Birthday

'Anthropologically, Indians may be divided into:

Negroits
Proto-Astroloids
Mongoloids
Mediterraneans
Western Broad Headed people and
Nordics

A sub group, 'paleo mediterraneans' form the bulk of the population of South India and a considerable number of them form th..'

A man came and sat next to me. I looked at him. He had straight hairs, a whitish face, a blunt nose and smaller eyes. I looked at the book again and searched for details about 'Mongoloids'. They were supposed to have been pushed from somewhere in China through the passes of the northern and eastern mountains.

The bus was moving intermittently. The jerks and breaks were having a lulling effect. I rested back my head and began reflecting:
How are we supposed to make one country with such diverse people. What is common between me and this Chinki? Country makes an artificial concept, so does patriotism. Humanity, love, peace are more natural concepts.

He interrupted my train of thoughts and asked 'Yeh Majestic jata hai kya' and only a second later, added 'bhayya'.

I shook my head, initially little, but later nodded for longer so as to respond to the 'bhayya' he had addressed me with.
Okay then, language can be a unifying force, I thought. There were other forces too which defined a country, I told myself and didn't explore any further.

My eyelids were getting heavier. I realized that it was my birthday today. My lips extended into a smile. I was feeling good. Friends ranging from primary school to 'matka' had wished me. The feel-good-factor was soothing. I will write something, I thought. I will write about my earlier birthdays; from the first to the last. Would be a nice recapitulation.

I do not remember many of them, is what I understood after I began thinking.

During the first three, I realize that a few boys and girls from the neighbourhood had come along and had sung some song after standing in a semicircle around me. I can only rely upon some of the photos which have been preserved. Now that tells me I should convert them and put them on Orkut. I am sure people would comment 'so cute' below them.

4-5-6-7-8

All I remember of this period is one incident.

I was staying in a place called Hassan in Karnataka. United Convent was what my school was called. During one birthday, I had carried chocolates to the class. The usual practice was to 'reveal' to your close friends the name of the chocolate you had brought. Now, I had carried some new brand which nobody had heard until then. Non-descript brand, simply put!
Now I had to do something, I couldn't say 'I don't know'. That would be the ultimate loss of prestige. I remember dodging the friend and keeping the suspense by asking him to wait and see. He had fallen for my trick. I had avoided him the rest of the day!

Next, I had to distribute the chocolates among the teachers of other classes too. For that, I could take along with me anyone I wished to. Of course, if I had this opportunity later in my life, I would have utilized it efficiently, but then, I was still 'innocent'. I called a boy-friend. The teacher insisted that I call a girl. I had blushed; no seriously, I preferred a boy-friend than a girl-friend. But finally, the teacher had called on 'Shruti Hande' to accompany me. That is the only instance I remember of Shruti Hande.

I later left the school and I do know know anybody from that school now. I have tried searching Shruti Hande on Orkut.Nevertheless, here you are, I still remember you Shruti, if you somehow happen to read this blog!

9-10-11

I was in Mysore/Mysooru. I hardly seem to remember anything here. By the way, my school was Teresian Convent. But one vital difference from the earlier school is I know for sure, that about half a dozen friends are still alive.

12-13-14-15

Changed two schools in four years. I only remember that the practice of distributing chocolates was still there. Nothing else!

16-17

I might have gone to college with colour dress, which had by now failed to make you distinct among the crowd. Friends might have started to prefer better, bigger things to eat than just a chocolate. I might have given them what they demanded, that's all.

18-21

First year, you are a beginner
Second, you will be ragging yaar
Third, you'll be walking with her
Come fourth year, born is an engineer.

I heard several such 'gyans' during these four years. Engineering itself, can be dealt with as a separate topic. But birthdays always coincided with exams. No kick-ass, no girls, no nothing. Yes, by now I had started appreciating them. More on this too, later. I have too much to say!

22-23

Kick-ass, Jack-ass and whatever more asses you know. These two, I distinctly remember. I was in Cawnpore/Kanpur.

I will mention a few names as a sort of tribute to those who have made me remember the days.

Doctor-Baaba-RK-Awasthi-Harsh-Prash-Mandar/dum-dum-Varier(my boyfriend, see I had again started appreciating boys!)-Harisha-Krishnanmaga-Sanjeev-Ansuman-Bhagwati(who, infact, shares his bday with mine!)-and some more.

I had spent the 22nd on the banks of River Chambal. More on that too, later.
Will make it a point to include a travelogue section in my blog.

24

The main thing this time was the feel-good factor, if you ask me. I also did something kruaazy, buoyed by this state of mind.

Now, I want to include it here. But something hinders me. I will tell it some other time, may be, okay? Okay. She might also start reading, you see. Why risk. You get a hint, eh? Ah!

Did you say why it is always a 'she' to end with?

Before I could answer the question, I was woken up by the conductor. Majestic stood majestically in front of me. The Mongoloid by my side had gone away. I slowly got up, remembered that patriotism wasn't something natural and that the girls from this part of the country were beautiful.Which girl? Oh, she..