BIRTHDAY AMIDST CORONA....

 19th March 2020, this day is really special for me, not because it's my birthday. Birthdays come every year. My family and friends celebrate it with great pomp and joy. When I was a kid, I was too embarrassed to call my friends at my humble home, unsure of what they would think about the faded colour of the walls, open windows without curtains, old sofa covers and most importantly homemade snacks by my mother. Having richer friends compels one to wonder what they would think when they see your lifestyle,the way you live, the way you upkeep upholstery, the way you eat, the grey matter you have hardly matters. What mattered most back then, was whether the snacks were prepared at home or ordered from a hotel irrespective of the lavishness with which they were served. A few years down the line this date invariably fell during the final examinations sparing me of the tensions of inviting friends home for a treat.          

 Birthdays during the Medical college days were a completely different ordeal. We celebrated with the conventional cake cutting in the rooms and songs and dances and birthday bumps at 12 midnight. Whoever missed it has missed one of funniest riots in the hostel. Some of us including me wanted to hide our birthdays for whatever reasons. Some of us craved for birthday wishes from their 'special' friends no matter how many cards and gifts they recieved from others. We gave treats at Silver Spoon on Gangapur Road, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if it still exists; they served the best chicken dishes there though PBM (Paneer Butter Masala) was a universal order. I still have a few Hallmark birthday cards bought from the nearby Archies Gallery. It was quite a time.         Years have passed and Birthdays are now celebrated on social media. There was a time when a few special greetings warmed the heart. But now those few have turned into hundreds, thousands and millions for some. People are glued to gadgets to check who has wished so that they can summon  those who haven't! I for one have graduated from being shy to rightfully demand that my friends should wish me. It's compulsory. By now everyone knows how cranky I can get if the wonderful words of love and blessings don't pour in.This year it is different. All my friends, my besties, the intelligent, erudite and progressive Golden Batch of 1991 have showered it's  love. If whatsapp messages and it's icons would be currency, I would be the richest today. God has been kind and generous towards me by placing me in this class. By doing so he knew he would make up to all the agonies he has given me in the past.         My friends I want to ask each and everyone of you how does one thank the heart melting write up by Rupesh, the literary touching piece by Jayant, the snippets by , JP, Harpal, Rupali, Sucheta and the abundant wishes by all on the group and in person, the phone calls and all. I felt elated the whole day and even the deepest gratitude wouldn't do justice to the love you all have showered. Although the day was hijacked by Rupesh and JD and Corona , I never missed anything. Let us make it a point to call and talk on Birthdays if not otherwise. Let our phones not be quarantined. A call, a voice, a wish of a dear friend may alleviate a deep suffering. 

#GodsBlessings

Dr. Swati Pawar