was it your birthday or mine?

Were they your dreams or mine?
Were they your wishes or mine?
Were they your smiles or mine?
Were they your hopes or mine?
Were they your moments or mine?

I wonder if you remember these words…they were on a birthday card you sent me all the way from Mumbai on my 16th birthday. Guess that was my first birthday following your departure to Mumbai (well, b4 that, I had had only one birthday after we became friends…but still). That was one card I really really loved… and I could only smile, thinking to myself “I wonder how we manage to find a card that says just what we both feel.” 😉

Years have passed since; dozens of cards, letters and phone calls have travelled to-and-fro…then we upgraded from “writing” to e-mailing. And then, just as suddenly as your dad got transferred to Mumbai, he was transferred back. But alas! you never came; instead, you called me over — and i gleefully agreed. We again set off on a train together…having decided to stay together, study together…and never separate again.

Years have passed. You’re married, I’m married. We’re living our separate lives. So much of our time’s taken away by life: that we seldom talk to, write to or think of one another. A chat yesterday, a call today, a mail tomorrow… That’s all that remains of our relation now. We had some of the best times of our lives: discussing crushes and loves and heartbreakes; exchanging books, movies and songs; terrorising a certain math teacher and walking out of her class; getting cursed by another and succeeding, in spite of everything; driving a few people mad and some others up trees…

Years have passed, situations have changed…our lives have turned on its own different wheels…but i guess the one thing that’s never changed over the past 12 years is our relationship…a certain feeling of ‘being there’, no matter the gaps in talks and memories.

I hope you have a sexy birthday, get drowned amidst gifts, happiness and love…and write a totally moving piece for (and about) me on my special day 😀 😀

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY WOMAN!
They say time and tide waits for none; but girl, time always stands still for a woman of thirty! (Ooops, did I just say it out loud? :D)