Happy Birthday To You – Nilu

Ever since I’ve known you, Feb 14th has been synonymous with your birthday to me. I will never be able to express in words how much I miss you. All I can do is recall a few memories that have etched their marks permanently in my system. Do you remember

• those days when we would haunt the archies store and go through all the cards on display. You would pick a beautiful card and tell me – “Seema, this card is from me to you. You can come here whenever you want and take a sneak peek”
• you would always buy at least 5 black rubber bands at once for yourself and I would always wonder what was the need to buy 5 of them when they are just the same?
• you would never refill petrol in your scooty even after riding it for a couple of days in reserve. We even ended up with no fuel once and walked all the way to get two empty bottles filled from fuel station giggling like looney bins brewing up stories of what people will think we are carrying.
• had it not been for you, I would have never learnt to ride a scooter. (Okay, if my bro reads this, he would snarl at me coz he taught me the basics) When I had put my feet down calling it not-my-cuppa-tea, it was you who boosted my morale and strengthened my withered confidence.
• we would bunk classes in college just because we were feeling bored and would head to Aunty’s ice cream parlour, munch on a packet of Lays and sip on our regular drinks. (Yours being 7UP or Slice and mine – Mountain Dew)
• those days when we would drench like crows in rain on our Scooty’s rather than wait for it to stop pouring and we even entered exam hall once all wet 🙂
• those days when all girls in our class would agree upon wearing colour coded dresses, you would act like an enthu cutlet and then would be the only girl who didn’t abide by the rules 😀
• the days when I would have worn a saree and you would pinch my tummy saying it looks like a ‘Maida dough’
• the days when I would wear a yellow dress and you would say ‘You look like a tubelight’
• how you would bunk exams and I would be the most furious and exasperated at your callousness but would melt down the next moment I talked to you for you would say ‘It’s okay Seema. I’ll write next time’
• the day when you spoke to me over phone for the first time after I eloped, you blasted me left, right, centre for the blasphemous deed I had committed?
• the way you would console me when I would feel apologetic, being knee deep in guilt, for all ‘de-faming accusations’ you had to bear because of my fleeing adventure…

I can just go on and on and on, you know? It’s been 6 years since I last met you in person. Wonder how many more years it will take for us to meet! No matter the distance, no matter the long absent calls or chats, I want you to know that you are close to me. I miss your company, your PJs, your lunacy, your usage of P words, your hilarious Kannada… I miss you Nilu 😦

Hope you have a great day today! Wish you many many happy returns of the day!!!

PS: Few pics I somehow caught hold of.

Remember this chit that the guys threw at us? They couldn’t link us to any guy, so we were always linked to each other 😀

Remember this game that we used to play during class to test your Kannada?

Remember when this was clicked?

Well, looking at this pic, I must confess that I miss the food at Coastal Heritage more than you… Pssst