STATUTORY WARNING: All the characters in this blog DO resemble live creatures and any resemblance to any event should be considered as purely INTENTIONAL!! :P ;)
Dedicated to my one and only,dearly beloved SNEHA SHINDE!!
WISH YOU A VERY VERY HAPPY B'DAE MY DEAR LI'L SISSY!! :* :*
LUV YA LOADZZZZZ.....!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was 6yrs old then,1st std...didn't know what was happening around me...mom's tummy was growing month by month... and everytime i asked her what's wrong with her she used to give me a a big smile and say you will have a sister/brother with you now! Even i used to get happy with the idea that i will have someone to play with like most of my other friends who had siblings already. But i had made one thing clear to mom that i want a baby brother, no sister as she might make us share clothes and we might even fight like our neighbouring punjabi sisters! She used to laugh it off then and say "ohk...then pray to God to give you a brother...but remember if you have a brother and he turns out to be naughty like your cousin who teases you all the time then would u like it??". And just because of that one reason(that seemed like a threat at that time) i secretly always prayed to have a baby sister and if its a baby brother then *terms and conditions applied* : he hasn't have to be naughty/trouble me at all!
And there it was!! on 11-11-1995,11:25am a little bundle of joy was born! Everyone was overflowing with happiness...grandparents n aunties distributing sweets,uncles fetching new clothes,other new items for the baby. When i saw you for the 1st time in the hospital...the only thought that came to my mind was " how delicate!!" In the following days the things i used to observe was....your glowing skin with button like eyes, tiny nose and lips and body wrapped in a cloth which you would always try to wriggle out of....used to seem like magic sometimes...
Three months later, it was decided that you will be sent to grandmother's house for 'some' time as mum had to join back at her work place and there was no one to take care of you round the clock at home....mum thought that would be the best for you as you would be in safe hands with grandmom,aunt and mama all together...i was overjoyed on hearing this news!! I was going to get mum dad back wid me! :D But this joy was shortlived as i didn't know how long this 'some' time was gonna be. And mainly because after you went away all the chirpiness and zoo like madness in the house was gone...it felt kind of empty...something major missing...mum kept mumbling all day all night long how much she missed you and how badly she awaited the weekends so we could visit you...and soon even i started feeling the same! Sundays became special for the next 3 years, they seemed like some festival because we got to see you....our 'bundle of joy' only on dat day!!
In June 2000 you began with school and i was delighted be your teacher...mum and dad got much busier after shifting to our new house and so i got the opportunity to be the parent too! I know i always act like one even now :P
So when you started going to school you were like a student who was least concerned about what was going on around (as if you care about it even now!). Not much interested in studies but definitely in arts,dance and acting(the nautanki that you are!). In your pre-primary you participated in the fancy dress and dance competition for which i had choreographed you and you won the 2nd prize in it...my teaching was working i thought..not studies but atleast this! :P
And there it was!! on 11-11-1995,11:25am a little bundle of joy was born! Everyone was overflowing with happiness...grandparents n aunties distributing sweets,uncles fetching new clothes,other new items for the baby. When i saw you for the 1st time in the hospital...the only thought that came to my mind was " how delicate!!" In the following days the things i used to observe was....your glowing skin with button like eyes, tiny nose and lips and body wrapped in a cloth which you would always try to wriggle out of....used to seem like magic sometimes...
When weeks started passing with mum concentrating and taking care of you and only you...all relatives coming to just see you and bringing gifts along only for you and teasing me saying that mum won't pay attention to me now that you were there...i started hating you!! Yes i did! I was overtly jealous of all the attention you garnered in such a small amount of time...i used to feel that people are behaving as if Madhuri Dixit was born in our house! neways eventually over the months all the relatives went away...but still the bone of contention in my mind was that mum paid more attention to you. That was the time i became more closer to dad ...i guess he sensed the 'left-out' feeling in me and observed the aggressiveness in me to get his and mum's attention in evry little thing i did. And by the way i still feel the same...mum pays more attention to you(even does more shopping for you always) and dad too has developed a soft corner for you! aur kitna footage khayegi be? bas kar ab!! :P :P
Three months later, it was decided that you will be sent to grandmother's house for 'some' time as mum had to join back at her work place and there was no one to take care of you round the clock at home....mum thought that would be the best for you as you would be in safe hands with grandmom,aunt and mama all together...i was overjoyed on hearing this news!! I was going to get mum dad back wid me! :D But this joy was shortlived as i didn't know how long this 'some' time was gonna be. And mainly because after you went away all the chirpiness and zoo like madness in the house was gone...it felt kind of empty...something major missing...mum kept mumbling all day all night long how much she missed you and how badly she awaited the weekends so we could visit you...and soon even i started feeling the same! Sundays became special for the next 3 years, they seemed like some festival because we got to see you....our 'bundle of joy' only on dat day!!
