Happy to you.. Keshav...

I am TWO years old. Now I do not have to travel without a seat on an aeroplane. Papa-Mummy have to buy a separate ticket for me and get me a separate seat for myself. Suddenly I feel so grown up!!! Wow...

My second birthday (13th of April!!!) was a long long day(s) and a lot of fun too. Bhua, Fufaji, Mansi Didi and Gunjan Didi were here to celebrate with me and so were Baba and Ma. Add to that Mummy, Papa and Dadu and the party was almost complete.

The celebrations began a couple of days before the birthday itself. Mummy was very keen to celebrate with many children - more than the friends I have. So she spoke to some schools where the babies do not have proper food every day and we decided to go and give them snacks. We went to four such places and I kept searching for the school. But in each place the babies were sitting on the footpath and studying. Then Mummy told me that these babies did not have a proper school building. I felt very bad and thought that I could take some of them to my school.

Anyways, Mummy, Papa and Fufaji prepared the plates for the babies and Mansi didi and Gunjan Didi gave the plates to the children. I supervised the entire operation to make sure everything was done properly.

The main celebrations were done on Sunday (12th) as everyone felt it would be easier than doing it on a Monday :(

Unlike most Sundays, this time everyone woke up early and got ready. Even I was given a bath quickly and made to wear my favorite Pink kurta. Papa got kachoris and jalebis for breakfast.. yup yum.. I had my stomach's full of jalebis.

Soon after, the door bell rang. As Arjun Bhaiya opened the door, in came too men in white clothes. They also had pony tails, which got me laughing. Then Ma told me that these were Pandit Jis and they had come to help us do a puja. And the pony tails were not really pony tails but chotis!!

Actually, Mummy had been very keen on doing a nice puja for my birthday. She had told Dadu about it and he had arranged for these Pandit Jis. Dadu led the puja while the rest of us sat around looking at what was happening. Every now and then all of us would touch some prasad or flowers or something before it was offered to bhagwanji. Papa told me that the puja was for Shiv Ji's family. I also helped Papa pour milk and water on Shiv Ji as he had his bath. He surely took a long time for his bath, I must say.

After this puja, we did another puja where we lit a fire (aag!!). Mummy told me that this was a havan. I sat for some time with everyone, but then it became very hot and smoky. I was not feeling nice being there. So i started roaming around here and there. Soon thereafter, everyone did the aarti. Even I did the aarti, with some help from Papa.

Immediately after performing the aarti, I fell off to sleep on Papa's shoulders. I was soo tired. Had been up early and helped with so much of the puja and it was already way beyond my afternoon sleep time.

When I got up, I saw that Fufaji was standing on a chair and putting up balloons and ribbons to decorate the house. Dadu, Mummy, Mansi Didi and Gunjan Didi were helping him. Baba was also telling what to do here and there. Ma was making something in the kitchen.

Soon Papa arrived with the birthday cake and some other things. I wanted to taste the cake and tried hard to break into the box, but Papa managed to take it away from me and put it high up in the refrigerator (how mean!!!). By this time Kapil Uncle was already there and was also helping in the decorations.

Sometime later my best friend, Arushi, arrived... Yippeee...

Arushi and I played for a while with each other, taking turns to sit on the tricycle and push the cycle around. After some time she did not like it and started crying!!! Arushi's Mummy and Papa had also come and I also played with them.

After some more time, Ishu Didi and her baby sister Kavya came over, with their Mummy and Papa (Tai Ji and Tau Ji, as I was told). Mansi Didi, Gunjan Didi and Ishu Didi danced for everyone on 1-2 songs. Papa asked me to join the dance as well, but I was feeling shy as they were dancing so well ;)

The best part of the whole evening was the cake cutting. It was a nice brown cake with lots of chocolates on the top. I quickly blew out the candles and, holding Papa's hand, cut the cake. Everyone clapped and sang..

"Happy Birthday to you..
Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday dear Keshav...
Happy Birthday to you"

Even I sang :)

Then everyone fed me some of the cake and for a change Mummy did not say No. Infact, even she gave me a piece of the chocolate. I was so happy!!!

Hufff.... I am getting tired. So will tell the rest quickly.

Rest of the evening we played and danced and ate. Mahesh uncle and I played a lot. Arushi and Gunjan Didi did some colouring. Ishu Didi and I did some cooking. Mansi Didi was helping out like the big didi that she is. Kavya was bursting balloons and shouting.

Well after everyone else had gone, Vijit uncle and Shweta Aunty came over. They had gone out of Mumbai and came over after that. I chatted a bit with them but by then it was time for me to go to bed, something Mummy never forgets. So she packed me up and took me to bed.

