Happpppppppy Birthdaaaaaaaay!! :) :)

Some gulab jamuns and rasgullas.. :D

Some motichur ke laddoos.. :P

Some assorted chocolates and cakes.. ;)

And last but not the least.. The cake! :D

Okay, now that we're done with the mouth watering part, i'll come

to the main part of this post.. :P

This post is for one of my bestest buddies.. one who has been

always there for me.. during the smiles and the tears..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ms. Isha Chawla.. May you have a great

year ahead with ALL your wishes coming true.. :) :)

May you not have to deal with any more 'paidal' stuff!! ;)

Keep flashing that trademark smile.. :) .. alwaysss.. :) :) Forget

the calories for a day and enjoy! :D

Appppieee Budddaaae!! Janamdin ki baut bahut badhai!!

Saal Mubarak!! Janam diyan ji lakh lakh wadhayun!

Joyeux Anniversaire!

(a lesson for your french and a few other language classes! :P) :D :D

PS - In case you're wondering why does the cake have a piece

missing.. ummm.. aaaaa.. what can i say.. it was too irresistable!

lol.. :D

PPS - This post has turned out to seem like less of a birthday wish

and more of a sweet shop advertisement! lol.. :P

THANK YOU from the 'Spring Baby'!! :D

This post goes out to my friend Isha, and all others who made my birthday special. I wanted to write this earlier in this week, but I have my exams coming up soon, and somehow I was not getting the time to write. But, I had to thank Isha for the lovely post she wrote for me on my birthday. Secondly, it is spring, and I did not want to miss this opportunity to write a post on the spring season on a blog called 'Spring Blossoms'. So the motivation to revive my dormant blog was aplenty. :D

So, here goes -

The flowers are blossoming, trees all around are filled with a riot of colors, birds are chirping, and the climate is not as hot as it gets in the peak of summer. In short, its that time of the year which we call 'Spring'!!

The calls of the cuckoo bird (or Koel, as it is known in India), the Gulmohar trees laden with red and yellow flowers, the breeze all through the day, and lots of such 'small' things are making me reminisce. We often ignore all these things all around us as we rush through our lives at break neck speeds. But, I have always had an affinity towards this special time of the year when nature is at its bountiful best. I have been noticing all these small things and smiling all the time, ever since I heard the Cuckoo at 4 am one day, for the first this year. All those memories of my childhood in Ahmedabad are coming back. And, the 'Spring Baby' is happy!

And, all the love and affection shown by my friends and family on my birthday made me even happier. The day ended with me reading that special blog post, and going to bed with a BIG smile on my face. :) :) ... Thank you ALL!! :)

PS - I know I have been away from my blog for a long time, and have not been able to reply to comments out here. I'm extremely apologetic for that, and will be back soon after my exams. :)

The 'Pet' Leopard

The bunch of 10-12 year old kids watched with wide open eyes as the guide put his hand inside the bars of the cage and petted the leopard inside it!! They were scared.... and amazed at the same time. The leopard was behaving as if he was a pet dog!!

The guy (let’s call him Mr. X) turned to the kids and said that it was a wild leopard and none of them should even think of doing what he just did. "He will bite your hand right off!!", he said. The kids gasped!! And Mr. X only smiled. He could see it written in their eyes. They were seeking an explanation, and he was about to tell them one of the biggest truths of life.

“This leopard was badly injured and rejected by his peers when we found him. He was in a bad shape, and everyone thought that he might not live. But, I decided to do something about it. I gave all that I could to the poor animal...medical attention, care, companionship and love. Yes, Love. I gave it to him at a time when he needed it the most. I cared for him when he was down and out, and had lost the desire to live. At first there was not much improvement. But then slowly, he started responding!! He healed and was back to being the ferocious wild animal that he was.” Mr. X said with a smile on his face. “But there was one big difference. He knew who had been there for him in the times when he was down and out. And he remembers that. And that is the reason why he lets me pet him, because he acknowledges the fact that I was there for him when he needed it the most.” His grin grew bigger, and the kids eyes even bigger!!

And one of the kids in that group started a blog called ‘Spring Blossoms’, much later in his life. Me.J

That incident left a life-long impression in my mind, and a lesson I need to remember, but forget repeatedly. The love given by a friend in times of need has the power to tame even a wild animal, leave alone the supposed civilized humans. At times, I forget this while figuring out who my 'friends' are and who are 'the others'.

We might have many ‘friends’, but we fail to realize the difference between friends and acquaintances. The ones, who are there for you when you need them, when you are down and out, are the Friends. The rest, you might want to call them acquaintances or something else, but definitely not friends. I had learnt an important lesson that day – “Be there for your friends, and value those who are there for you when you need them, with your life.”

THANK YOU ALL MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS. YOU ARE MY ANGELS. J (I need not name anyone, because you know it. J)