(Sep 6, 13:26pm)
It's mumma's birthday today... Have woken up late, but plan to check out some good restaurant for lunch..
Big Chill in Saket or Amour in Hauz Khas village are in my mind, but I may just end up visiting Pebble Street in New Friends Colony.. I don't know..
The day used to be so full of celebration all these years... I am not saying, it is not any longer... As I just told you, I plan to spend it joyfully..
I will also buy some gift... say, some decoration, flowers, a lamp, or may be a table calendar... When I go Patna later this year, I would place that in Mumma's room..
If it is a vase or flowers, I will replace the ones that are currently adorning the place where her display pic is kept..
XXX
It's a Sunday.. The last time I celebrated Mumma's birthday too was a Sunday.. In 2009.. And it was the Goddess's arrangement that it was a Sunday..
I had been studying in Asian College of Journalism.. It was the first semester and we were divided into 12 groups who were taught by 12 professors by turn... So, every week, one group would get one professor for the core classes..
It was the Goddess's arrangement that first, mom's birthday fell on a Sunday that year, and second, the immediate weeks before her birthday and after it, my group was assigned to the Television stream professor and the Radio stream professor..
Since they were liberal, and the schedule of the weekly exams they took was flexible, I left for Patna on a Thursday after having written my test for the TV professor..
I didn't have money for flight as it was a surprise visit and I couldn't hence ask mom.. I reached Patna on Saturday, the 5th of September, by train..
What followed was marathon preparations for the D-Day as mom watched in pleasant surprise.. I bought new culinary set, new table cloth, ordered sweets, ordered a big, truffle cake, food from three different restaurants.. and cleaned up and decorated the house, too..
XXX
Sixth September that year was a grand celebration.. the perfect way as I would have wanted.. Monday night, that is 7th Sep, I left for Chennai. I resumed college on Wednesday, and without any hassle took the test for Radio stream, that was going on that week..
Had it been any other week, I would not be able to go.. Because other professors religiously scheduled their exams for Fridays, and I could not have missed them..
That's why I say it was the Goddess's arrangement..
That birthday was grand.. And as if in reflection of God's harmony, I and mom both wore shades of pink that evening.. Inadvertently! (see pic on top right)
XXX
I remember it started raining that evening on mom's birthday.. nevertheless, I did go out to collect the cake and food that had been ordered..
Only, because of the rains, I couldn't go out to buy a gift... I had been preoccupied because everything was being arranged in such short duration.. I had thought, I would buy the present at the last moment.. I was feeling tired too..
But love was a motivation.. and when you have a motivation such as love, you do not really bother how good or bad you are feeling physically..
Next day, I did go to the Archies shop and bought a pen set for Mumma.. And as I left for Chennai that evening, I wondered gleefully perhaps it was the last time I had to buy gift for Mom from her own money..
Next year, around this time, I would be working, and get her exquisite saris from my salary.. Not that mom had any dearth of exquisite things, but as a child you always want to buy the most precious things when you visit a store for your parent's birthday..
XXX
That day did not come..
On her next birthday in 2010, she was sinking.. and in any case, my joining in The Hindu newspaper was delayed, so even technically, had it been a normal day, I would have to buy gift from Mom's money yet another time..
She recovered for a few days and then left for her heavenly abode on 14 September.. I joined The Hindu, switched jobs.. I have risen to become a bureau correspondent and I am earning relatively good..
But I never was able to buy gift for Mom from my money, while she lived..
For a long time, this was a painful experience.. Before I realised, Mom was a woman who walked tall.. A strong woman, who never took anything from her husband to raise her kids.. Nothing from her siblings either...
It was not destined, that she would take anything from her children.. It was destined by the Almighty... And it was destined because it was how Mom would have liked!
XXX
It's mumma's birthday today... Have woken up late, but plan to check out some good restaurant for lunch..
Big Chill in Saket or Amour in Hauz Khas village are in my mind, but I may just end up visiting Pebble Street in New Friends Colony.. I don't know..
The day used to be so full of celebration all these years... I am not saying, it is not any longer... As I just told you, I plan to spend it joyfully..
I will also buy some gift... say, some decoration, flowers, a lamp, or may be a table calendar... When I go Patna later this year, I would place that in Mumma's room..
If it is a vase or flowers, I will replace the ones that are currently adorning the place where her display pic is kept..
XXX
It's a Sunday.. The last time I celebrated Mumma's birthday too was a Sunday.. In 2009.. And it was the Goddess's arrangement that it was a Sunday..
I had been studying in Asian College of Journalism.. It was the first semester and we were divided into 12 groups who were taught by 12 professors by turn... So, every week, one group would get one professor for the core classes..
It was the Goddess's arrangement that first, mom's birthday fell on a Sunday that year, and second, the immediate weeks before her birthday and after it, my group was assigned to the Television stream professor and the Radio stream professor..
Since they were liberal, and the schedule of the weekly exams they took was flexible, I left for Patna on a Thursday after having written my test for the TV professor..
I didn't have money for flight as it was a surprise visit and I couldn't hence ask mom.. I reached Patna on Saturday, the 5th of September, by train..
What followed was marathon preparations for the D-Day as mom watched in pleasant surprise.. I bought new culinary set, new table cloth, ordered sweets, ordered a big, truffle cake, food from three different restaurants.. and cleaned up and decorated the house, too..
XXX
Sixth September that year was a grand celebration.. the perfect way as I would have wanted.. Monday night, that is 7th Sep, I left for Chennai. I resumed college on Wednesday, and without any hassle took the test for Radio stream, that was going on that week..
Had it been any other week, I would not be able to go.. Because other professors religiously scheduled their exams for Fridays, and I could not have missed them..
That's why I say it was the Goddess's arrangement..
That birthday was grand.. And as if in reflection of God's harmony, I and mom both wore shades of pink that evening.. Inadvertently! (see pic on top right)
XXX
I remember it started raining that evening on mom's birthday.. nevertheless, I did go out to collect the cake and food that had been ordered..
Only, because of the rains, I couldn't go out to buy a gift... I had been preoccupied because everything was being arranged in such short duration.. I had thought, I would buy the present at the last moment.. I was feeling tired too..
But love was a motivation.. and when you have a motivation such as love, you do not really bother how good or bad you are feeling physically..
Next day, I did go to the Archies shop and bought a pen set for Mumma.. And as I left for Chennai that evening, I wondered gleefully perhaps it was the last time I had to buy gift for Mom from her own money..
Next year, around this time, I would be working, and get her exquisite saris from my salary.. Not that mom had any dearth of exquisite things, but as a child you always want to buy the most precious things when you visit a store for your parent's birthday..
XXX
That day did not come..
On her next birthday in 2010, she was sinking.. and in any case, my joining in The Hindu newspaper was delayed, so even technically, had it been a normal day, I would have to buy gift from Mom's money yet another time..
She recovered for a few days and then left for her heavenly abode on 14 September.. I joined The Hindu, switched jobs.. I have risen to become a bureau correspondent and I am earning relatively good..
But I never was able to buy gift for Mom from my money, while she lived..
For a long time, this was a painful experience.. Before I realised, Mom was a woman who walked tall.. A strong woman, who never took anything from her husband to raise her kids.. Nothing from her siblings either...
It was not destined, that she would take anything from her children.. It was destined by the Almighty... And it was destined because it was how Mom would have liked!
XXX
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