I Celebrated My 24th Birthday In Quarantine. And While There Were No Shots Or Drunken Memories, It Was Still A Great One
Like everyone else whose birthday happened to fall in the unfortunate times of coronavirus, I was very disappointed that my 24th birthday would be a damp squib. Or so I thought. We have been tied down in our houses for weeks now and I was pretty bummed on realising that this year my birthday would go while sitting at home all day long. And naturally, I wasn’t quite looking forward to turning 24. Not only am I hairy, so that I actually look like a teenage boy turning 14 and hitting puberty, but also alcohol is scarce and this is nothing like how I imagined turning 24 would be.
Hoping that like everything else that stood cancelled for the year 2020, my birthday too could be postponed for the next year, with me getting to stay 23 until 2021. But as my wishes continued to be over-looked, I was dreading it. On the eve of my birthday, after having been convinced by my parents to not look like I had been in a bar brawl, I finally decided to slide out of my PJs and into a pair of jeans and a pretty top. Even my jeans cocked an eyebrow when a human form stepped in. Dabbing on some make up, blush and lipstick, as I stood in front of a mirror, with my foundation successfully covering my hairy upper lips, the pretty and decked up reflection of myself did bring my spirits up.
As the clock struck twelve, my father being the Punjabi father he is, poured me a glass of his most expensive bottle of whiskey, while mother dished out a perfectly baked chocolate truffle cake and there it was, a smile on my face that had been missing for the longest time. With my elder brother lighting candles and my dog trying to lick the sides of the cake on the table, having a full view of my family singing and making merry even at a moment like this, perhaps gave me all the happiness that I thought would be lacking on my special day.
Also Read : My Birthday Is Probably Going To Be Spent Under Quarantine. Here Is Why I Feel Sad And Am Allowed To Wallow, At Least For A Bit
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And surprisingly enough, the rest of the night and the next day went by smoother. With numerous friends making video calls at odd hours, all with a celebratory peg in their hands, ready to raise a toast to me turning a year older, I almost forgot what it was like to not actually be with them. With friends singing Happy birthday songs over calls, dropping in huge wishes and filling my social media feed with pictures and words that left me amazed, this quarantine birthday made me realise that no matter what, I am always loved and for that, I am thankful.
Yes, there was not the usual rage in clubs with my posse, but there was an un-rushed series of affairs, long and wholesome conversations, heartfelt messages, and a night of streaming my favourite movie on Netflix Party with my inner circle. My parents made me a lovely South Indian feast for my special day that I couldn’t get enough of, while my brother showed me the joy of walking our dog, Oster in the park with his other fellow dog friends – which is the cutest thing in all hemispheres.
It wasn’t anything I would’ve done by myself if circumstances were more favourable, but it was something I was glad I experienced anyhow. Having been so engrossed with the idea of getting piss drunk on my birthday with friends at bars where the music is too loud and the experience too blurry to even remember, I had forgotten just how content the simple pleasures of life can leave you. And my 24th birthday this year, sure as hell taught me that most of the times, happiness is right where we are. We just need to embrace it, like I did, and loved!
