Chapter Five
February 29th, 2004
"Where are you going?" Mom asked.
"Juhu beach" I said wearing my shoes.
After twenty minutes I am at Andheri Station. Priya is already waiting for me. She gave an angry look.
"Aaryan, you are becoming lazy day by day" she said.
"Wait, let me explain. You called me suddenly and I just came from the shop. I need to get ready and it takes time"
"OK… OK. We are already late. Let's go" she said sitting on my bike.
In half an hour we are at Juhu beach. I parked my bike.
"ISKON temple first" she said. I simply followed her orders.
ISKON temple otherwise known as "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" temple is located near Juhu beach. It’s well known for its beautiful construction. We went inside the temple. The temple is very well maintained. It’s a very peaceful place. I am a hardcore atheist and am very open about it. Mom dad tried to convince me but I have my own ways of looking at things.
"Let’s sit here" she said. We sat down there on the steps. She took out a packet from her hand bag.
"Happy Birthday" she said handing the packet to me.
"Hey... What is this? How do you know that today is my Birthday?" I asked. I did not expect this. I was really surprised.
"What do you think? You are my best friend. Even if you don't tell me about your birthday I can find it out"
"I am sorry. Actually, I don't like to celebrate birthdays and so I did not tell anyone"
"You don't like celebrating birthdays? Why?" She asked.
"I have my own principles. One should celebrate his birthday only when he achieves something, only when one attains some meaning to his life"
"I did not get you"
"See, each and every person has his or her own birthday one day or the other. It’s nothing special. What did you achieve by coming to this world? Why do you celebrate it when being born is a common thing? According to me, a person is eligible to celebrate his birthday only when his life has got a meaning, only when he can create a line for himself in the .pages of history..."
"Stop it. Stop it…" She said. "You are becoming too philosophical"
"I told you. I have my own principles"
"See, why do you think you are not special? May be you are not special to yourself. But you are special to someone in this world. You are special to your parents. You are special to your friends. You are special to me. You don't celebrate birthdays for yourself. But, you celebrate birthdays for people who think that you are special. So, never think you are not special. Once again, Many Many Happy returns of the day"
I did not understand what to say.
"Now, Will you open the packet and see what I bought for you?" she said. I opened the packet. It’s a beautiful key chain with my name inscribed on the glass plate.
"This is really good. Thanks for the gift" I said.
"So, how old are you now?"
"Six years"
"Six years?"
"Yup. Today is February 29th and my birthday comes once in every four years. So I am just six years old"
"That's lovely. So you claim that you are still a kid"
"Am I not?" I said laughing. She also laughed. She looks really beautiful when she laughs and if there is one thing in this world that I can never get tired of watching is seeing her laugh. She looks lovely whenever she smiles. All these give her an angel like look. Well…she’s an angel to me. She is a splendid blend of childishness and sensibility. I can jus keep going on and on when I talk about Priya.So let’s cut it here.
After an hour we went to the beach. It’s 11:30 AM. There are very few people at the beach.
"You said that there is some exhibition going on here" I asked Priya.
"I just lied to you to bring you here" she said smiling. "This is my most favorite spot in Mumbai. When I was small, we used to live in Juhu. I used to come here daily after the school in the evening to play. I have lot of memories with this beach"
"That's good" I said. "The school days were always great"
We walked across the beach chatting. Thanks to Priya, this is turning out to be the best birthday of my life. I love her company, the walks along the beach. We can chat endlessly for hours together.
"Hey… Aaryan?" I heard someone calling. I turned around. It’s Rahul.
"Hi Rahul.. What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I must ask you that question" he said. "I am here to play cricket. I told you day before yesterday in the bus. You said you have some work"
"Yeah. Actually I have got lot of work to do. But what can I do? Priya forced me to come here" I said. "By the way, you don't know Priya. Do you?"
"No" he said.
"Hey Priya, this is Rahul and Rahul this is Priya. She works with Wipro" I said introducing Priya to Rahul.
“Nice meeting you Priya” said Rahul.
Someone called Rahul.
"Sorry. I must leave. It’s my turn to bat. We are playing a match here" he said leaving. He gave an angry look at me and left.
"Priya, I am dead now" I said.
"What happened?"
"When Rahul asked me to come to Juhu beach to play cricket, I said that I have some work. Now I am here with you at the same place"
"So?"
“Don’t you understand? He saw me with you. I am trapped” I said.
We went back to home in the evening. I felt as if the weekend had gone very fast. From tomorrow, again it’s the same, the same work, the same code, the same defects and the same testing. But still I feel something good. I feel a change in me. I don't know why and what it is. But I am going find it out very soon.
