Twenty-five. Twenty fucking five, quarter of a century as someone mentioned on Facebook.
As I was reading Murakami on the night of 4th May, I had this ominous feeling that the best years of my life are past. I am not a young free spirit any more. Words like old, mature, and responsibility crept into my brain-room like gloomy school principals with sinister canes in their hands. They peered at me with their eyes which had slits like those of a goat. I felt like a Beckettian character, waiting till the clock ticks the twelve and my time runs out. Time to have lived a quarter of a century in this world.
I had almost dozed off on the couch when the phone buzzed. I knew it was Gargy. She always calls, at twelve. My birthday begins with her wishing me. But it was not her. It was my cousin. I spoke to her for a bit. It felt as if I had swallowed a stone as I kept checking the phone for her to be on “call waiting” but she never appeared. If it had been school or college I would perhaps make a sad face and throw my temper at her. Instead, I was a bit worried. What was wrong? Is she alright? Afterall the girl is in a different town.
Proves I am getting old? Thinking negative and stressing. Some Freudian explanation?
There were some other calls I attended. Cousins, friends from school and college. There was another call I expected which I never received until the next morning. I did not even meet that caller yesterday.
Honestly I woke up with not the broadest smile. As the sunlight pierced my eyes that morning through the gossamer curtains I was greeted by my parents. Papa and Ma had got me this brilliant dress which I wore to office. I received calls and replied to birthday messages on my way to office.
However it was at office that that I was in for a surprise. I am new employee here so I did not even expect anything there. Perhaps that is why it was so special. Ruchira, my colleague from work, had baked a cake for me. A homemade chocolate cake, soft and just the right amount of fluff. It was completely crazy. We put a tiny candle and did the entire birthday routine. Accommodating tiny pieces so that no one is left out was truly amazing. I cannot remember being so moved by any gift in a long time.
Everyone was so nice, getting gifts, cards, chocolates and other stuff for me. It was a truly special day. I was flooded with messages on my phone, on Facebook, on Orkut. A school friend who I was not particularly pally with suddenly put through a call, people from my old office rallied their need for a treat from me. I guess there is this child in us all who love the attention they get on the day they started off.
Of course there were people who forgot to call. People who were such close friends once. People who sneaked into gtalk and wished. Perhaps people for whom I am not important any more. Or is it?
At the end of the day as I was taken out to dinner by my parents and it rained like the limp of an old man, I sat back and thought, it is not so bad being twenty five. Not so bad to have known so many people so that even after so many people call, you can still think of people who didn’t and feel bad. Not a masochistic streak, just a thought.
I received that call from Gargy. I received the call I expected at midnight too. And the wish from my vegetarian friend. Also the mother of the cutie pie in Dubai. All of them remembered me. It has been an honour to know and be a part of this circus for a quarter of a century.
It is not often that I am demonstrative, i love all of you.
