Today is my birthday. Aarav and Olivia called me at midnight to wish me. I missed my mom so much, we had our own birthday ritual. We both were terrible cooks. We would choose some random recipe we have never tasted and try it out, even if it turns out to be terrible we will never know and it always turned out terrible. She will surprise me with a birthday party too. Wondering how it is a surprise if it happens every year, the surprise is "when."
I wore my birthday dress to school. You are allowed to wear clothes other than your uniform to school on two occasions, one on your birthday and the other on the day after Diwali (like Christmas).
It was a full-length floral dress in baby pink, don't even start! Sai couriered it. Most online shopping platforms don't deliver here. I sent him a picture of a black mini dress, but he had sent me this instead. I have to admit it looked good on me.
Speaking of Sai, he didn't even bother to call. He called me almost every morning just to annoy me and he chose today to text a birthday wish.
I got blessings from my grandparents before leaving for school.
"Here take this," my grandfather gave me a box, it was full of chocolates.
"Share it with your classmates and teachers."
I tried hard not to roll my eyes, I am 17! In a year, I would be officially an adult. You party for your birthday, you don't share chocolates. On usual days, yes, you can, but definitely not on your birthday.
It was even worse in school, I was asked to stand in front of the class as everyone sang "Happy birthday to you!!"
I missed my mom more as the day went by. She would be ecstatic if she ever hears of my life here. During lunch my friends asked me to treat them to ice cream, I invited Senthil and the volleyball team too and some of the 'button' boys joined us uninvited.
Ice cream was sold in tricycles, but you can buy only local varieties, though it included vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. There were other flavors like mango, banana, papaya, guava, betel leaves! And 'Madurai-famous Jigarthanda' (A mocktail made of milk, ice cream, almonds, raisins, and some slimy black round things). It felt like I was tasting from Bertie's box of every flavored bean.
I bought Jigarthanda as my friends insisted that it was a crime to be so near to Madurai (a nearby town) and not to have tasted it. It was delicious, but my throat tightened. I was trying something new without my mother and I gave up drinking anymore.
"Ananya," called Senthil.
"Yes." I nodded to my friends to carry on to class without me.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes." I lied easily. He wasn't convinced. He looked me in the eye and gave a frustrated breath running his hands through his hair.
"Take your bag and come with me."
"What?"
"Take your bag and come with me," he repeated.
"Where?"
He let out his breath heavily and said, "Please."
"Ok!"
"Meet me at the entrance in 5 mins," he said and left without a backward glance.
Where was he taking me? I was so intrigued. Valayapatti villagers had no concept of dating (as do most Indian villagers), only married couples go on dates and there was no place to go here either.
Senthil was waiting outside the school. He took my bag and saddled it to the back of the cycle, pushing it as he walked beside me without a word. You guessed it right, riding cycle sitting behind a guy is considered scandalous. So is going out alone with a guy!
We were well outside the village and walking towards the forest area.
"Will you tell me now or am I going to be treated to your silence again?"
He smiled looking at me, butterflies erupted in my stomach.
"I am taking you to my favorite place."
"Which is?"
"It's a small waterfall inside the forest, very few people know about it. You will like it."
We left the road. There was no path. Trees thickened as we went deep inside the forest. Suddenly the trees cleared and there was a small waterfall and a stream with a rocky shore. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Wow!!!."
"I found it accidentally last year."
We stood there a few minutes watching it. Even though it was noon, the temperature was pleasant.
"Come," he said and guided me to the waterfall, the path became more rocky and tricky for me to climb, particularly with the full-length dress. I discarded my heels, but still, it was difficult.
He offered me his hand, I took it. My heart went into overdrive. It was like I had never held a guy's hand before. He looked similarly flushed.
Rocks became slippery. I slipped and he tried to catch me but he slipped too. We both tumbled in the water, we were both giggly as we came out.
"Now that we are wet, why don't we walk in the stream!"
"Wow, it's actually smooth here."
"Running water makes the rocks smooth," Water was not deep and it reached my knees.
"Come let's bathe in the waterfall?"
"Bathe?"
"Don't tell me you have never bathed!"
"I have swum in streams if that's what you mean."
"No, like standing in a shower!"
When I gave him a weird look he just laughed and pulled me along.
"Do you have bipolar or maybe a split personality disorder?"
He stopped and turned around saying, "Maybe when I am with you."
I didn't realize he stopped, making me stumble and fall