1
Our story starts on a Friday. Not just any Friday.
It's that day when four women are having their fortieth birthday. They haven't met yet. But fate has plans for them to meet. And form a club. The Forties Club.
And along with the club, will be formed a new, mature, beautiful and soulful friendship!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As she neared the cafe, Shilpa felt the first pangs of anxiety. After all, it had been a long time since she had treated herself for fancy food. Also, she was about to have some snacks at a cafe alone for the first time.
It is my fortieth birthday today. I won't allow it to go waste. This is my treat for myself. I can do this! Shilpa took in a deep breath and stepped inside the cafe.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hesitation... Veera, the owner of the cafe thought in amusement as she took in the lady who had just walked in and looked like she was doing something she really wanted to, yet in hesitation. But isn't this how most people lead their lives? They live doing what they HAVE to do, and hesitate to do what they really WANT to! Veera sighed. As the owner of the cafe, she met enough people to understand the vibes they sent out. She greeted Hesitation and allowed her some time to go over the menu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the cab neared the mall, Pavithra looked at her mobile one more time. She gazed longingly at the screen-saver, as she had been doing since a few days now. The girl in the photo seemed to be teasing her. Dressed in shorts, wearing a trendy shirt and her hair flying wildly beside her, the girl seemed to channel the very spirit of youth. Most of all, her eyes showed her happiness. Where are you? Pavithra thought sadly.
She paid the driver and looked towards the mall looming large in front of her. She wanted some me-time today, on her fortieth birthday and had decided to visit the mall and shop for herself. Her gaze fell on the cafe beside the mall.
How long has it been since I treated myself to some fried and baked delights! Pavithra thought longingly. On a whim, she decided to eat something first and then visit the mall. She walked purposefully towards the cafe.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This one is all Confidence.. Veera thought as she saw the lady enter. Hesitation was still browsing through the menu. Veera saw Confidence grab a menu and waited patiently for the ladies to order.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mehek deliberately slowed her steps. She had found this ritual immensely calming. And today she needed lots of calm. She shook her head as the incident of the morning poked her mind yet again. She felt her temper rise. She took several deep breaths as she walked slowly towards the cafe.
Heck... it is my fortieth today and I am not going to allow that tool-of-a-fellow to spoil it in any way.
Shaking her mind off all negativity, Mehek stepped inside the cafe, eager for some baked delights and calming coffee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To-Heck-With-The-World .... Veera almost smiled as she saw the next lady who stormed inside the cafe. I would not want to cross paths with her!
"Thank you! Thank you so much for your wishes! Bye!" Hesitation disconnected the call and smiled apologetically at Veera.
"Special day today?" Veera asked with a smile.
"Yeah. It is my birthday. Fortieth to be precise." Hesitation sighed.
As if in perfect sync, three voices rang out together. "It's my fortieth too!"
What followed was a series of confused looks exchanged with each other. Veera looked at Hesitation, who in turn was looking at Confidence and To-Heck-With-The-World in amazement. And then all the ladies burst out laughing.
"This is unbelievable. Who would have thought that four of us will end up together on our fortieth!" Veera said, still unable to believe.
To-Heck-With-The-World thought for a while. "Say, why don't we celebrate it together? Probably we are meant to." She looked at Veera. "Come, join us for the celebration."
"On one condition. The mocktail drinks are on me." Veera said.
"This keeps getting better and better." Confidence said delightedly. The ladies placed their orders and went to sit around a table beside the window. Veera handed over the counter to her staff and joined them.
She raised her glass of mocktail and tapped it lightly with a spoon. "To us, four beautiful ladies whom fate brought together, right on their fortieth birthday!" The ladies all raised the glasses to her.
"It is time for introductions! But mind you, not superficial. Let us make it interesting. You need to start with your name, say 'I turned forty today' and add something that you feel represents you the most. "
Hesitation shifted uncomfortably in her seat while the other two leaned eagerly, already in the spirit of the game.
"Don't worry. There will be no judgement here. I will start. I am Veera, I turned forty today and I am a single woman in search of my Mr.Right." The ladies cheered while Veera happily raised her glass to them.
"It is your turn now." She gestured to Hesitation.
She shifted in her seat yet again but when Veera gave her an encouraging nod, she straightened herself and said. "I am Shilpa. I turned forty today and I just realized that in the course of trying to be a good daughter, a good wife, a good daughter-in-law and a good mother, I forgot to be good to myself." She raised her glass while the ladies nodded in understanding and raised their glasses to her.
Confidence raised her glass. "I am Pavithra. I turned forty today and I am searching for this girl - this version of me - whom I lost somewhere in the course of life." She showed them her screen-saver and raised her glass.
It was To-Heck's turn now. "I am Mehek. I turned forty today and I slapped my boss in the morning." She smiled smugly and raised her glass while the other ladies exclaimed.
"What happened?" Veera asked.
"He felt me up."
"That's horrible. You did the right thing. How long has this been going on?" Shilpa asked, forgetting her initial hesitation.
