Ayesha's Birthday Eve

Ayesha was going to complete her 11 years of living, that summer. After much discourse, her mother had decided to take her to Darjeeling during her vacations. She was thrilled. The fact that she could celebrate her birthday in a different corner of the world every year was exciting, though secretly she still wished she would have been born during a working month to be able to celebrate with her friends and classmates. She always envied the other girls, they got to wear pretty dresses to school, they were the center of attraction the entire day and the others were all obligingly sweet to them- only in hope for that one extra KitKat. It was the new trend in her school. The birthday baby got 5 extra chocolates to school, which she would give to her 5 special friends in the break time, after the chocolate-distribution-ceremony held in the class. The rule was, if you have been given an extra chocolate by someone, you are well supposed to be giving your special chocolate back to her on your birthday. And well, everybody knew Ayesha's birthday was during summer vacations. The result was that she never really was treated with someone's special chocolate.

Sanjani's own celebration

Photo Courtsey- Doug McIlroy

Diwali is a festival of lights, of hope, of life, of togetherness. A national holiday is proclaimed not for no reason. Amidst all the blare and the buzz of the crackers bursting in the country outside her window, Sanjani managed a sneak into her pursuits. 

She could be helping her mother prepare for the big Pooja , or cheering her younger siblings while they lit their bottle rockets and fire flowers. But she had an escape planned to the place where her dreams looked real. 

She retired NOT because she wanted to escape, but because she had tried before and our world had failed to amuse her.

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Another lovely photo prompt from Friday Fictioners. How we love writing for these prompts, Rochelle.