Treats, and meeting new people

9th March. Big sis's birthday.

Few minutes to midnight, my tummy goes all funny. I shout a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDU!!!!" from the washroom mins after her phone started ringing with wishes. Sigh.

But hey, it wasn't over yet. After I came out, gave her a gigantic hug, and she vanished into the loo (okay, what was happening? o.O), I locked her from the outside (BWAHAHAHAH) and got down to work. 

I hadn't planned anything but I just knew what I had to do. After debating over some options in my head, anyway.

15 days before the big day, I ordered the gifts. 10 days to go - they arrived, after checking the contents I wrapped the packages thickly in newspaper and hid them in odd camouflage-ish places. 8 days to go - bought gift-wrapping paper IN FRONT OF HER. 5 days to go - gift-wrap over newspaper-wrap then again a layer of newspaper-wrap (quite particular, ain't I?) and hid them in a bag under a heap of clothes. Heh. I also started working on a collage thingy with colour paper and cut-outs but haven't finished it yet. Grr.

I had less than 5 mins to arrange the unplanned. Took out the gifts from their hiding place. Ripped off the newspaper. The red gift-wrap looked rather crumply, maybe due to the cardboard-then-newspaper wrappings under it? It wasn't prominent, so, mehh.

Piled them nicely on the bed near new laptop, 'cause new stuff demand attention, don't they? And brought out the blueberry cake out of the fridge. Rushing around and about, candles - check, cake - check, gifts in place - check, matches - yup, and then -- OMG just remembered sis found some old and colourful fairy lights earlier! Grabbed 'em, coiled 'em around the little arrangement, turned off the lights, turned on the fairy lights, and TADA! It's amazing how doing these little things can give you so much joy.

When I unlocked the washroom door, she stepped out with a curious and grinning face.
Me: Close your eyes!!

Sis: O..kay

Me: DON'T OPEN YOUR EYES *glances quickly around the room, everything in place, ushers her in* 

Sis: Now?

Me:  Now.

Sis: ... *speechless*

Me: *smiling wide*

Mum: *smiling appreciatively*

Sis: WOW. This is so unexpected! Omg. 

I simply LOVED her shocked-and-surprised look. I wanted to do something special, but couldn't, so I did what I could to make her feel special. I don't know if I succeeded but her happiness made it evident that I did. Kinda. 

After the cake-cutting-ritual, and lemme tell you - the cake was DELICIOUS, it was time to open the gifts. I suggested her to unwrap the thinnest of the three packages, 'cause it was the book she was expecting, aaaand - TADA. Friends Forever by Danielle Steel. Haha, she did a "THIS BOOK!!" in this kiddish wide-eyed way, it was so cute. Heh.

The second one - It looked like a shoe-box, but lighter, out came a clutch bag. Me - "You mentioned you wanted a clutch but it was a week after I ordered it, bwahahah." Sis: "Wow. This is beautiful!" then she realized there's something else in the box - a metallic green wristlet! My gods, she LOVED it. Went all "THIS IS SO PRETTY" and I'm like "Remember once you opened the Zovi site and were about to view a green bag thingy but I closed it saying I needed to check something? I had ordered it an hour before that."
She: "I didn't notice it properly back then, but this is so lovely!"
Third one - Sis: "... more books?" and tada! More books. She let out a li'l squeal. Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer and Legacy by Danielle Steel, yay! Her most fave authors. :) 

Her expression was priceless. And I knew she was content, with whatever little I could do for her.

Oh, and – since I said I’ll pay for the Best Kept Secret which we had pre-ordered long ago and was received that day, she categorized it under “gifts from baby sister”. :)

An hour or so after that, she went to sleep, and I proceeded to write the “Surprise, surprise!” post. All that happened earlier that day.

Went to sleep, woke up few hours later, went to a restaurant with sis and her friends (who I had only seen pics of, never met) for a li'l celebration. She cut the yummiest pineapple cake ever. We had loadsa fun. Her friends - Monisha di, and Soma.
I forgot to tell them they're prettier in real life. :P

Lots of butterflies,
SFF ^-^ <3

Surprise, surprise!

