Most people in a brief interaction with me know that my birthday is on the 29 of February. Always followed by jibes about how small I am because my birthday comes once in 4 years.Not complaining because I love the attention btw.Also with follow up questions of when do I actually celebrate it and how I must be getting a big gift once in 4 years. More about the gifts later.
My Dad was so proud of my birthday, when his colleague casually remarked that it was no achievement but mere coincidence,this person was permanently cancelled in Dad's mind.
3 days into internship on a February 28, I walked into a busy medicine OPD with some tinkling embellishments on my dress. Amol, my then Resident likened me to a cow with bells.I launched into this awkward actual conversation, "actually it is my birthday today but actually it is on 29 February, so it is not my actual birthday but I actually celebrate it on the last day of February" Brevity was never my strong point clearly. Amol just got up and asked me to follow him out. 100 patients on either side of us, waiting for their turn to see the doctor peering at us, I was led into a canteen and asked to choose an icecream. I was too dumbfounded to react so Amol just chose a butterscotch Cornetto and told me very sincerely with those soulful eyes that he didnot know anyone born on this special date and hence this special treat.And even now my husband maintains that was the only reason he bought me that icecream and not for the vibrant, vivacious me.In his defence he has never indulged any other girl to an icecream. But definitely the start of our young romance.So my leap year birthday landed me the nicest man-husband.
Lots of stuff happens between birthdays , personally and the kind that affect the human race in general. Like a pandemic, National education policy ,change in US prez Trump to Biden(Modiji has been a constant though, he could use it as his election campaign with due copyrights to me)
Like Adi having answered 10th boards, 12th boards,JEE , entry into IIT.moved from home to hostel, going from a smooth faced chubby boy to fuzz and zit covered face, taller than dad, lost all my baby fat and now I am the kool kid look. All of this happened from one bday to the other. He still finishes all phone conversations with "I love Amma" and hugs me without hesitation or awkwardness, so I am blessed like that.
Also I have the distinction of remembering my own first birthday. I was 4 years old and Dad carried me around the entire evening in a makeshift shamiana pandal erected on the terrace of our Hyderabad home, where lots of people had gathered to wish me.As a matter of fact I remember all my birthdays. My parents always made a big deal of it and I revelled in it all.
So Amol had big shoes to fill. When people joke that Amol has to only buy a birthday gift once in 4 years , he says that atleast on the leap year the birthday celebrations are limited to 1 day because in the intervening 3 years it is over 3 days. 28 Feb -last day of the birthday month. Midnight wee hours between 28/02 -01/03. On 1 March because it follows 28/02. As corny as it sounds I am big on greetings and gifts.
This leap year Amol has gifted me the leaping mammal Kangaroo land holiday.
So this time , just the 2 of us, (discounting the plane load of people sharing this flight with us)for the first time ever, I ring in my birthday midair, somewhere over the Indian ocean.And in the "around the world" time zone hack, also the longest hours one can possibly fit into a day kind of birthday in another hemisphere, another continent having the perfect day with my Cornetto Resident-husband.The Universe loves me and gratitude is the name of the fragrance.