"Where are you going?" Mom asked.
"Juhu beach" I said wearing my shoes.
After twenty minutes I am at Andheri Station. Priya is already waiting for me. She gave an angry look.
"Aaryan, you are becoming lazy day by day" she said.
"Wait, let me explain. You called me suddenly and I just came from the shop. I need to get ready and it takes time"
"OK… OK. We are already late. Let's go" she said sitting on my bike.
In half an hour we are at Juhu beach. I parked my bike.
"ISKON temple first" she said. I simply followed her orders.
ISKON temple otherwise known as "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" temple is located near Juhu beach. It’s well known for its beautiful construction. We went inside the temple. The temple is very well maintained. It’s a very peaceful place. I am a hardcore atheist and am very open about it. Mom dad tried to convince me but I have my own ways of looking at things.
"Let’s sit here" she said. We sat down there on the steps. She took out a packet from her hand bag.
"Happy Birthday" she said handing the packet to me.
"Hey... What is this? How do you know that today is my Birthday?" I asked. I did not expect this. I was really surprised.
"What do you think? You are my best friend. Even if you don't tell me about your birthday I can find it out"
"I am sorry. Actually, I don't like to celebrate birthdays and so I did not tell anyone"
"You don't like celebrating birthdays? Why?" She asked.
"I have my own principles. One should celebrate his birthday only when he achieves something, only when one attains some meaning to his life"
"I did not get you"
"See, each and every person has his or her own birthday one day or the other. It’s nothing special. What did you achieve by coming to this world? Why do you celebrate it when being born is a common thing? According to me, a person is eligible to celebrate his birthday only when his life has got a meaning, only when he can create a line for himself in the .pages of history..."
"Stop it. Stop it…" She said. "You are becoming too philosophical"
"I told you. I have my own principles"
"See, why do you think you are not special? May be you are not special to yourself. But you are special to someone in this world. You are special to your parents. You are special to your friends. You are special to me. You don't celebrate birthdays for yourself. But, you celebrate birthdays for people who think that you are special. So, never think you are not special. Once again, Many Many Happy returns of the day"
I did not understand what to say.
"Now, Will you open the packet and see what I bought for you?" she said. I opened the packet. It’s a beautiful key chain with my name inscribed on the glass plate.
"This is really good. Thanks for the gift" I said.
"So, how old are you now?"
"Six years"
"Six years?"
"Yup. Today is February 29th and my birthday comes once in every four years. So I am just six years old"
"That's lovely. So you claim that you are still a kid"
"Am I not?" I said laughing. She also laughed. She looks really beautiful when she laughs and if there is one thing in this world that I can never get tired of watching is seeing her laugh. She looks lovely whenever she smiles. All these give her an angel like look. Well…she’s an angel to me. She is a splendid blend of childishness and sensibility. I can jus keep going on and on when I talk about Priya.So let’s cut it here.
After an hour we went to the beach. It’s 11:30 AM. There are very few people at the beach.
"You said that there is some exhibition going on here" I asked Priya.
"I just lied to you to bring you here" she said smiling. "This is my most favorite spot in Mumbai. When I was small, we used to live in Juhu. I used to come here daily after the school in the evening to play. I have lot of memories with this beach"
"That's good" I said. "The school days were always great"
We walked across the beach chatting. Thanks to Priya, this is turning out to be the best birthday of my life. I love her company, the walks along the beach. We can chat endlessly for hours together.
"Hey… Aaryan?" I heard someone calling. I turned around. It’s Rahul.
"Hi Rahul.. What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I must ask you that question" he said. "I am here to play cricket. I told you day before yesterday in the bus. You said you have some work"
"Yeah. Actually I have got lot of work to do. But what can I do? Priya forced me to come here" I said. "By the way, you don't know Priya. Do you?"
"No" he said.
"Hey Priya, this is Rahul and Rahul this is Priya. She works with Wipro" I said introducing Priya to Rahul.
“Nice meeting you Priya” said Rahul.
Someone called Rahul.
"Sorry. I must leave. It’s my turn to bat. We are playing a match here" he said leaving. He gave an angry look at me and left.
"Priya, I am dead now" I said.
"What happened?"
"When Rahul asked me to come to Juhu beach to play cricket, I said that I have some work. Now I am here with you at the same place"
"So?"
“Don’t you understand? He saw me with you. I am trapped” I said.
We went back to home in the evening. I felt as if the weekend had gone very fast. From tomorrow, again it’s the same, the same work, the same code, the same defects and the same testing. But still I feel something good. I feel a change in me. I don't know why and what it is. But I am going find it out very soon.
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on Monday, July 16, 2007 at 5:59 AM.
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