Wednesday, 6 April 2011
It was 5th April yesterday – my birthday. My mom often tells me that when I was born 32 years ago,my grandma, Pankunvarba, was particularly more happy because it was the day of Ram Navami ( Birthday of Lord Ram) .She believed that Lord Ram himself has taken avatar in the family. ( When I told this to Mita, she giggled at first and then said, “ What she believed is right. You are just like Ram!!” How nice she is!)
I don’t remember having celebrated any of my birthday in childhood. In fact birthday celebrations never took place in my family. Birthday parties and exchange of gifts etc were far away things. Where was the wherewithal for allthat? But still my birthday was given a bit more importance I being the youngest member of the family. Father bought some gift, toys or spiderman books etc, elders gave some extra money which made my day and mom made sure that she includes Shrikhand and Puri along with other items in the lunch because she knew Shrikhand was my favourite item.(it is so even now) Many years passed, but still she follows that ritual without change.
I don’t celebrate my birthday even now, at least not publicly. I hide my birthday at my work-place, so that there is no fuss about it. Sometimes they – colleagues and students – catch me red-handed on this day and I follow their command without uttering a word in protest. At the most I go out with my childhood friends Anil, Arvind, their wives (Kajalbhabhi, Divyabhabhi) and kids and eat out. When we(Anil, Arvind and I) were kids we used to invite each other on our birthdays, offered snacks and pendas and gave gifts( mostly pens, for we couldn’t think of any other item!!). After two-three years, we lost interest in that and that tradition came to and end. Now we don’t remember each other’s birthdays and hardly we wish each other on these days. Sometimes I try to remember their birthdays the whole year with the hope that I will wish them, but I forget on their birthdays and then I promise myself that I won't repeat the same the next year. In fact, living in the same area, we meet each other so many times that there is no need to meet and greet on any special days. But I am happy that so many other people do send me their wishes on my birthdays.
This year the flow of wishes was unprecedented and so overwhelming that entire day was spent on calls from relatives, friends, colleagues, students et al . Besides calls, wishes poured in thorough net. (orkut, facebook and emails). I had a holiday at job because of Chetichand ( Birthday of Jhulelal celebrated as the New Year by Sindhi community) which helped me carry out the tête-à-tête with each and everyone at leisure.
I don’t remember having celebrated any of my birthday in childhood. In fact birthday celebrations never took place in my family. Birthday parties and exchange of gifts etc were far away things. Where was the wherewithal for allthat? But still my birthday was given a bit more importance I being the youngest member of the family. Father bought some gift, toys or spiderman books etc, elders gave some extra money which made my day and mom made sure that she includes Shrikhand and Puri along with other items in the lunch because she knew Shrikhand was my favourite item.(it is so even now) Many years passed, but still she follows that ritual without change.
I don’t celebrate my birthday even now, at least not publicly. I hide my birthday at my work-place, so that there is no fuss about it. Sometimes they – colleagues and students – catch me red-handed on this day and I follow their command without uttering a word in protest. At the most I go out with my childhood friends Anil, Arvind, their wives (Kajalbhabhi, Divyabhabhi) and kids and eat out. When we(Anil, Arvind and I) were kids we used to invite each other on our birthdays, offered snacks and pendas and gave gifts( mostly pens, for we couldn’t think of any other item!!). After two-three years, we lost interest in that and that tradition came to and end. Now we don’t remember each other’s birthdays and hardly we wish each other on these days. Sometimes I try to remember their birthdays the whole year with the hope that I will wish them, but I forget on their birthdays and then I promise myself that I won't repeat the same the next year. In fact, living in the same area, we meet each other so many times that there is no need to meet and greet on any special days. But I am happy that so many other people do send me their wishes on my birthdays.
This year the flow of wishes was unprecedented and so overwhelming that entire day was spent on calls from relatives, friends, colleagues, students et al . Besides calls, wishes poured in thorough net. (orkut, facebook and emails). I had a holiday at job because of Chetichand ( Birthday of Jhulelal celebrated as the New Year by Sindhi community) which helped me carry out the tête-à-tête with each and everyone at leisure.
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