Turning 26

This year's birthday was special and memorable.

I don't really understand the concept of celebrating one's birthday, cutting cakes, giving gifts and all. The last time I cut a cake was when I was in grade 3 or 4.

I enter Grade 7 ( I am the class teacher). I can see they are all set to wish me. I have seen them planning since a week. Then they show me the cake that Kumar made on his own. It was a pancake, one stacked over its larger size. It has a letter 'A' pancake on the top. It was beautiful. They asked me to cut the cake. They sang the birthday song. I might have cried. But these days, I find it difficult to cry. Then they start showering me with gifts and roses and red pens. So many gifts. This must be the first time I am getting so many gifts and red roses (OMG!).

I was the class teacher of grade 7, so they did all this for me. That was what I was thinking. I wasn't expecting anything from other classes. As I was leaving grade 9, students start getting up and giving me roses and gifts again. I was in awe.

These beautiful kids, who are living a hard time after earthquake, who find it hard to spend money on their uniform, on their stationery, spent money to buy my gifts. Should I be happy for all the love they do or feel angry that they spent money on a useless thing as my birthday instead of spending on their educational needs. But I didn't say anything.

In the evening, as I enter our home, I see my co-fellows Astha and Aakriti working hard to make something. Ok, it was a cake. I couldn't react. I didn't know how to react. Why would they take such a hassle just for my birthday? I couldn't understand. I couldn't digest.

After the dinner was ready, they brought the cake. They had brought candles even. We lit the candles, I blew they, I cut the cake, they sang the birthday song for me.

This was a very different day for me. This wasn't normal. This never happened in my life.

A year back, on my birthday, I cried. This birthday, I felt like crying, but couldn't. The two cries are different; one with sadness, the other with happiness.

I can't afford to forget the love I have been given on this birthday. I will always cherish the moment. I will always remember my 26th birthday on my every upcoming birthday.

Thank you Astha and Aakriti. <3

Thank you students of class 7, 2016, Terse HSS.

Happy birthday to me! :)