My dear 'M',
I like surprises. And I love giving them as well. The sheer joy of surprising someone, which either scares/delights them, is a wonderful feeling. For me, it means whole lot of planning, determination, efficiency, co-ordination and will (to safe-guard the secret till the moment) !
I like surprises. And I love giving them as well. The sheer joy of surprising someone, which either scares/delights them, is a wonderful feeling. For me, it means whole lot of planning, determination, efficiency, co-ordination and will (to safe-guard the secret till the moment) !
End results - The surprised person is happy, confused, excited and very importantly, relieved. :-p
Last week, I planned a surprise for you. And I want to confess, it was executed very much like an actual crime. :-D Let me now give you an inside peek of this crime.
Mission : 'M'
Aim : Surprise 'M' on his birthday
Partners in crime : A group of closely-picked individuals
Time-frame : 15 days
It all started in the last week of December 2011, before New Years', when we were on the road trip returning from New York. When you were off on one of your restroom breaks, I announced to the Fast Friends gang, that your birthday is around the corner and that I wanted to plan a surprise. They were all game for it.
Visually, I had images of how I wanted it to turn out. But practically, it was a milestone yet to be achieved.
1. Choosing the guest list - First and foremost, we needed the partners in crime. It had to be a wise group of people who were perfect in execution. Enter the "cast" :-)
- "Mrs. Hyper" and "Mr. Cool" - Being the true experts in party planning and decoration, there was no way I could manage this surprise on my own. They took care of the complete makeover of the party room. It was an easy transformation from a boring room to a decorated birthday arena. During all the pandemonium, their son, the sweet lil "Mickey Mouse" was more than just helpful in everything.
- "Mrs. Juliet" and "Mr. Romeo" - I am a complete dunce when it comes to buying gadgets or guitars. My initial budget, shamelessly set at a measly $25, wouldn't have been enough to purchase a branded formal shirt, never mind a branded watch. It was definitely going to be the cheapest gift a wife could have got her husband, until this lovely couple suggested - "Why don't you gift him a guitar, he is willing to learn since forever or a reading tablet since he reads a lot?" I wonder who should actually be your wife. Me or them? :-D Anyways, their swell idea made me re-think my budget. After all, It had to be a birthday you remember for years.
- "Mrs. Wrapper" and "Mr. Store-keeper" - Because they stay less than 25 feet away from our apartment and considering the fact that you know every nook of our home, could I think of a better option to store all the party stuff? While Mr. Store-keeper booked & paid online for your birthday present, Mrs. Wrapper took utmost care to innovatively gift-wrap it.
- "Mr. Anna" - The experienced criminal of the lot, his expertise helped me to choose the most important area - dining restaurant for the evening. He also saved me a run by picking up the cake on the D-day.
- "Miss. Madam ji" - The co-ordinator of the crime. She was the most enthused partner in the entire crime and enjoyed every aspect.
- "Mr. Escalator" - If there was 1 person who knew about your professional area of work and could scare you with technical project issues and major escalation surprises on the day of the birthday, it could only be your team member. :-)
- "Mr. Jersey bro" - Last but not the least, strict instructions were passed onto your brother and gang to not wish you on the D-Day. Sweety, no matter how bad you felt when your brother didn't wish you at 12 AM, always remember - family never forget birthdays. :-) Nevertheless, the prank which made you think otherwise, was strike-on. :-D
2. Shopping - In India, I could wander off anywhere, after office hours if I needed to purchase a gift for you. But here in US, even if I were to go to the local library, you knew I would never go alone. In order to get some time away from you, the gals of the gang created a perfect scenario so that you would believe it - "Girls' shopping day out" :-P This must have been the only time in the history of shopping, when 3 girls got together and avoided Macy's, Victoria Secrets, Zara and the likes to do serious party-shopping :-D And to justify our shopping to you, I entered an accessory shop to pick up 3 earrings each for $1. So honey, next time a girl tells you she got only 3 tiny earrings after a whole day of shopping ..... Don't believe her ! :-D
3. D-Day - When we retired for the day after speaking to our loved ones at home at 1 AM, you easily drifted into a long slumber. On the other hand, I was sleepless and kept waking up to check the time and ponder if things would go the way it was planned.