But again i felt jealous...don't worry not of you now but of our other cousins who got to stay with you. The reason being...as a small kid you didn't recognise me much as your real elder sister as we weren't together much and so you always preferred playing with them over me! I still remember the silly tactics i would do to grab your attention,the ideas i used to implement to develop the sisterly bond and make you realise that i am your real elder sister, and the umpteen number of attempts to convince mum that i am able enough to take care of you and so she should get you home. But it was all in vain...remembering those 3 years still gives me goosebumps...i have never longed for any person in my life till now as much i did for you! Even now when you sometimes prefer your friends over me it pains me a lot!
The wait was finally over in june 1999 when you were brought home!! My happiness knew no bounds 'coz now you were all mine! To pull your chubby cheeks(which i still do :P ), to play with you, to see your cute smile with those shiny tiny white teeth, to listen to your tinkling laughter, to teach you and hear you call me "TAAI"(the way u said it sweetly in that unintelligible language of yours made me compell you to say it again & again...coz it feels quite similar to MAAI=mother in english and gives a unique feeling of oneness and belonging!!) was the dream that i had cherished all through those 3 long years and to see that dream come true was like "WOW"!!
As the months passed by and you got used to the new atmosphere of our nuclear family after staying at grandmom's place amongst so many people...we were worried whether you might have started feeling lonely...but neways you adjusted well and started attaching to the three of us,especially me!! We had a grand celebration for your birthday as we had also moved into our new house at Panvel...those were fun times...all relatives,cousins coming over to celebrate birthdays,festivals,etc,etc...but its sad to see that it has changed so drastically now that we all have grown up! I miss those days!! Neways every dark cloud has a silver lining so its best that we move on....
So when you started going to school you were like a student who was least concerned about what was going on around (as if you care about it even now!). Not much interested in studies but definitely in arts,dance and acting(the nautanki that you are!). In your pre-primary you participated in the fancy dress and dance competition for which i had choreographed you and you won the 2nd prize in it...my teaching was working i thought..not studies but atleast this! :P
As the years passed by our sibling rivalry began...with small fights over the most non-sense issues like borrowing an eraser,using my pencils and returning them to me in pathetic condition,scribbling on my school notebooks, being adamant to attend parties with me and my friends(mom used to encourage you to do so and you would happily obey her command!! i still hate that...i mean why do you need to go with my friends?? neways i am happy that you don't agree on this issue with mom atleast now!! ), your shopping being more than mine when i was your age,etc,etc,etc!! but this sweet-salty relationship is the one that makes us the dhamaal sisters we are! and we will continue to be so for eternity!! :D :*
Primary school was easy for you...no one coaxed you much to study with dad mum always taking your side saying she will do it...give her some time...and pampering you even on that front whereas i was never spared on that issue!! But as they sat "ye toh toofan ke pehle ki shanti thi" :P When you moved into secondary school life became much difficult as all the secondary school teachers knew me very well. And when they got to know that you are my sister they used to say..." ohhh...you are pradnya's sister...she was so good in school...and blah blah blah....." ( you know it better than me so didn't mention their dialogues completely :P ). And the anguish you felt used to be palpable in the environment at home after you returned from school!! And the most fun days were the open house days when i used to come to collect your result...meeting each and every teacher with you and that expression on your face....hahahaha...i still can't stop laughing when i remember those days! :P 8th,9th n 10th were the toughest years in that respect right?? with almost all my teachers teaching u! :P :P but even you know they told you so as they wanted you to be good too...they had expectations that you will excel and according to me you fulfilled all those expectations as much as you can very well! :)
