28.

84 Facebook messages.
85 Orkut scraps.
40 Sms on Mobile 1.
20 Sms on Mobile 2.
30 odd calls.
A few mails and E-cards.
A porcelain cup.
A bouquet of roses.
A dinner treat and yummy chocolate cake at the most expensive restaurant in town.
That summarised my day.
Today was my birthday.

28th Birthday.

I remember how once upon a time (which felt like eras ago), I used to look forward to birthdays.
To colourful frilly dresses.
To cakes and the sugary rose toppings, we fought world wars for.
To gifts - dolls and plastic kitchen sets.
To sweets.
To the rounds with your best mate, to distribute sweets through out school.
To surprise parties at home. (surprise to my parents too, cos often they were the last ones to be invited!)

I wonder where those days had vanished to!

Man!!! Nowadays, birthdays have become gentle reminders... of 30. Yeah! I'm growing old.

28 is... 30 minus 2.
Dint get that??
30 - 2 = 28.

And 30 is scary.

The questions I face daily are scarier! Dont trust me? Try answering these....

Are you married?
Nope.

Do you have a boyfriend?
Well, it's kinda complicated u know...

Do you have kids?
Errr.... (Can I have a boyfriend first?)

Do you have a job?
Eureka! I mean "Yeah!"

Are you among the Top / middle management?
Well, does Sr. AE count???

How much is your savings?
Zilch.

How much do you earn?
Close to zilch.

Do you have a house?
Nope.

A car?
Errr...

A bicycle?
Well... (Man! This is insulting!)

What do you do after work?
I sleep... (If I get to finish that is!)

When you are out shopping, what do you look for?
The Brand / The Fit / The Price Tag.
Pass. Next question please.

How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10?
Losing (0-3) / Loser (4-6) / Lost (7-10)
Errr.... More options please?

I mean. You know what I mean...

Well, here's to all friends who wished me!

Thank you!

This Birthday could have been worse, had it not been for your wishes!!!

Love you all!!!

Friends - Parotta

Shobana.

My life has been blessed with nutcases (read 'friends'). And Shobana definitely ranks among the top 10 nut cases I have ever known.

Beautiful girl. Loads of attitude.
(I think that comes as a package usually)

Shobs, as I call her, was my roomie (room mate) during my graduation days at Coimbatore. I have some fond memories and moments from my days with her, which I cherish.

One of her classic dialogues happened when we went to buy Parotta for dinner one night. Parotta is a common layered flat bread of Southern India (Courtesy - Wikipedia). I had the least idea that that was her first 'expedition' to a hotel to buy a parcel.

We stood there at the open air restaurant watching the 'Parotta master' knead the dough, make small balls and then flatten it, make it strips, and then into a circular layer, flatten them again before they went onto the pan to be fried golden brown. Once he had about four to five of them ready, he placed them one above the other and started crushing them from the sides.

That's when the historic comment came, from Shobs.

"Nalla iruntha porotta'ye ethukku antha aalu pottu kassakuraaru??"

(In Tamil that meant, 'Why is he disfiguring those nicely shaped Parottas?')

Little did Shobs know that they did that to separate the layers of the Parotta which apparently made it softer.

The Parotta master seemed offended. But he went on with the task of crushing the Parottas.

This made her all the more angry.

"Geetha, I wont eat those crushed Parottas. Look at his dirty hands. Moreover, I want mine perfect and round. Tell him that."

I blinked, not knowing what to say.

This time the master looked really angry. His expression told me I better leave with the 'foreigner'.

Shobs on the other hand was explaining to me on hygiene factors and how germs spread through unwashed hands.

I knew another night without food awaited us. Had no option than to drag Shobs from the place and find relief with a packet of bread and milk that night!

Even now each time I eat Parotta, I'm reminded of the Parotta master, his angry gaze and of course my darling friend - Shobs! :)