Happy birthday Madhu Paiya!

That is how my mother calls him lovingly ( sometimes!)...and it has stuck on! It's my darling brother's birthday today...this year is really special coz he is also getting married this year...and I am just counting the days to go to India and enjoy the celebrations, food, fun, laughter and cherish all the good memories I am going to savour for the rest of my life...I have looked forward to his getting married for a long time now...and I think I am more excited than he is! :D

We are very close to each other, and when he got engaged, I decided to go surprise him in India (though the decision to go was really last-minute)! S insisted that I go and I am really glad I did...I want to be there for him for all the important events in his life, just like he has always been there for me...

I remember when we were in school, and as both parents were working, they trusted him to bring me home safely ( though he was a lil kid himself!) ...and gave him specific instructions and to never let go of my hand...ever! :) He took it upon himself to literally never let go of my hand and even if I wanted to itch, I wasn't allowed to! :)

We were in the same school and I would run to him for EVERYTHING! If I forgot the vegetables for lunch, my skirt came off, my ponytail came off....god! I was such a pain in the ass...and when I think about it now, he was a teenager stuck with a little girl and it embarrassed him too...there are so many such incidents that come to mind....and I must admit I thought he was very bossy sometimes and hated him(sometimes!) while growing up...but he was always wonderful, very protective of me....and I always turn to him for everything next to my parents! ...or we plot together to escape my parent's wrath! We look out for each other... In fact, S often tells me that I spoke ONLY about Madhu when we first met! ...I am glad they get along very well now and they gang up on me and tease me about things....I am very happy that they are good friends now and it is very important to me.

We don't talk to each other every single day but often find ways to communicate every other way - be it offline messages, the photoblog, facebook, skype calls on weekends....and I am updated about everything and everyone all the time! I feel like I am never away from him....in that sense! :) He has a great sense of humour and keeps me updated about all the wonderful things I miss about India, Chennai - movies, music, good eat outs, gossip, fun stuff - I catch up with everything as and when I can!

So dear Madhu Paiya, here's wishing you a wonderful year ahead filled with loads of love, happiness, success and good health. You are the most wonderful brother I could have ever had...and I am so glad I have a sibling like you! :)