Parties

Nowadays, Event Managers organise parties. They are professionals – they ensure that nothing is left to chance. And they do not forget anything. The hosts are in tenterhooks - hoping against hope nothing goes against what was planned. They are generally in a constant state of delirium – have we missed something. They would have missed all the fun.

I do not remember a single party during my childhood. There was one – I would love to forget it. The food was served in glass cutlery and my parents dinned into my heads not to break them. I was paranoid just to touch those glass pieces. Even the food looked and tasted like glass. Was I glad to be back home.

I had fun too – lots of them. Only I never knew then that they were parties. Loads of them – all with simple things of life. When the summer ended and the first monsoon showers came in – I shouted for my friends and we used to get wet, jump with joy and watch the snails come to life. If there were hailstorms all the better – the lumps on head have never hurt. I never sent invites – I ran to my friends’ houses and dared them to come out in the rain and soon enough we were all over the place, wet and giggling. No cost, no timings, no eating and drinking – just pure joy – it was bliss. We never knew it could have been called a party.

One of these days, a cousin of mine came down visit us along with her children. We have enjoyed a lot when we were children. Now we are grown ups. Her children wear watches and so do mine. They are kids but mind their timings and talk of school projects and tasks. They act responsible.

My sister visited us at the same time. It was her daughter’s birthday. She distributed some chocolates and we all wished her.

We talked of the days gone by and how kids of today do not enjoy the way we did – for them the only enjoyment comes from watching TV. We recalled those occasions with nostalgia.

The hours went by and it was time for dinner and had not prepared any food not even for ourselves – let alone this army of half a dozen kids and another half a dozen once-upon-a-time-kids. The event manager would have chuckled.

My wife said she will prepare some plain rice and I prepared to go out and buy something to go along. My cousin joined me to shop for our dinner.

We went out. We bought some chips. Something was missing. The birthday cake and the ice cream and the things that children love. We went home and threw a surprise party – no invitation, no planning, and no fanfare – just pure fun. All of us had simple food but very tasty with the joy of the party as the main course.

Did we miss anything – our adulthood, for a while.