The celebration at JA/1.

J A/1 , a national integration camp of 1980s. It housed 6 different families of six different origins- Kannadigas, Bengali, Christians, Marwadi, Keralites and Tamilians.
I assume the housing authorities had an aim and objective to create a wild exposure, wide avenue with most diverse people put together to evince the spirit of communal harmony, brotherhood and courage. It was more of a challenge which all these families happily took up and succeeded in accomplishing (at least most of the time …. )

My 10th birthday was supposed to be a polite and passing off event in my life. It was the time when my family was mourning my Uncle’s accidental death in a car accident. Uncle whom I had never seen but had to sympathize conjointly with my family. The same day happened to be anniversary of Jyothi aunty and her beloved husband. Was glad that would be taking part in some form of celebration. The kids of the block got together for preparation meeting of their mega-wedding anniversary party and were scouted by Jyothi aunty herself, a second mother to every kid in the block. Tasks were chalked out and roles and responsibilities for the event were open to which kids voluntarily accepted. I the youngest had no major say in it and was pushed into bakery section. Other roles were shopping, entertainment and general cooking.

Never I thought baking would be so exciting, ‘thought-provoking’ and calculative. 1 ½ cup of all purpose flour, ½ cup of butter and 2 eggs required a beating for 30 minutes. All in the group were excited about the beating activity and we took our turns. I was the last and I new that I had to excel in it and show the youths of my generation who is the BEATER. I use beat it slow, beat it fast.. and then with constant pace… I even showed them how to turn the bowl upside down and if we continue to supply the right centrifugal force, the thing won’t fall … Man I was good with physics in my early days.. And then it happened, the speed bump… the whole flour collapsed and now was on floor.. My only crime, replaced the ‘u’ with an ‘o’. Enraged bulls with a raging thirst to suck the BEATER’s blood were left open in the field. I asked for sympathy and reminded them that besides the wedding alleluia a boy in your vicinity was turning 10 good old years. We also came up with brilliant idea to escape punishment … “The eggs were rotten!!!”
Not ready to go through the messy process again, I backed off and became a silent observer. Not as silent as I kept telling them that I would have been an adept with entertainment or general cooking or any other thing but baking. Couple of hours later the cake had taken a Mickey Mouse shape and was steaming out of the oven and it smelled really good. I wondered if a heart shape cake would sound more relevant to the occasion. After the think icing along with happy anniversary carved on it, the cake took a real good shape.
Meanwhile other groups had also faired well in their roles without any hiccups and the stage was set for a wonderful evening for celebration.. At 8 in the evening all members of JA/1 forgathered in Jyothi aunt’s house. Parents were baffled and curious to know what was happening and why their children went missing the whole day. Lights went out and the cake with exactly 10 candles and some rework with icing now read – “ Happy Birthday - dearest Munna”, awaited me to blow the candles and make a wish. With little moisture in my eyes, I wished the unseen but deeply felt bond of JA/1, last FOREVER!!