*If you are reading this I assume you have read the previous post*

Contd..


I got my gray matte churning..and cropped up with some people who wud have sent me the flowers but I decided to follow a reticent approach. Well.. anyone who'd sent them will get in touch sooner or later, to know if I got them and how I like them..and..etc.etc..

*18th Aug. Home. Still guessing. 11:12 pm.Phone rings..I pick up.
10 minutes and its all clear like a bright sunny day after a stormy night.

It was the person who had sent me flowers. She is my roommate's close friend..like a fone friend and chat/mail friend..It happens quite often that she calls to talk to my fren and I pick up her call..so we just do Hi ..Helloo..Wats up?..Ok Bye..Cya kind of talk..Candidly put, I never took her seriously..(reason? we'll see later..if you can get it). I mean I've never really pulled her into a conversation or something..so thats that..but this day..on a day after my birthday (16th). She wished me belated..and asked abt the fun I had/ am having..welll..I just..to get away had said..that therez no fun and budday is gone..and no excitement..blah ..blah....So thats wen she had decided to send those flowers to bring some spice and fun and excitement into my life :).

So sweet ...and my rooomate was involved too!..so on the fone she was all chirpy and giggling..ki

I actually told her that there wasnt any need!..and especially she..when I dont know her..she doesnt know me..and strangely she had all the answers..

I had no idea wat to think..forget about saying anything..I was just hanging in there..with yes and no and yaa ...and correct..thanks a lot..etc..But I do remember saying something to her which got her confused..She had asked me whats the big thing if she had sent the flowers. Well...I had said..

"its not a big deal that you sent the flowers..the big deal is the decision of urs to send me flowers"..

hehe..and here she went..whats the difference.?..same thing!..wats happening here..wat do u mean..blah..Grrr!..I tried to explain her that sending flowers is just a few clicks on the net..and its nothing..but the fact that she decided to click is everything.!!..

I think she wanted to disconnect immediately :D ...poor gurl!..

Reason?. Nothing much.just that..she has the same name as 'her'. ..I know!..I know!..thats totally crazy..insane..stupid..irrational..paranoid..even I would say preposterous but when you are trying to run away..you wud want to run really fast..without stopping for any thing remotely connected..specially if u go weak like me..
(Self to Kapil: This shoudnt be here!!..Kapil what u upto!??!!..ok sorry!)

*The suspense was over. Melodrama was'nt. Neither was the turmoil within.

*There was more coming. After I was done with the phone call..and came into the living room..I saw this envelope addressed to me. It had a cute birthday card all the way from India..and a 6 page letter from the sweetest friend of mine just about this...about how its our decision. To remember or to forget..to keep it or let it go..to cry over it or laugh over it..to give away or to hold on..to wait or to move on..to be happy or to be sad..(Bang!!..Just at the right moment!)
She has got a marvelous handwriting and I was stunned to see absolutely no cuts n marks. What clarity of thought!. I wish I was that crystal clear. Thanks Anu.!!!!

*Earlier in the day, I had recieved a HUGE birthday card from phamily (as they call it). Its almost a wall poster..when it opens up..Well..it wasnt the size.. the words..that got me smiling.
I also got the Rakhi..and a pretty..chooo sweet Rakshabandhan Card from my sis..and she had sent me supari and misri (sugar) in lieu of the mithai!! :)..

* 20th Aug..Saturday Evening. We are having another party.

Birthweek. Remember ..It is'nt over yet...So this one is to celebrate my birthday and Umesh's too..which falls on 25th..Everyone was there..all of them!..We were in an Indian restaurant..and the food!!..amazing..delicious and palatable..and the cake..yummyyy!!..

.more cards coming in..but the best part was the gift Nancy gave !..cant even explain wats that..to start with its a pen..and errr....here its. :P

3. Read it if you REALLY want to.

4. If you CHOSE to neglect point 3 above and continue reading you WILL feel bored.

5. Do not blame me if what I said in point 4 above is true for you.

(even if its not true, just DO NOT BLAME ME!)

6. You may think I am CRAZY.

-----------------------------------

Things that will unquestionably go into my memory basket. I call it The Birthday Basket!

(In chronological order, for my convenience, When I read later..lets just say after 20 years?)

* Wishes started off on 14th evening itself when it was already 15th in India. A dear friend called up from Allahbaad, and I was in the movie auditorium watching this dumb movie..The Dukes of Hazzard directed by some Mr. Jay Chandrashekhar.umm...Jessica Simpson!.Yes What I will remember of it. This friend of mine is at least 10 years older. When I was in 4th grade I used to attend Tae-Kwon-Do classes and thats where I met him. It goes that long! I remember both of us taking the belt-tests together and it was a sure entertaining sight for people coz he was like a feet taller than me then and I used to jump around and try kick his hand during those tests. He is the only person who never forgets to wish me for Diwali, Holi..Birthdays..and everything that comes..no matter where I am. He is the first one to wish (Did I tell he is a Muslim?). Its an unusual, strange friendship and I cherish it to the roots.

* My cousin Bhaiya, who came to US just 2 weeks back. He also called up when I was watching the movie and left a voice message. I called him back as soon as I was out of the audi.. Bhabhi is supposed to come here too in Oct..and I am so so eager to meet them!

* I knew my parents and sis were waiting for hands to strike 12:00 in the clocks here. I knew that. But still much before that I became anxious!.and called them myself :)..It was 15th in India and that's what matters, I thought. So, I called and my mom was like.."hum call karne wale they na.."

