Birthday's and Memories

The title might sound too cheesy, but i will try to make it as interesting as possible. The relevance of the topic is that i have passed the iconic 25 years mark and entered the 26th year of existence as on 6th December (this is a high value secret as i cant keep acting like the self proclaimed intellectual). I could have made the previous sentence simple by putting it like " iam celebrating my 26th birthday" but that will be very untrue because iam not celebrating it at all, what is so good about celebrating a passing year, an added number to your toll, absolutely nothing.

This is all about my memories (good, bad, funny, slimy, beaten up) associated with birthdays till now, includes only what i remember and luckily for you guys i remember very little. I will try to follow a chronological order and forgive me if the facts gets mixed up.

My earliest memory (What i remember now could change with my improving or deteriorating remembrance skills) of a birthday could date back to 1992 when the babri masjid was demolished in India, from then on my Bday has been declared a black day (very inspiring). I still remember my uncle rushing home hearing the 144 crpc imposed (i didn't know it then).

Then i remember taking sweets to my school at home and scolded as it was not legal as per the school laws. (so far bad memories). I guess this was in 7th standard.

From Eighth standard onwards i had become a part of the boisterous hostel crowd where birthdays are meant to be celebrated vehemently, violently and even forcefully. Birthdays were the day of reckoning when you will be beaten up for all your wrong move, it was a tradition to punch the birthday boy as many times as his age on his arms, this was supposed to be an act of reminding the passing years. But this was highly misused and misinterpreted, this was the day when scores were settled, revenge taken for getting beaten up on your birthdays or for anything which you thought was not just. I still remember those blue black marks and the aching pain in the arm. It was not all horror, the cake cuttings were a big attraction, the taste of the cake was not the cause like you guessed it was all the cake throwing, smearing cream on the face and hair, stuffing cake into the mouth etc. This was the routine till 12th with varying shades of blue black marks and messed up hair and clothes. I was exempted sometime thanks to the black day connection, we had bandhs and holidays to save me.

Then came the college era where we were on our own. self assessment, self control and the worse self destruction. College birthdays were the best it always involved lot of fun and frolic. The birthday boy will be woken up at 12 in the midnight, beaten up till the safe limit, a bucket of preplanned filth and crap which could include expired pickles, prestored curry, sampar, rotten eggs and more mixed to form a very slimy and smelly liquid, this will be poured on the birthday boys head to body (if you don't vomit with this you are an alien). Then he will be kept at a distance and target practised with eggs, it can be very painful as it hits your head and it could even bounce off without breaking the number of eggs depends on your luck, friends bank balances and popularity. I got belted with 50 eggs which was not the record as i had organised a target practise of 150 eggs on a strategic friend. You will always be given a good gift or gifts by the rascals. I had devised a revenge technique which involves hugging all the throwers with your filth covered, egg smeared body ( very effective and highly revengous)

After the college got over the importance of birthdays have been diminishing over the years, lesser parties, smaller cakes (if any) , smaller crowd etc. I remember the anticipation in getting birthday wish calls at midnight, birthday songs and all and now even when the clock stuck 1:00 i have not got a call yet and i am least bothered about it too. The only good thing is that Orkut reminds some people to put in an empty scrap wish which reduces the lonely feeling.

The way it is going i can understand how you can surprise people with birthday parties as i am pretty sure i will be forgetting my birthday within a year or two.

P.S All images used are purely for illustrative purposes, sorry for any inconveniences caused.