sixty one.

It was time finally to prepare for pops birthday festivities- the tent was pitched outside in the back yard, the food being prepared by Shiv’s (my uncle’s restaurant) chef’s in a makeshift kitchen in the front (tandoor equipped.. nuff’ said,) gadla’s (mattresses) for seating on the lanai, a stage set for the singers- two bars stocked with single malts, various Indian rums, vodka, mixers and exotic fruit juices- pops celebration was one for the history books. With dad’s closest friends and family arriving in a steady stream my brother and I graciously welcomed each family as they entered our home.The chairs slowly filled and the quiet hum of our guests’ voices slowly became a loud roar. One musician slowly played the sitar (an Indian string instrument) cuing the rest of the team to slowly play as well- the lead singer had grasped the attention of about a hundred people almost immediately. The roar of people soon died down as the performers began a playlist of pops’ favorite ghazals (just Google it.)It was at this point of time I had taken a moment to look around- as my brain slowly faded out the music, I scanned the crowd and focused in on my mum, who was sitting in the front row of seats with her posse of friends. Smiling and having quiet conversations with Pooja Aunty, Anju Aunty, and the other ladies seated along with her; I could see mom was truly enjoying herself.My attention quickly diverted as my eyes searched the crowd for the man of the evening... my father. It was not long before I homed in on pops near the outdoor bar laughing hysterically with Ajay Uncle, Vimal Uncle, Chandu Uncle, Jagveer Uncle and other’s as they had taken pleasure in each others company. With Old Monk (really good rum- try getting a bottle) and a splash of Coke in one hand and a plate of hot hors d’oeuvres including tandoori chicken, crispy prawns, fried potatoes with a spicy sauce, and paneer/ green bell pepper skewers in the other, my night was headed in the right direction. After getting “my buzz on” Kshama Masi and I snuck off to the bar inside to take a shot served neat of Johnny Walker (horrible idea-) the time had come for Kshama Masi and I to deliver our birthday present to my old man. “Jab koi baath” is one of my dad’s favorite Indian songs from a movie produced back in the day; WE had the brilliant idea of singing it to him as he and my mom shared a dance… keep in mind there were A LOT of people there, I gave the musicians a cue- and it began… the rest is a bit of a blur haha but I am guessing from the response Kshama Masi and I received after the song was over that our performance wasn’t half bad. The night continued- the music played on- the beverages never ended- the food was mouth-watering. It was when we began cutting the cake towards the end of the night when Ajay Uncle said a few words about my dad’s character and Vimal Uncle recited a poem in Urdu referencing my father’s friendship to his family as “one of a kind” where I realized that it truly was magnificent and blessed for my father and family to have such amazing people in our lives… The night ended with the booming of fireworks, sweet chocolate cake, and another amazing dinner with family and friends in honor of my pops.

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father." -Lydia M. Child