Mehek waved her hand. "It was the first time he tried to do it. I am not the one to suffer fools gladly. Gave it to him tightly right on his first attempt so that he knows he is dealing with someone who is not afraid to fight back."
"Woohoo! Cheers to Mehek!" Veera and all the ladies clinked their glasses together.
"So, Mr.Right haan! What qualifications should he have?" Shilpa asked Veera with a mischievous smile.
"Oh, I am not looking for any qualifications. It just has to click, you know. You meet a person and you know when and if you both are right for each other. It could be a stranger, or it could be someone whom you have known all your life. All it really needs is that one moment of special connection that both of you feel and realise that - this is it!" Veera said wistfully. Mr.Right, where are you???
I never felt that connection. Yet I jumped into the relationship. Shilpa thought sadly.
I had felt that connection. But where is it today? Somewhere down the road, Compromise took over the Connection. Pavithra wondered.
Veera said something really beautiful. Why can't I relate to it? Mehek thought curiously.
Their orders came and the ladies dived in to the food.
"This is just delicious!" Shilpa exclaimed as she devoured her croissant with gusto. Veera smiled shyly and thanked her.
"So, Shilpa. What are you going to do to be good to yourself now?" Mehek asked with a raised eyebrow.
The hesitation was back in Shilpa's face. "I really don't know, friend. It has been such a long time since I did anything for myself."
"That just won't do. We have to remedy this." Veera and Mehek shared a conspiring look. Shilpa gulped nervously.
Pavithra looked at her in compassion. "You know girls.." she addressed Veera and Mehek. "It appears to me that Shilpa has been like this almost all her life. It is a bit difficult for old habits to die. Why not go easy on her?" She turned to Shilpa. "How about baby steps, my friend? One thing at a time?"
Shilpa smiled at her gratefully and nodded her head.
"The baby steps apply to you and me as well, Pavi!" Veera said with a sigh. She looked at Mehek suspiciously. "This one looks like she dishes out trouble, doesn't take it on herself." Mehek managed not to throw out her mocktail while the rest of the ladies laughed. "No, seriously Mehek.. We just came to know what you did today. But what represents you?"
Mehek looked at everyone warily and then shrugged. "Well, I might as well get it out. I would like to be a bit more domestic and homely. For me, the baby steps would be to learn to cook."
"You can't cook?" Shilpa asked, sounding equally shocked and amazed.
"Never bothered to learn. Why to learn that which you are not interested in? But now I do feel that I should have at least learnt the basics, you know."
"Why the sudden interest now?" Pavithra asked in amusement.
Mehek dropped down her croissant. "I blame it on the guests!" She shook her head in irritation. "Who drops in unannounced, now-a-days? But no. That day, the entire family arrived at my doorstep unannounced. It was a sobering experience to receive the delivery of food-parcel right in front of them." Mehek cringed while the rest of the ladies burst out laughing.
"Thank God my hubby was at home. He prepared tea for them."
Shilpa widened her eyes. "You can't...?
Mehek pointed a fork at her. "Not. A. Word."
Shilpa stopped herself and grinned at Veera and Pavithra.
"This has been fun, ladies. But now I need to get back to my counter." Veera said, sounding sad. "This has been a memorable fortieth birthday for me!"
"For me too! I didn't expect it to be so much fun!" Shilpa said smiling brightly. Veera looked at her thoughtfully.
"I have an idea. Why don't we ladies meet every Friday here? Let us make it The Forties Club meet on Fridays. What say?"
Mehek was the first to raise her hand. "I am in."
Shilpa and Pavithra looked at each other pensively. "I can make it on Friday." Pavithra said after a while. She looked at Shilpa who had still not said anything. "Female, surely you can afford to have one hour for yourself, once in a week?" Shilpa hesitated but then smiled and nodded her head. "I can. This will be my first baby step."
The ladies cheered her decision.
"Speaking about baby steps... There is an assignment for all of us. We need to do something this week that will be a first step towards our new life. And we will share it with each other here on Friday. What say, all of you?"
The ladies shouted their approval.
"One birthday selfie is on the cards!" Veera said eagerly. But no matter how she adjusted her phone, she could not get a proper angle that fit all of them together. She saw a guy passing by. She reached out to him and requested him to take a photo of them. The guy obliged with a smile and Click! the first photo of a beautiful friendship was taken.
The ladies were still at the table five minutes later and were exchanging phone numbers when a server brought in a platter of four pastries.
"Ma'am, the guy who took your photo ordered these for all of you." the server said with a smile.
"Ooooooh" Veera exclaimed in delight. There was even a note beside the pastry. The note simply read - "May your birthday be as lovely as all of you beautiful ladies!"
The ladies squealed in delight and took in the pastries, each one basking in the happiness of the moment. The happiness that a new friendship brings in!
(The Forties Club will be featuring on Fridays - duh, because that is when they meet! There will be some soulful introspection, some laughter, some regrets and loads of friendship, affection and care! Do not forget to check my column on Fridays! If you liked this blog, please do follow me on Momspresso and do share the blog with those who might be interested!)
Comments
Post a Comment