This was also the transition time when you matured from a lovable little one to the understanding, helping and supportive sis! You did everything for me as i ordered....from helping me and mum in some household chores to supporting me in each and every demand i made to our parents for myself. And you also became my biggest emotional support when i had taken a drop to repeat my CET...it was a make-it or break-it kind of situation for me and you were the person 'coz of whom i could survive through that year! i still very vividly remember how depressed i used to be at times as i was sitting at home doing nothing but just preparing for an exam which i should have scored good and in most probability got admission to my professional course.You were the one who gave me the strength to put in my best efforts, encouraged me, prayed for me and kept me sane enough! It still brings tears in my eyes(literally even now while writing this!! :'( ) as you being the younger one had essayed the role of an elder sister when i faced the harshest of times and you continue to do so even now....can't express in words how much i love and respect you for that! You are my support system, you are someone whom i can express all my feelings to without any second thoughts(things which i don't tell mum..even though they are very few..are all known to you and its vice-versa),you are someone with whom i can be a child again...you and give me the privilege to be childish when i am bored of being the "elder, matured, responsible child", you are someone who handles all my tantrums and still loves me unconditionally!! Although we have an age difference of six and a half years between us it never feels like that now as our relationship has grown and developed into more of "best friends" than just sisters....
Please do forgive me if you feel that i scold you a lot or dominate over you...it is all a result of me wanting you to do your best in every endeavour of yours.I know you understand that but you do feel very bad about it at times and so wanted you to know that its my love for you that makes me do so. You know the conditions at home now...but back then we have faced much tougher times than this. From the differences in a family, greedy mean relatives to buying a house of our own to settling in a new house with no resources and mouths to feed, school fees, bills to be paid, to struggling to score good and live upto parent's expectations and their sacrifices i have seen it all. It's God's blessings,our parent's hardwork and my determination that has helped me achieve all that i have today...and i am sure you will also achieve what you desire for sure!!
Be the trademark nautanki that you are.. how much ever i curse you for that, do all the nakhraas you want in life, be bold enough to face all kinds of people and challenges...coz this is the only life God has gifted you, use it to your fullest without any regrets! But remember the priorities in life...education, setting up your career has a specific time limit...if you don't work hard during this phase of life all your nakhraas will be termed as over-confidence and show off. First be the best in your area of expertise and then all the secondary things will follow, it will not give a chance for people to point fingers at you. It will help you to live life with your head held high always with no regrets whatsoever!!(Sorry for all that bhaashan but you know how much i love to give all the worldly gyan and wisdom talks to you...couldn't spare you even on your birthday :P ;) )
wishing you the very best for all the upcoming struggle...keep it going girl and success will always be yours!!
As time is passing by, with you and me in college, my final year and your 12th std...the toughest of the years till now for both of us..... crazy schedules and no time to catch up much...we still remain as mad as we are ever! Pulling each others leg at the slightest of the opportunity, encouraging each other to study, exchanging all the emotional garbage thats bothering us and then dumping it into the sea of our laughter makes living all the more easier! However tough it is we sing all along.....
"You can break rocks,
You can be a master,
Don't wait for luck,
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself,
Standing in the hall of fame,
And the world's gonna know your name,
Cause you burn with the brightest flame"
I pray that our relationship becomes stronger with every passing year and doesn't take away the life in it even when we get married, have kids, become grandmoms,etc..!! let it be the same khatta-meetha(thoda zyada) till the time of our lives!
And just one advice...you definitely have to get over your shortcomings and become a better person but don't change drastically for anyone ever...its your innocence,,your lovable and caring nature("SNEH"A as your name defines you),your naughtiness,your chirpiness,your livliness that defines you...makes you "YOU"
and most of all 'coz i love you as you are....
'coz there is no better friend than a sister...
'coz there is no better sister than you...
'coz you are my one and only "PRICELESS" possession!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONCE AGAIN GURL!!!!!!
LOVE YOU EVER AND FOREVER! :* :* :)
P.S.: Sorry but couldn't do anything more than this for your b'dae this year 'coz of my upcoming exams....hope you liked it!! *hugs* *kisses*
