The Cake’s an alibi

The Sunday would have been spent on some lonely island away from the main city of Port Blair had we not been invited for a Birthday party. Ridhima was to celebrate her 4 th birthday and we had been given clear instructions to be present for the occasion, failing which we could be punished by the Home ministry of Pana Anil. The words were clear to me and moreover I didn’t wish to miss the cake. Amrit my accomplice was not the one to let me have all the fun alone. Brothers in arms seldom move in different directions. The job that we had been entrusted with was the most important one and the party depended on the crux of it. We were the cake delivery boys. Holding a cake all the way while knowing that you have to be the one to eat it later, albeit a small part, is the most difficult one. So what if we grow up so fast, the kid in us is still so very innocent. We somehow reached the destination with the cake after completing our ritual of walking around Marina park and a lil of bird watching(tsk, tsk). There was none barring the host Pana Anil and Pana Bahuguna. Me and Amrit in our usual dressed to kill mode were ready for the assault but sadly for us there was no prey in sight. The cake was set on the table and we saw Ridhima glowing there in her shining black dress which complemented her peach complexioned skin, with split arms spaghetti straps et al and the best piece that she wore was her trademark ear to ear smile with head tilted down a little bit, just a little bit. The first thing we did was to go up to her give her a bear hug and wish her many more merry moments in life and Happy Years. She looked every bit sweet and gorgeous in that little black dress.Just a few paces away was Akshat in his ‘batman jacket’ the hood of batman over his eyes, looking like a ‘Dark knight’. The only problem was the impish smile letting everyone know the only Dark thing about this Knight was his own intentions.

Pana Bahuguna was in his flamboyant self in black party trouser and a Green half sleeve party bopper shirt. Just in the corner we sighted Sushma bhabhi in a red & white printed Chiffon Saree looking suave, her hair open but just held together at the back of the head looking so very chic.

Pana Anil was in his simple self, well polished black shoes, black properly creased trousers a white T-shirt with coloured stripes running around his girth. The loss of hair didn’t seem to bother him anymore after the arrival of his second child, n bhabhi was sitting just beside him in a bright blue Saree with her hair tied behind her head, She too looked so very elegant, there was an air of happiness in their voice a content look in their eyes. And seeing some one else happy was making me all the more happy.

As people poured in with gifts for Ridhima and good wishes, time seemed to fly past us. The cake was cut, presented to the demigod, Ridhima, smeared over Akshat’s face passed onto all the other kids and elders, music was played and all the merry people did was let their hair down and slip on their dancing shoes.Pana bahuguna ,the twinkler, pulled in his wife and let the ball rolling, everyone caught the beat there on. There were inhibitions shed, barriers broken, a lot of smiles exchanged, a few hands shook each other for the first time. As the tempo rose so did the feet. Even the air conditioned hall became warm with the warmth. As the people settled down to have dinner after two hours of dancing and children prancing around it was one big get together worth being a part of. I had been away from my family I had been missing all those merry moments spent with cousins nieces and nephews and now I was reliving those moments. The people were mine, the happiness was ours and the 'Happiness' was there for everyone to share……..........