At 10.30 AM, when Mr. Store-keeper secretly placed the gift bag outside our home, knocked and ran away, you followed behind to check who left the mysterious bag. The way you stepped out of the house, on the (-2 deg celsius) snowy morning bare-foot was a sight not to be missed :-D
3 PM was the decided time when everyone was supposed to sneak into the house to setup the place. So when at 3.15 PM, you were so caught up watching the online movie and wouldn't budge from the couch, your wife had to convince you with medical c**p :-) "Let's go to the temple now. Look at the weather outside. It is so sunny. I need to go out right now to soak the afternoon sun. I need my Vitamin D." ;-D
At 5 PM, when the gang back home was not done decorating the place, I took you to the Starbucks shop near our home, to while away the time. Just a mind teaser - Do you really think I enjoy the expensive cuppa coffee at the mall, when I can make steaming hot chai in my cosy home and sip it sitting in the warmth of my couch? :-)
I deliberately took you to the same music shop from where I had purchased your guitar. While you were fascinated by the enormous selection of acoustic and electric guitars it had to offer, I was walking away from you to sms the gang to know the status at home.
The hardest moment was to keep a straight face at 6 PM, when Mr. Escalator called and informed you about a huge project escalation email from the client on a "weekend". He triggered the urge in you to go home ASAP and check out the email. You stood there all tensed and frozen and I ... well, I was laughing in a weird manner. Hee hee ;-p
As we left the mall, I smsed the group to be ready. When we climbed the stairs to our apartment, my heart was pounding in my neck ! When I snatched the house keys from you and pretended to open the main door (even though the lock was left open ;-p), I knew this is the moment. You wouldn't switch on the lights. So I obliged. And then - "SURPRISE !!!" :-)
You were left gaping at the group of strangers who stood in our hall with eye masks. At first, you thought they were thieves but honey, in that case, your wife should have been screaming with fear not with happiness. :-D
You finally understood the events of the day and were relieved to hear there was no escalation in the project. :-) The sumptuous dinner feast ruled the evening. The last surprise of the day was the most dynamic one. The guitar was gift-wrapped and hidden in Mr. Cool's car trunk. At the restaurant, just before dessert, Mr. Anna and Mr. Cool took supposed "restroom breaks" to hand it to the concierge desk lady. She walked over to our table with the guitar and presented it to you. I can vouch the look on your face, at that moment, was worth a million-dollar !
You enjoyed the birthday and I enjoyed planning it for you. I have now realized that you were not the least bit suspicious of me even when the occasional blunders took place in the last 15 days. :-p Wishing you many many more years of surprises ...
You are truly a Life Partner ! :o)
Love,
GR
Disclaimer : The author doesn't take responsibility for the above nicknames as they were provided by the birthday boy, himself ! :-)
Visually, I had images of how I wanted it to turn out. But practically, it was a milestone yet to be achieved.
1. Choosing the guest list - First and foremost, we needed the partners in crime. It had to be a wise group of people who were perfect in execution. Enter the "cast" :-)
- "Mrs. Hyper" and "Mr. Cool" - Being the true experts in party planning and decoration, there was no way I could manage this surprise on my own. They took care of the complete makeover of the party room. It was an easy transformation from a boring room to a decorated birthday arena. During all the pandemonium, their son, the sweet lil "Mickey Mouse" was more than just helpful in everything.
- "Mrs. Juliet" and "Mr. Romeo" - I am a complete dunce when it comes to buying gadgets or guitars. My initial budget, shamelessly set at a measly $25, wouldn't have been enough to purchase a branded formal shirt, never mind a branded watch. It was definitely going to be the cheapest gift a wife could have got her husband, until this lovely couple suggested - "Why don't you gift him a guitar, he is willing to learn since forever or a reading tablet since he reads a lot?" I wonder who should actually be your wife. Me or them? :-D Anyways, their swell idea made me re-think my budget. After all, It had to be a birthday you remember for years.
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| Amazon Kindle Fire |
- "Mrs. Wrapper" and "Mr. Store-keeper" - Because they stay less than 25 feet away from our apartment and considering the fact that you know every nook of our home, could I think of a better option to store all the party stuff? While Mr. Store-keeper booked & paid online for your birthday present, Mrs. Wrapper took utmost care to innovatively gift-wrap it.
- "Mr. Anna" - The experienced criminal of the lot, his expertise helped me to choose the most important area - dining restaurant for the evening. He also saved me a run by picking up the cake on the D-day.
- "Miss. Madam ji" - The co-ordinator of the crime. She was the most enthused partner in the entire crime and enjoyed every aspect.
