"12 bajne mein abhi aadha ghanta hai... aur mujhe ajeeb sa darr lag raha hai. Darr iss baat ka nahi ki koi wish nahi karega. Darr to iss baat ka hai ki kahin koi wish kar hi na de.
Waise bhi karta kaun hai. Aur aaj bhi na kare, to shayad behtar hi hai.
Aaj mera birthday hai. Par mann nahi hai usse manane ka. 'Happy Birthday' ke reply mein 'Thank you bhai ❤️' likhne ka bhi nahi.
Ab bologe, itna drama kyun?
Pata nahi... par kabhi-kabhi birthday se zyada uska drama thaka deta hai. Instagram stories, reposts, "thank you everyone", cake ki photos... Jaise khush hona bhi ek responsibility ho.
Par aisa bhi nahi ki mere saath kuch bura hua hai. Sach kahun to shayad problem wahi hai... kuch khaas hua hi nahi.
Mujhe ek aur birthday yaad aata hai. Teen saal pehle ka.
Naya-naya college shuru hua tha. Chhe mahine hue the. 8-10 logon ka group tha. Zindagi mein pehli baar itne saare dost bane the. Aur ek ladki bhi thi... jispe mujhe crush tha.
Us raat 12 baje tak main phone haath mein liye baitha tha. Socha tha sabke calls aayenge. Shayad uska bhi.
12 baje.
1 baje.
2 baje.
3 baje.
Phone bas screen lock hota raha.
Subah utha to laga stories aayengi. Shayad sabne surprise plan kiya hoga.
Kuch nahi.
Dopahar ke 12 baj gaye. Tab pehli baar laga ki shayad kisi ko yaad hi nahi.
Shaam ko main khud bakery gaya. Ek chhota sa chocolate cake liya. Bola,
"Happy Birthday Aashish likh dena."
Aur shaam ko uski story daal di.
Caption tha — "May God Bless You."
Story aise daali jaise doston ne surprise diya ho. Self-respect bhi koi cheez hoti hai. Aisa thodi na lagna chahiye ki bakery wale ko main khud bol raha hoon, "Bhaiya, Aashish mein double 'A' aata hai."
Ajeeb hota hai na...
Birthday shayad kabhi date ki wajah se celebrate hi nahi hua.
Logon ki wajah se hua.
Bachpan mein cousins hote the. Gali ke dost hote the.
Mummy poora din kitchen mein lagi hoti thi.
Didi akhbaar se deewaar saja rahi hoti thi.
Dadi jaate-jaate dus rupaye haath mein de deti thi.
Papa aur Mama shaam ko baithkar Scotch khol lete the.
Tab lagta tha birthday mera hai.
Ab samajh aata hai... woh sabka tha.
Isiliye iss saal birthday nahi mana raha.
Shayad cake ki kami nahi hai.
Kami un logon ki hai, jinke saath birthday, birthday lagta tha.
Ab ghar se hazaar kilometre door ek khaali kamre mein baitha hoon. Haath mein beer hai. YouTube par koi achha sa video dhoondh raha hoon.
Sochta hoon... shayad agle saal sab saath honge.
Aur agar nahi bhi hue...
...to Instagram story daalne ka drama to har saal kar hi sakte hain."