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The day I turned 28 ;) (Yes I dare to say the number)...Am I really this old?


Twenty-eight years ago on Monday, 22nd December 1986 an angel descended on the earth amidst dense fog and chilling winter…she charmed one and all :P Everyone was celebrating and congratulating! 

Monday, 22nd December 2014, this time too dense fog had enveloped Delhi! Freezing breeze brushed past my face and ruffled my hair, I couldn’t help but smile…it was the same years ago, Man!! This is my real vaala birthday (considering the weather conditions and the fact that it was Monday like in ’86) 

Early morning auto ride...and I like this tree

But alas, I was reporting to work this time unlike my previous birthdays, when I was pampered silly by one and all!! Mind raced back to my grand  birthday celebrations last year…that was supposed to be my last birthday as a bachelorette…as fate would have it, here I am! very much single, hale and super happy :) Dad did pass a remark ‘this should be your last one as a bachelorette in this house’ and I was like ‘ho ho ho’. 

It has been 3 years of numerous meetings with guys and Mr. right (if any) is playing hide and seek!!! I wish I had a magic screen to peep into the future and check if I am gonna spend my life as a free bird or as someone’s Mrs. What the hell! This post was supposed to be about my Birthday, why am I writing about this shit…this reminds me of those ‘Birthday’ phone calls, many of the people had only one pressing question ‘When is your D-date?’ ‘should we start looking for you?’ ‘what exactly do you want?’ ‘No boyfriend yet, really?’ Only if they knew, how they were spoiling my special day with those incessant, clichéd queries. However, I too was having fun while replying to them with silly answers ;) I and parents are taking it well, though at times they do get worked up with hard hitting comments from society! I think I have the patience now to handle all this but I have my weak moments too! Those looks of pity and hushed whispers are ewwwww!! This very morning I read these amazing lines by my master ‘you are blessed, only the best will happen to you..so drop your botherations and be happy’

Yes! I am blessed indeed to have you as my guru and constant companion! Your grace has protected me and prevented those ugly situations! I still remember the night I was travelling by auto from office to home, feeling stressed and very anxious about work! Your magical presence soaked in all those botherations and I felt lighter…once home, I couldn’t find my phone!! I just froze when I realized that I had forgotten it in the auto…panic gripped me and I tried calling on my number but got no response. Again, your mere thought soothed my calm nerves…the phone has not been switched off yet, I knew there would be some miracle! Suddenly, someone answered the phone from the other end, it was auto vale bhaiya asking us to collect the phone from him! In a city like Delhi, once in a while you do end up meeting instruments of divine :)
 
With grace and gratitude, I had my chance of meeting you :) Those magical moments, when I was totally speechless but content to the core…I felt like a gopi, fully mesmerized and watching you with wonder, tears of love streaming down from each eye! Moments like these make you feel grateful to be alive and blessed to be on your path! That smile and heart gesture especially for me that day will be etched in my memory forever. This was a fantastic year! Several of my wishes and desires were fulfilled like woosssh! I was like ‘wow’ and ‘how’! You know what’s best for me and aren’t you being too generous :P Guruji…this longing to be in your presence is divine..there’s never ever enough and ‘yeh dil…always maange more’
Best Santa ever ;)

Love you Guruji ;)

Coming back to my BIRTHDAY! This time I feel years younger, more lively and cheerful, and yes at the risk of sounding self-obsessed, more beautiful J I am getting better with each passing day! Graying hair, increasing weight, pimples and decreasing hair volume are not bothering me. I am too happy to notice and worry about these. The day started with an early morning call from my cousin brother who was traveling by train to his next posting. Tired of calling again and again on my switched off number, he finally called on the landline.  He had called last night at 12 am too, but being a stubborn and lazy ass, I always doze off and switch off the phone. Every year, I hear remarks ‘should have at least stayed awake at least on the night of your birthday!’

Calls of people from yesteryears, memories of college days, old secret crushes still remembering my day and dropping messages…ain’t I blessed and so loved by all :P The other day this chap from graduation days remarked do you remember what you had told me…I couldn’t recollect and had to pester him to reveal..I had called him sweet during a chemistry lecture and he being a ‘bhola bhala’ guy in those days had replied with a cheap comment ‘have you tasted me’ How cheesy!! And we both laughed and laughed!! There were calls and messages from buddies from whom I hadn’t expected they would remember my day, while some of the people from whom it was expected had forgotten! It is very rightly said ‘life is what happens to you when you are busy making other stupid plans’. 

Some of my lovely and caring colleagues were sweet enough (or hungry for a birthday treat :P) to join me for a small outing. My other plans for the day did not work out, so they were the saving grace (isn’t grace pouring on me? ;) My college buddy Shalini came over and started spilling beans of our good old days from Ramjas :P I had to intervene to put a brake before she could reveal those secrets..she is always full of life and bubbling with energy. Saachi, my project buddy, was way too generous with her hugs and kisses that day :P She is my solace, always there to lift spirits and keep us entertained with her mischiefs and one-liners. Had she not been there, it would have been difficult to stay put at the new work location. Then came the VIPs- Gagan aka Chicken Chawal, GG and Ambika. They made their grand entry with  my favourtie cholocates from Choko La. These folks are always pulling nighters in the office, so it was a pleasent surprise that they could make time from their packed work schedule to catch up.We chatted about some more smart cities, Gagan's love interest, Ambika's awaited wedding, GG's tours and Europe vacations. We talked silly and so pulled chicken chawal’s leg, he couldn’t stop blushing :P Everyone was giving him suggesstions on how to catch a movie with the girl of his dreams, how he should do a 'chance pe dance'. Some people's company is uplifting, and with them I was on cloud nine ;)  They say, fate eventually brings like-minded folks with similar wavelength together before they move on and part ways. I was missing my old buddies too, many of them miles away and some them married. Equations and relations do change...for change is an inevitable part of life.

The day ended with a cosy celebration back home with family, again with them wishing this is my last as a bachelorette. I slept with a big smile! The blanket of love, happiness and grace keeping me warm on the coldest and longest night of 2014. 

Some of my friends were too generous to create special pictures and write adorable words, which am gonna feature here! Love you all from the core of my heart :) People come and go, but some leave behind a deep mark in your mind!

Happy Birthday to one of the sweetest people I have met! To somebody who's sorted, selfless and simple... D rarest combination of beauty wid brains! We haven't spent too much time together but i guess d amount was gud enough to know d inside of u!! I wish u a happy year ahead! May u get all wat u deserve ‪#‎keepsmiling‬ - From Joshu ;)

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
Even longer,' Pooh answered.” - Happy Bday Monica Bhatia Have fun n meri party due ho gayi hai- Shalini Kochar

Happy birthday Monica! 😙
May god bless you alwaya
Lots of love, hugs, kisses and wishes- Sadaf Khurshid
The night we laughed and celebrated :) thank u buddies
Gracious fellows :)
Smart City expert thinking aloud ! Maybe about next proposal
The glowing bride-to-be and my KM buddy!

Hardworking fellas!

Shalini's conversations


DietY buddies :)


Best buddies :) I like their bonding
Cake 2
Cake 1


To me...with love ;)

PJ, Neeji, Shipra..Party pending rahi;)





Comments

Sadaf Khurshid said…
I love you Monica :) always :*
May God bless you and I agree with the first paragraph of this write up.. you are an angel :) :) :)
monica said…
Thank you Sadaf for your amazing words :) Love u :*

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