Woke up to opening the door t the cook and the cleaning lady. Neither knew it was my birthday. Then the car cleaner came. He also didn't know that it was my birthday. Then came the phone call from Ma who of course knew it was my birthday because she had something to do with it. With every passing year, Ma becomes more and more convinced that I will step into some glory where THIS year, I will win the Booker or get a party ticket (which is a very scary thought) or have loads o...f money or rule the world or clean the cupboard. Then I had tea and sat in the terrace. Spoke to my lovely friends in Bombay whose light and laughter have cadenced my past. The sun shone, pigeons fluttered, some yellow flowers dusted off trees to land on the roofs of cars. None of those behaved any differently based on the fact that it was my birthday. My aching tooth did not care at all and made its presence felt very persistently. Fell asleep. Warmed some food for lunch. Read some Murakami. Dozed off again. Ma had gifted me some white palazzos that I later wore to visit a friend - who also did not know that it was my birthday. Her home is pretty - all soft lighting and pretty plants in alcoves. We chatted for a bit. Had tea. Had a warm square of mithai warmed and served with jaggery.
Drove for coffee. Watched the moon hang from the sky.
Drove for coffee. Watched the moon hang from the sky.
It is a very peaceful feeling to spend the birthday majorly by oneself. To soak in the sun, to see the world passing by, to be aware of yourself passing through...to somehow get the sense that even before I was in the picture, so much was already in place...that I've come like a ripple in some kind of becoming.
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