Assorted grannies… warm and fuzzy…kids squealing, kissing, firing plastic machine guns, diaper changes … Master Chef birthday boy’s dad rustling up the most awesome mutton achari (made from scratch with aamchur and gondho lebu…not with readymade achar), a very delicate garlic Mughlai chicken (smell of garlic bread (!) wafting in as it was brought in), walnut and kesar biriyani rice (‘he he, it is our simple ghee bhaat‘ says the happy chef) …. all in a long day’s work… served to eager tummies, only after granny approved… mummy balancing Multi Variate analysis with cake orders and balloon hoisting… discharged camera batteries, mobile cameras to the rescue… shared memories of a city most had left, in a city some had made their own… in a language they all shared… aunties in saris, three and a half generations, half tickets for coy calls in a corner while the ‘elders and betters’ remembered a life before thirties, dads feeding daughters, moms discussing work… streamers, confetti, candles, burnt fingers, tears, birthday cake, smiles…doggy bag for blogging uncle to take home for aunty, knowing that the next day is Sunday….Happy Birthday (10th October 2009) Tango, Calvin, Idhant
