HBTM

And so I turned 27 on July 19, 2006. Legend has it that I was supposed to arrive on this planet on July 17, but at the last minute changed my mind. Stayed put, right where I was, and it was only in the evening of the 19 that I decided to finally arrive after putting several doctors through severe stress and keeping my yet-to-become family on tenterhooks. As Mum says, I wanted to create an impression even back then. Desperate measures!

The last year has been particularly relevant.
1. I could come back to Delhi from Chandigarh, which lovely though it was, is not my hometown after all. Being independent, looking and setting up your own house, living on your own--are all necessary ‘coz they teach you so much--about bills, household chores, freedom, friendship, myriad social relationships, and solitude. Coming back home and living with your parents after that is not easy, because suddenly the freedom you had gotten used to (binges of all kinds, friends at odd hours, unlimited night-outs and partying, your timing and your rules) all these suddenly go out of the window. You once again have to get used to a life of discipline and deadline. But you are with your family again, with people who love you no matter how much you have screwed up or how badly you have behaved or how many things you have forgotten or simply refused to do out of sheer defiance or bad attitude. So today, a sincere thanks to my parents. As for brother? Well, I take him out often enough, so that’s compensated.

2. I could get back to publishing, after a gap of 18 months. At Quark in Chandigarh, I was part of the corporate communications team, again fun as much as it was, it isn’t the first love of my professional life. Here in Delhi, office was perfect. Right people, right work, right everything.

3. I got my own blog, first on yahoo 360 and then on popular instruction (from Deepak, Rohit and Prashant), shifted to blogspot. The going has been great so far, and it’s become life’s biggest passion. The posts have been written and continue to be written pretty much off the top of my head, yet most of the responses have been overwhelming. Almost 50 posts down and kirrinisland still remains my favorite haunt from the world outside.

4. I joined Orkut and met some wonderful people who have now become such close friends that I wonder why it took us so long to meet. From them I have re-learnt values like generosity, responsibility, cheerfulness, and loads of laughter. Thank you all for so much sunshine.

5. Friends who were already a part of life...fortunately continue being so. Be it the ones from school, Stephen’s, JNU, myriad offices, or some really strange connections...you once again reiterate my faith in the belief that you make a friend, you keep a friend.

So I loved last year, for all these reasons, but mostly because I could fulfill some very important promises made to myself.

Coming to the birthday itself, highlights of the mega event in chronological order, are:
1. Getting reconnected with a junior from school (St Anthonys, Hauz Khas) who hunted me down remembering that it was my birthday. Suruchi and I met after seven-eight years, and fortunately we still look and sound the same. She is doing very well for herself both personally and professionally, and I’m so proud of her! Meeting up with her reminded of a lot of things I used to do back then (completely unmentionable in a public place like this) and made me reach the sinking realization, “I am so much tamer and well-behaved now! Dammit!”

2. Being wished in the most bizarre manner by Prashant. He began calling/ smsing nearly ten days before the 19th. All with the question, “Ten days left for?” “Nine days to go for?”...and the answer I had to give was “Your exam on the 19th”, to which he would then respond with “Yes. Dammit, 19th is such an awful day, the worst day of the year”...and so on and so forth. Finally, at 11:30 pm on 18th he called to say, “Sayan, call me up at 12 will you?”
By this time, I was irritated as hell, I barked, “Why on earth should I call YOU at 12, you jerk?”
And he replied, “Arrey I have to study na! You have to call and check whether I am up and studying.”
Finally even when he did call me a minute past 12 on the 19th, he yapped uselessly for 15 minutes before saying the magic words. For the most imaginative birthday greeting on the phone that I have ever received, Prashant Bhardwaj...thank you! BIG HUG!

3. Bhardwaj junior wasn’t too far behind in terms of creativity. Richa called at 11.50 and blocked the phone till 12. Why? Because she had to beat Prashant and Rohit. She had to do a ME FIRST. Hee hee hee. Love that competitive spirit baby.

4. Timely phone call for the seventh year in a row from Sounak. Your record remains unbeaten! Time, geographical distances, and a million matters to ponder over...none have ever been an obstacle. Awesome.

5. I woke up at 7 am the next morning to find Rajarshi, Shweta and Smita at my house, and with gifts. Rajarshi had started from his home in Noida at 5:30 am, he then proceeded to pick up the ladies, and then they came to my house in Gurgaon. They could stay at my house for only an hour or so because work beckoned. But, even managing that one hour over such a vast distance and with full-time offices calls for a lot of effort. I was really touched, thank you so much.

6. The next impromptu visit was by Praveen, my dearest friend from JNU. He works for a well-known newspaper, and had his shift until 3 am in the morning that day. Yet, braving bad weather, boss, and exhaustion, he arrived armed with twenty-seven of the most beautiful, long-stemmed, fresh red roses I have ever seen in my life. Dude, you will always be one of my most favorite men EVER! (And not just because of the roses.)

7. Dinner was at a family favorite restaurant, Golden Dragon, with family. We, the Dasguptas, must have single-handedly contributed a significant amount to the restaurant’s growth, popularity and prosperity in NCR. Their pork spare ribs are usually to die for, and this time’s too was no exception.

8. Next night, that is on the 20th, another friend, Sudipto took me out dinner. He and I have been friends since we were five, and we grew up in the same neighborhood for a while. But it’s interesting how we have actually become close in the last year or so. Thank you buddy!

Last but certainly not the least, BIG thanks to everyone who called, smsed, mailed, or scrapped. Thank you for your wishes. Special mention to Rohit for checking every few hours how my birthday was going.