Being 24

Who said birthdays are special??Ah!!! Every year as my birthday approaches am all nervous about growing old. It’s like Oh my God!!! One more year and am getting married. This birthday was no different. I was rather nervous But then a special bouquet of orchids and roses helped me forget for a moment that am 24. But obviously then the moment didn’t last for long.

I have this strange problem of not agreeing that I am growing old .Last week I almost had an argument with my colleague that its 23 running and not 24.She did all the possible mathematical calculations and was like “Is it that only you stay at 23 forever and we are the ones who always get old?” And then it really sunk in me that I am finally 24 years old. I was like,”Shit I just finished my education 2 years back, damn it!!!And itna jaldi 24???” It took me some time to come to terms with me being 24. I wondered what had changed in the last 23 years(oh sorry 24 years!! :( ) of my life.

When I was a kid ,taking chocolates on my bday to school for being distributed was a matter of pride. I would tag along my best friend to accompany me.I remember my friends being at their best behavior just to get a chance to be with the little celeb of the day. Today when am 24  , I have my friends around but no one is free so that I can tag them all the way to distribute some sweets. I have to do it alone (no friends allowed nothing), buy cakes and distribute among my entire team.

Then giving parties to my friends would be my mum’s home made pav bhaji with all the neighbouring kids around. Today, parties means lavish restaurant and bars. Then buying a birthday dress would be something my parents would bring in for me and I would wear it with lot of pride. Today the shopping starts weeks ahead right from accessories to nailpaints ,everything gets ready before the D-day. Then I had no worries except for my maths exams. Today I need to worry about my project, my work, my company, recession, marriages, kids etc etc etc. Then going out means going for the show of circus held in our town holding my parents (Oh boy!! I simply miss the concept of circus now!)Today going out, going around and every word with “going” as a prefix has a meaning. The best chocolates that would ever be distributed during my childhood days would be the ravalgaon candies, today none of my friends would settle for any thing less than a big diary milk bar(they create a big hole in ma pocket:P) Those black berries and apples that I knew were the cheap fruits and now they are the pioneers of mobile phones and ipods respectively…Years have passed by , my friends have grown into responsible adults , they are no longer the gals with piggy tails and the guys with those tacky half pants;they are getting married and may be would get to meet their kids by my next bday. They are again a constant reminder that am getting old. The birthdays of my childhood were carefree and happier ones. The recent ones come up with loads of responsibility.

But there are certain things that haven’t changed in all these years ( do I sound like an oldie?), I mean in the last 24 years; getting my parents blessings every year, my craze for balloons,my love for those ravalgaon candies, love for my silly frocks which my mum would get for me( now I don’t fit into them obviously),those lovely ribbons tied to both my pony tails,my love for yummy home made cake, the memories of my nose getting burnt on smelling the hot yummy cake, the craze of collecting all the greeting cards sent to me till date by my distant friends etc etc etc… Ah!! Guess these are some things  money cant buy…