First Birthday After Marriage !!!

Author: Aarabhi

Photography: Vasistha

“Knock, Knock!”

I was surprised to find Sindhu, my sister-in-law, her husband Srikanth and my 5 year old niece, Sameeksha at the doorstep. I smelt a rat as it was 9.30pm and we weren’t expecting anybody at this late hour.

My mother-in-law and we all were just sitting down for a cup of coffee when there was another knock at the door. I walked to it with a goofy expression expecting Vashu to be on the other side. It was my birthday and I was glad he’d been able to get home at least now instead of the 10.30 I was expecting.

On opening the door my excitement dimmed a little seeing him standing there with the lines of tiredness clear on his face. “Could you get me a glass of water?” he asked.

I hurried into the kitchen and turned around to find him sporting an ear-to-ear grin and holding a large cake in his hands!

Samee was running circles around everybody singing the Happy Birthday song. Gloriously surprised and pleased he’d spared time and effort to get the cake; I mirrored his expression as I fetched the knife. No sooner did Samee see the knife, she grabbed it from my hands and sprang forward all a flutter to cut the cake herself.

Noticing there weren’t any candles on the cake; Samee exclaimed “How old are you Mami? 4 or 5?”

All us adults stared at each other’s faces and burst out laughing. Amidst the peals of laughter I replied “No dear! I ‘m not 4, I’m 24.”

“Two-four twenty four?” she asked. 

On receiving a positive reply from me she started clapping and counting- one, two, three…. And so on till twenty four.

Enjoying Samee’s antics and the delicious cake the time passed quickly and soon it was time for her to leave.

Putting on her shoes she hit me with her best punch line to-date “Where’s my gift Mami?”

I stared at her flabbergasted, unsure what she meant by that. It took us all a minute to realize that she meant the return gifts she’d come to expect at the birthday parties she’d previously attended!

All in all, this made up wonderful memories for a rainy day.