- "Mr. Escalator" - If there was 1 person who knew about your professional area of work and could scare you with technical project issues and major escalation surprises on the day of the birthday, it could only be your team member. :-)
- "Mr. Jersey bro" - Last but not the least, strict instructions were passed onto your brother and gang to not wish you on the D-Day. Sweety, no matter how bad you felt when your brother didn't wish you at 12 AM, always remember - family never forget birthdays. :-) Nevertheless, the prank which made you think otherwise, was strike-on. :-D
 |
| We laugh, We flirt, We Love... |
2. Shopping - In India, I could wander off anywhere, after office hours if I needed to purchase a gift for you. But here in US, even if I were to go to the local library, you knew I would never go alone. In order to get some time away from you, the gals of the gang created a perfect scenario so that you would believe it - "Girls' shopping day out" :-P This must have been the only time in the history of shopping, when 3 girls got together and avoided Macy's, Victoria Secrets, Zara and the likes to do serious party-shopping :-D And to justify our shopping to you, I entered an accessory shop to pick up 3 earrings each for $1. So honey, next time a girl tells you she got only 3 tiny earrings after a whole day of shopping ..... Don't believe her ! :-D
3. D-Day - When we retired for the day after speaking to our loved ones at home at 1 AM, you easily drifted into a long slumber. On the other hand, I was sleepless and kept waking up to check the time and ponder if things would go the way it was planned.
 |
| The first birthday gift :-) |
At 10.30 AM, when Mr. Store-keeper secretly placed the gift bag outside our home, knocked and ran away, you followed behind to check who left the mysterious bag. The way you stepped out of the house, on the (-2 deg celsius) snowy morning bare-foot was a sight not to be missed :-D
3 PM was the decided time when everyone was supposed to sneak into the house to setup the place. So when at 3.15 PM, you were so caught up watching the online movie and wouldn't budge from the couch, your wife had to convince you with medical c**p :-) "Let's go to the temple now. Look at the weather outside. It is so sunny. I need to go out right now to soak the afternoon sun. I need my Vitamin D." ;-D
At 5 PM, when the gang back home was not done decorating the place, I took you to the Starbucks shop near our home, to while away the time. Just a mind teaser - Do you really think I enjoy the expensive cuppa coffee at the mall, when I can make steaming hot chai in my cosy home and sip it sitting in the warmth of my couch? :-)
I deliberately took you to the same music shop from where I had purchased your guitar. While you were fascinated by the enormous selection of acoustic and electric guitars it had to offer, I was walking away from you to sms the gang to know the status at home.
The hardest moment was to keep a straight face at 6 PM, when Mr. Escalator called and informed you about a huge project escalation email from the client on a "weekend". He triggered the urge in you to go home ASAP and check out the email. You stood there all tensed and frozen and I ... well, I was laughing in a weird manner. Hee hee ;-p
As we left the mall, I smsed the group to be ready. When we climbed the stairs to our apartment, my heart was pounding in my neck ! When I snatched the house keys from you and pretended to open the main door (even though the lock was left open ;-p), I knew this is the moment. You wouldn't switch on the lights. So I obliged. And then - "SURPRISE !!!" :-)
You were left gaping at the group of strangers who stood in our hall with eye masks. At first, you thought they were thieves but honey, in that case, your wife should have been screaming with fear not with happiness. :-D
You finally understood the events of the day and were relieved to hear there was no escalation in the project. :-) The sumptuous dinner feast ruled the evening. The last surprise of the day was the most dynamic one. The guitar was gift-wrapped and hidden in Mr. Cool's car trunk. At the restaurant, just before dessert, Mr. Anna and Mr. Cool took supposed "restroom breaks" to hand it to the concierge desk lady. She walked over to our table with the guitar and presented it to you. I can vouch the look on your face, at that moment, was worth a million-dollar !
 |
| Happy Birthday LP ! |
You enjoyed the birthday and I enjoyed planning it for you. I have now realized that you were not the least bit suspicious of me even when the occasional blunders took place in the last 15 days. :-p Wishing you many many more years of surprises ...
You are truly a Life Partner ! :o)
Love,
GR
Disclaimer : The author doesn't take responsibility for the above nicknames as they were provided by the birthday boy, himself ! :-)
Awesome planning !! I hope M had a great time on his birthday !!
ReplyDeleteG, you should take up serious writing :)
M, Happy birthday once again !!
Nicely written....I could feel each and every scene going in front of my eyes while going through each sentence...though I was not a part of it!!!!
ReplyDeleteSplendid! Loved reading it. Also, the disclaimer :D
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteThis was so much fun to read :) Loved the names too !
ReplyDeleteThanks Gauri :)
Delete