8th March. What a day. 

It's the day before sis's birthday, and stuff happens. (If only I knew that starting a blog makes things happen.)
First, I had just woken up and TADA. Our new laptop arrived. It was unexpected (for me) and excited me quite a bit. Ever since the home desktop went down, sis and I had to share her laptop. But now I can do all my writing independently, woooo <3
Then, bam. The book sis and I had been waiting for was delivered.  I mean, we pre-ordered it months ago, it was released yesterday, and today we receive it? Wow. Amazing right?
The book - Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer. It's book #3 in the Clifton Chronicles, and damn, what a series.
Sis: "OMG"
Me: "OMG"
Both of us together: OMG *high five!*

Could it get any better? I wondered. But hell, it did. Freakin' highlight of the day.
Soumya called, and it was like this - She sent me a parcel but the courier people were having problem delivering it to our address, even though it's the one we use for everything. I call and mail the local branch of the courier service but to no avail.
Me: What could it possibly be? *think think think*

Two hours later it was delivered and OMG LET ME LOSE MY SENSES FOR A BIT, ASDFGHJKL.
They were the best gifts ever.
In that precise moment I knew what my second post was gonna be.
What made me utterly speechless was when I started reading her lovely card, it mentioned Nikhil's gift. I pause, try to focus on the contents of the package, and BOOM. That pretty handmade Egyptian box was ACTUALLY FROM MY MIRROR BUDDEH. WHUUUT. Dang. It all made sense. Weeks ago Nikki told me he made an Egyptian box, when asked to show a pic, he said "It's not with me", it puzzled me back then, but now - perfect sense. They plotted it together. Haha, I feel like throwing my head back and laughing my heart out. It made me just so happy, I can't even express it.

Those desolate friendless years rushed back to me in a flash, and I'm so so SO grateful to God, or whoever handles this stuff, for blessing my life with such wonderful friends. Truly. Loneliness can drive you mad and to the brink of darkness, while friends can drive you crazy and to the brink of wild rides. Always prefer the latter, hmm?
I should dedicate a post entirely to my friends... Hmmm... But I'm afraid I won't shut up and will probably end up writing a book or two about them. Heh.

Soumee's Ravenclaw plushie is so cuuute OMG. Imma make a Ravenclaw tie for it, hehe. Totes lurve the neon glow-in-the-dark nail paint. Her handwriting is muah. :* <3 And Nikki's anklets and feathers are so pretty! The little confession he made later cracked me up. His friend was gonna tell me about their plans on Facebook, so Nikki made something up and I blocked his friend. You are one cute crabby, Meow. :P
Imma use the feathers as special bookmarks for my special books. Just because <333

I felt so loved when Kd told me he, Ayse, and Joe were also a part of the plan. Overwhelming, really.
Damn the Indian postal service, though. I didn't receive Joe's letter or Ayse's New Year card. Sigh. Anyway, I loved everything that happened today. I don't think anyone will be able to fathom just how much these things mean to me.
There were some little things with little bursts of happiness but that's for another post. Until then, see ya.

Oh, and - While typing the the friendship related part above, this crossed my mind, although I have my contradicted beliefs and am not exactly religious but spiritual in a weird sort of way, like I'd rather pray to the moon or night or mother nature instead of idols, but this hereafter shall be my prayer. For I mean it from the core of my heart.

Gods of the moon and night, I pray to thee,
I thank thee for saving me,
From nightly predators I could not see.
For sending me angels in disguise,
From hellish fire, helping me rise,
For listening and responding to my cries.

Gotta gooo, sleep and wake up early if possible! Sis's birthday, stuff to do and celebrate and write about!  It's 4 am already, dang.
Lots of confetti,
SFF <3

P.S: Dadda's gonna like the prayer verses, teehee.
P.P.S: For someone who has always been the pony of surprises, getting a surprise means the world to me. They're my precious.