) One should not have to sweep the college grounds.

2) One should not have to sweep the college grounds with a narkol jhata which happens to be falling to pieces.

3) One should not have to do the above voluntarily.

4) One should assuredly not meet the man one happens to adore while returning the afore-mentioned jhata or at least whatever pieces were left of it.

5) One should then not have him give big grin to both of us (that is me and the jhata).

6) Nor should one have to take picture on impossible to focus digital camera of distracted head-of-department (alas not distracted by plunging b’day kurta)

7) Neither should one have afore-mentioned Don like hod say in distractingly deep voice, “aamar chhobi to bhaloyi uthbe, I’m a model after all.”

8) Finally one should not have to wait an extra hour to get lunch just because lunch companions had to watch Chariots of Fire as part of syllabus. Excellent movie and all that but cass and I were hovering outside the audio-visual room trying to peek in and see how much was left and cussing movie for being so endlessly long. Can you blame us, we were starving.

Yes well. All of the above list of should never happens happened to one. Namely this one. Sheesh!!!

Of course as compensation, three li’l angels in the form of Cass, Sohini and Diya took me for yummetty yumm lunch. I shall not list what we ate for fear of making all ye readers envious (and also because it would make me hungry and this being middle of the night that is not a good idea). Suffice to say it was chinese.

And then there was little surprise at rupanjali mortmain’s house in the form of beer and mafia. Umm, for those who do not know the cultural context of mafia, please do not worry. My friends did not try to have me polished off by the indian extension of the mafioso. This is a game. Which defies description. So I shall not try to describe it. It’s just lots and lots and lots of fun. And after all the panicking that there wouldn’t be enough beer and getting late comers to bring more beer; eventually there were two bottles left over, which went to the fridge, for that day at least. What happened to them later, as Aslan would say, is someone else’s story…

There was lots more of course.
Having people tell me how pretty I looked (yes well, nothing wrong with a little mass delusion, it’s the only day of the year people would dream of saying nice things to me!!!)
Family members overflowing with love and affection and the monies that make life so honied.
The unexpected calls.
All in all a memorable day.

Of course as a finale.
The best gift?
At least the most entertaining one…
Momo and Simon presenting two perfectly rolled, exquisitely shaped jays....sigh........

Ah yes, it was quite a …. happy day.