Happy Birthday To Me!!!!

Back at home birthdays were events that come only once a year. So we used to take great pains to make the day special for us. Till the age of 14 making the day special for us was something left up to our parents. We'd go to school wearing casuals so we'd look different from the uniform-clad students(not knowing that we ourselves were wearing the "birthday-uniform" known in every school in India). By the time we were back, the house would be brightly decorated with ribbons and balloons and the house would wear a happy and festive look. Then the guests would start coming in, some with fake smiles and some with genuine one's. All asking the same question- "How old is he today?" even though they didn't care a damn. Then came the cake-cutting and the drab singing in a monotonous tone saying the same words "Happy Birthday To You". Finally it was time for us to open our gifts and finally go to bed satisfied.

Things changed once we crossed puberty. Now we'd wake up to our parents wishing us, giving us our gift and giving us a certain sum of money thus ending their role in the birthday. Then we would pick out a spot like "Pizza Hut" or "Hard Rock Cafe" and take our select friends out and treat them and expect no gifts in return. At that time I felt that all my coming birthdays would be something of this nature and believed every teenager felt the same.

Man was I greatly mistaken!!!!!!!!!!

Like I might have explained in my last post, hostel life is a major change from what I had been through and what matters to us in our hostel more than anything is the company we spend. Both these factors contributed to making even birthdays a whole new experience for me.

I think the first birthday ever celebrated in the great KP-1 was that of the ambitious and brainy showman. Not surprisingly, he dozed off on the eve of his own birthday forcing us to wake him up and pull him to the most happening room, D-76. The lights were turned off and the cake was cut with everyone singing the same words but in a different tune and some with different lyrics. And then came the part I had never experienced. Barely had he cut one slice, the cake was lifted up and smothered all over our faces. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of many birthdays’ to come.

The next one was mine itself however there was a surprise element. I had another Leo who shared my birthday. Yeah, the Jat with the itchy hand(check the last post) was born on the 4^th of August 91 as well. The initial plan being only to celebrate his birthday, I was surprised being pulled up from my room n taken to cut a cake which had been mixed up. This time everyone had shown up and both I and my compadre were smothered with chocolate cake(which I admittedly washed off my face with unhygienic consequences). This was followed by a toast in our room and for the first time I could say I had a birthday which was really fun.

The one thing about being in a hostel is that tensions can be dropped so very easily. All we need is an excuse to make us happy. And what better excuse than the shared celebration of two of the Bihari’s birthdays among the Livewirez. This time there were three cakes. I was vigilant and managed to make a run for it just before the smothering started. This time it was ruthless mainly due to the active participation of the lively and energetic “King of the Ring”. Afterwards we had one cake which was hidden from sight and the first cake we actually got to eat. But the best part was that I and my comrades in arms who had been apprehended for certain felonies were at peace and comfort and had completely forgotten the nightmare which awaited us.

And then came one of the most heavily celebrated birthdays in our hostel. You guessed it. It was the Jock’s birthday(yeah the same one who loves his share of English music). The King of the Ring beat us to the cutting table and everyone was happy to be there since the Jock is one lovable character(I know. Probably the only lovable jock you ever heard of..).Also the itchy hand had found it’s paradise when it came to counting the years on the unfortunate birthday boy’s back. I got to see new things. Like how you don’t need a DJ with his mixer when a simple Techie with a laptop can work wonders. How you don’t need a dance floor or liquor in your insides to just go crazy and dance even if you just can’t! And most importantly, the fact that the new year isn’t the only time to make resolutions(even if they don’t last that long).

And then came the romantic’s turn. The celebrations were the same as before, only with added gifts from you-know-who which made his face even brighter. The romantic shared his birthday with my father so I wonder whether Dad got his share of gifts from I-know-who! And I saw how powerfully love can manifest in days which are important to us when I saw the former “Tough Guy” sleeping with a stuffed bunny.

Finally the last birthday I can remember was the most recent and the largest bash which even had the warden in it. It was the joint birthday of the “Druggie” and of the most loved and respected person in the hostel. Considering I’m running out of nicknames, I’ll call him “Big Brother” for now.(do tell me if you all want it changed). One thing was confirmed, no one went hungry on "Big Brother's" birthday.(as if he would even let us..) and it was the biggest bash ever.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. True these were birthdays I had never experienced and the feel of celebrating them with the ones you love and adore is nothing short of bliss. But I tend to forget that this is only the beginning of five years. And there will be many more celebrations and many more ways to celebrate them. Not to mention the ones who escaped this year will be treated as such next year. And who knows? We might just take a flight and show up to celebrate those birthdays which occur during our holidays. I just wonder how horrible our birthdays will feel after these 5 years are over.....