Next morning (my real birthday), everyone at home wished me Happy Birthday. The two didis and I sat down to open my gifts. Got some puzzles, two doggies (Jojo and a pug), some clothes and a big colourful blackboard.

A lot of people called me to wish me.. Nani-Nani, Chachu, Chachi, Mama, Mami, Ramya Aunty and a lot of Uncles and Aunties.

Mummy got me to wear some really nice clothes and a new tie and dropped me to school with all the gifts for my school friends. All the teachers said that I was looking very handsome. Prachi Aunty even gave me a kiss.

At school, Music Sir played music and everyone sang "Happy Birthday to you." They all clapped for me and also said thank you when I gave them the gifts. The best part was that when I came out of school, Papa had come to pick me up with Mansi Didi and Gunjan Didi. We came back home and had a great day again.

Ruchi Mami pass jaana hai

“Ruchi Mami Pass Jana Hai”

This is what I was pleading when the engagement ceremony of my Saurabh Mama got over.

Ruchi Mami was introduced to Saurabh Mama for his matrimonial during his last home visit around Diwali time, but God only knows of what Saurabh Mama is made of, he didn’t so easily give his consent. Instead he kept on finding out some reason or the other to keeping e-mailing, smsing and calling her for many months, without saying yes.

All this while, Nana was keen to meet me (he had not seen me for almost a year - last meeting was in Kolkata on my first birth day). But Mummy kept on delaying the visit to Nani house hoping Saurabh Mama would soon say yes so she could attend his engagement as well Nana too could see us.

One fine day in March, Saurabh Mama finally yielded. He closed conveyed his ‘yes’ with a rider that he needed a ‘yes’ from Ruchi Mami too. I overheard Nani break the news to Mummy on the phone. I was wondering how silly Saurabh Mama could be. Would Ruchi Mami have tolerated him for so long, if there was no ‘yes’ from her side? Anyways, consent from Ruchi Mami came very fast, just the next day.

At first Nani on her own fixed 21st March as the date for the ceremony but it was preponed to 15th as suggested by one Lalua Mausaji. Papa quickly got our train tickets done to go to Delhi – what a fun ride it was. That is how I landed in Nani house with Mummy and Papa to attend the engagement ceremony of my pricey Saurabh Mama.

Mummy had been telling me about Ruchi Mami for long and I was keen to meet this pretty girl. But on reaching Nani house, no one cared for my anxiety to go ‘out’ to visit Ruchi Mami. I kept saying “out” to tell them I wanted to meet Ruchi Mami, but Saurabh Mama coolly slipped out to meet Ruchi Mami without taking me along. And to compensate me, I was taken ‘out’ to see some dirty doggies in the lane with no sight of Ruchi Mami any where.

After breakfast the next day, every one was getting ready to go the venue. Mummy and Cherry Masi went to some parlour to get ready and I was left back with Papa. I kept waiting for mummy to return to put me to sleep, but on her return, she ignored my sleep and tried to make me wear a fancy dress which I vehemently opposed. Ultimately, Papa had to persuade me to wear a Pink Kurta and got me to agree to accompany them to the venue. Finally, I thought, I would meet Ruchi Mami. But alas, I fell off to sleep along the way.

When I woke up, I found myself in the midst of a large crowd with many new faces in a rather packed venue with some absurdly noisy and loud music. Further, no one cared to take me to Ruchi Mami for her darshan. I was wondering as to who had chosen such a weird venue. Indeed, the same Lalua Mausaji!!!!

Mummy got busy enjoying the ceremony while Papa took care of me throughout the function. There was no way to get Mummy’s attention so I shouted “Potty”, when Papa was away for a moment. And Mummy had to come running. Soon the function was over and all of us returned to Nani house without me having any darshan of Ruchi Mami.

Papa had to urgently leave for Mumbai in the same evening on way to US as some company had booked papa’s time in the aircraft to discuss the business.

I kept on telling every one at Nani house that (mujhe) Ruchi Mami (ke) pass jana hai. Finally, two days later, they took me to Ruchi Mami’s house. I was delighted to meet such a nice, sweet and pretty girl. At first she tried pataoing me by giving me toffees but I continued disturbing her. She gave me an antique toy cycle from her museum to play but my eyes were set on the antique car kept locked in that museum. So I kept up my tantrums. Ultimately, in the bargain I was taken out for a car-ride by Mummy and Ruchi Mami. This is how my wish to meet Ruchi Mami was finally fulfilled.

PS: This time I have taken my Nana's help to narrate my feelings and he was kind enough to put words around it. Thanks Nana