* Dad called at 12:00 :)

* I made a list of all the people, relatives mostly and started making calls. I know, normally it should be me waiting..but this time I thought it should be me making calls..coz when people call from India..everyone is in a hurry. I found it pretty hilarious that I was actually crossing out names from the list as I made calls. While the phone rang on the other side I was trying to make a guess who might pickup and in the end it all became so confusing!!..trying to remember the names of all the kids..trying to gather what might be happening in their life about which I should ask..but I did fairly well :)

* A Dear Dear fren from Delhi called just before 12:00. She is one of the sweetest person I know.Thanks soooooo much Anu :). You are a treasure! A friend forever..and I am lucky!

* Calls from Anupam and Manjary. They are wonderful. A striking couple. The warmth and affection they shower makes me feel at home. Anupam is a senior from college and a gem of a person. Without his help it wud have taken me ages to figure out how certain things work here.

* My roommates!.ran after me to give those hard birthday bumps.thanks to all the calls.. they took pity on me :)

* 15th morning. Office. Nothing unusual except that they sent me flowers!

..My roommates!!.and that too Red Roses..with one of those message. let me see..okay here is the pic on the right. Sorry, the flowers are two days old in this.

And know wat..when the American colleagues here wanted to know who sent me those..I quickly made up a story of a friend back in India..who sent me flowers..why the story?..Oh you never know..these Americans..if I told them that a couple of guys sent me those they just might think...Me and my roommates are the 'other kind'..I mean just to be safe. I had to :D.. But this guy Brian, he still stops by my cubicle and "Oh.You got flowers..hmmm..!". what the heck!

* Rikhil called up.."Abey jab india aao to yeh le aana..woh le aana..main mail kar dunga..aur haan Happy Birthday!"...*^*&*^%*%^...like the style :)

* Pandey called.. "Oyee Kaps!.Happy Birthday..aur batao be..kya kya kiye..kaun se club jaa rahe ho.??..aaj to kuch..."

* Sugz emailed..Sugz wrote me a happy budday testimonial..and it wasn't enuff and She
called!..Sugzzzzz, u rock..Sugzz, u awesome..Sugzz, u wonderful!.

* More emails-More e-cards-More and More scraps-More offliners. Birthdays are great. They are just the perfect time to get back in touch with friends.

* Anupam decided to throw a small party in the evening. He got everyone together. Asked me to pick up a place to hang out. I chose Mickey's on Clark. We went there directly after work. It was good. I dont drink too much so just had a Mango Margarita to make sure I was in the gang..Nancy and Manjary also dropped by with lovely cards..Umesh and Anupam got crazy and started racing around..100 meters..200 meters.. I was just happy watching them.

* Messages on orkut!..How can I forget that.too many!!..It took me a while to reply all of them. Even if it was a matter of minutes for people to drop in and write a scrap, It made me feel happy..active..alive..a zing!

* Nupur! Thank You!.I dont know how many times I have thanked her..but it never seems enough..She'd sent the most wonderful e-card in the whole world. Thanks.!..God Bless You..Did I say thanks?..*Cheers*

* Tarun and Deba :) Thanks!!

* 17th August. Office. Work. Birthday fever gone. Normal. 2:47 P.M.

My phone rings..I pick up.."Hey this is Kapil"..

Other side: "Hey..calling from the reception..I have a flower delivery for you"

Me: "flower delivery for me?..Arr..ok..will come and collect it"

Some million thoughts crossed my mind as I walked down from my cubicle to the reception. I picked them up and quickly made it back to my cubicle. They were amazing..beautiful lemonade color..on the right.. I had no idea who it could be.I anxiously searched the whole thing for a message and finally found one..

Keep on smiling..KEEP ON GUESSING"

Bang!..Bang!..who is it?..A prank..ofcourse?..I called up all my friends here in the office..and they were like "Dude..we dont send flowers to guys!..we are pretty normal"..Uhhmm...Well when such things happen..you just tend to cut loose all the James Bond and Sherlock Holmes within you..I tried..Mr Bond and Mr Holmes...They failed. btw..my heart was secretly wishing..that may be its her..may be..just may be..but then my mind had all the answers..why would she?..where did she get my address from?..We have been out of touch for a couple of months now (not that I was in regular touch with her before that.I never was actually..Time Machine anyone?) and this certainly isn't a way to get bak in tuch..I mean expecting a call/mail would have been realistic..but this?..naah..no way..in ur dream kapil..in ur dreams..no no...not even in the dreams..Dreams may come true..just some times..but this?.I know sometimes we just believe what we want to..coz we like it that way..just to avoid the debate within..between the heart and the mind..(its strange..why cant they go together?)..but this was like President Bush coming down to my apartment and wishing me..(even thats possible) I know I am crazy..just thinking smthing which was impossible..I mean it should not have been even mentioned here..but as I said..sometimes.we just think..wat we want to..its all about what we want to..

I am not really what you would call a romantic person(?), so writing this letter to you is really hard for me. But let me get one thing straight. Writing a love letter is hard, but loving you is easy.I am not real good with fancy words and romantic gestures but I do know one thing, and I want you to know it too. I feel differently about you than I have ever felt about anyone else in my life.Its hard for me to explain what the feeling is.

Everything I do seems to be better, brighter and more exciting when I can share it with you. I cant imagine a life without you in it. I have a piece missing from my heart or soul, or somewhere, and you are the missing piece of the puzzle. A perfect fit. I cant even remember what life was like before you came into it. It was like living in the dark and now someone is turned on the light.

You are my most treasured possession, even though I know I dont own you. I am just so lucky you decided to share your life with me, and there is nothing, just nothing, I wouldnt do to make you happy. The stars and moon are yours for the asking, but personally I'd rather you just wanted me. Just like I want you.Now that I have written all this down, I realize it wasnt so hard to write a love letter after all. Maybe it just depends on whom you are writing it to. Writing a love letter is easy, but only when it is to you.You must know by now that I love you.Wat abt u ????????????????/