Drun's Diary

My Golden Birthday: A Day Worth Keeping Forever

2025-12-07T16:33:00.001-06:00

Love is all around me,
Wrapped in moments soft and true.
A day filled with gentle magic,
And hearts that always pull me through.

So much planning and preparation by L & R,

Quietly making every detail shine.

From the little surprises to the big warm gestures,

Their love was the sweetest design.

Ammi coordinated all the birthday videos,

L stitching every message with so much care.

Each smile, each wish, each familiar face

Love was present everywhere.

Birthday videos from my loved ones,

Memories flowing across distance and time.

And that fun, clever quiz by Va,

Proof of how deeply they know me and that heart of mine.

The espresso cake that stole the spotlight,

Perfect dinner, champagne, and wine.

Every bite, every toast, every moment,

A memory sealed in time.

The day felt complete with V, Va, Rett,

Ach, and Anj by my side.

U & Ra even while far

Made every moment amplified.

To my dear friends who are always there,
Year after year, day after day, without fail or miss.
Your love and thoughts make every birthday bright,
Adding warmth, laughter, and endless bliss.

Good food, good vibes, and all the fun,

A perfect day from start to end.

Another year, another blessing,

Held together by love, life, family and friends.

To the One Who Gave Me My Name

2025-08-02T21:34:00.002-05:00

Not everyone who passes through our lives leaves a mark.

But you, PD? You didn’t just leave one - you named one.

It started back in the mid-90s in Park Sheraton, Chennai. The chaos of youth, the laughter of friendship, the unmistakable thump of a Royal Enfield Bullet - and your voice, cutting through it all with a half-sung, half-shouted:

“Adrrrrrun... Adrrrrrrun...”

Every time we rode out, there it was - that signature call as you fired up your Bullet. What started as a silly sound between friends slowly became Drun. And somehow, Drun became me.

A nickname so sticky, so natural, it outgrew the original.

A name my closest friends call me.

A name my family knows.

A name even I respond to more than my own.

Some names are chosen. Some are earned.

But the best ones? They’re gifted - wrapped in laughter, memory, and time.

Drun wasn’t just a sound.

It was a moment. A bond. A spark.

Maybe it was something you saw in me.

Or maybe it was just something that made you laugh.

Either way, you let it live - and in doing so, gave me an identity that’s stayed with me through decades, jobs, travels, and friendships.

Now, as you leave this world too soon, I find myself clinging to that name more than ever.

Because it holds more than just a memory - it holds the thought of you.

You may be gone soon, PD, but Drun lives on.

Loud. Silly. Full of life.

Just like you.

And every time someone asks me, “Why Drun?”, I’ll smile.

With pride. With love.

With a heart full of joy and just a little bit of ache.

Thank you for the name, PD.

Thank you for the good times.

For the wild rides.

For the countless laughs.

Until we meet again… ride free.

Rest in peace, my friend.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM4GBbgMmiC/?igsh=MTZoZXpleW01cnRhZw==

El final del cuarenta!!!

2024-12-06T10:17:00.006-06:00

And that's what mattered again this year :) The ones who never forget will never be forgotten!

PS : How can I not mention the ChatGPT poem with the minutest of details? Snore??? more like Grrrrrr...... 😡😂

The AI infused Birthday :)

2023-12-06T14:33:00.003-06:00

On this day, I'm brimming with joy and a heart full of thanks. To my amazing friends, who never forget and always make my birthday special, I dedicate this post.

The years may fly by, but some friendships remain a constant. The warm wishes, whether penned in heartfelt messages, voiced in heartfelt greetings, or woven into unique poems (thanks to ChatGPT), have painted my day with vibrant colors.

Thank you for taking the time to celebrate with me, even from afar. This year again, my birthday was not just a day, it was a testament to the enduring power of friendship. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

May laughter continue to echo through the years, and friendship blooms with each passing season.

And it’s a wrap…

2022-12-06T18:49:00.000-06:00

A busy day at work interspersed with wishes and laughs.

A good reminder to continue my travels and stop focusing on things that are beyond my control. Here’s to seeing more of this wonderful world!

An evening to remember…

Old is Gold!

2021-12-06T14:28:00.004-06:00

In keeping with the tradition, a day spent connecting with family and friends around the world. Simple truth be told, old truly is gold! It's the folks that I have known for several years & decades that always take the time to reach out and send their good wishes and blessings.

A special callout to Leens for the good wishes & prayer, which made me emotional. That is a voice recording I will save for the rest of my life. Some of the special artwork that were made have made it to my permanent collection.

Love to all the special people in my life. May God bless you with health and happiness always.

Tears are not always bad

2020-12-05T23:28:00.003-06:00

Loads of wishes, conversations, virtual celebrations, food deliveries, gifts, start of a new hobby.... the day was jam packed while in quarantine.

Special people are ones who make you feel special. I am truly blessed to have a few who made the day super enjoyable.

Thanks to everyone who reached out with a hearty wish. Every single wish brightened my day.

As I reminisced the lovely moments of the day, tears were all that was left.

Little else will matter.

2019-12-06T11:48:00.002-06:00

On joy and sorrow

2018-12-06T09:26:00.002-06:00

Amidst the many happy moments through the day, my thoughts were with the ones who braved through a tough time yet, made me feel loved.

Count every blessing everyday. There are many blessings that I am grateful for. Thank you for the love and laughs.

On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

A year wiser

2017-12-06T06:32:00.002-06:00

Some things are hard to write about. After something happens to you, you go to write it down, and either you over dramatize it, or underplay it, exaggerate the wrong parts or ignore the important ones. At any rate, you never write it quite the way you want to. It is beautiful to express love and even more beautiful to feel it.

I’m choosing to leave the words this year because I may not have the eloquence to express my real feelings today.

Thank you for making my day special!

The birthday record

2016-12-06T22:41:00.001-06:00

How beautiful, to find a heart that loves you, without asking you for anything, but to be okay.

- Khalil Gibran

My 5th of Dec was filled with many such hearts :)

The Big One!

2015-12-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

I did not want to break a self created tradition. So here is the birthday blog!

This year has been so incredible in so many ways that I am not going to elaborate. All I can say is I had the best weekend of my life. Everyone who made it this special, I bow to you for loving me unconditionally and for being part of my life. All the songs from the video in which I ‘starred’ are playing in my mind as I write this.

What I did not expect as I got into this weekend is how bummed I would feel on Sunday when the celebrations came to an end. The real celebration was indeed the people who were part of it (both in-person & virtual) and I missed everyone as they began to go back to their lives.

Well, until the next celebration and we all know that we don’t need a reason to celebrate because life is awesome with family and friends around. And….. I got the best bunch of both.

Cheers!!!

For those who make a difference in my life

2014-12-06T16:03:00.001-06:00

It's a day when the dearest of people make me realize how lucky I am to have them as part of my life.

Work engulfed the entire day but the wishes that kept coming made things easy.

I want to log a very special wish that came my way from a business associate, which represents the true meaning of a birthday celebration - "Happy Birthday, Arun! Call your mother first today and thank her..Mom's the one who did all the work to get us in the world....My wife reminded me of that. Hope you have a great day."

I thank my family and friends who always make me feel special and wish me well.

Love is all around me.....

2013-12-06T23:27:00.001-06:00

One more year, a 'surprise' cake cutting, gifts, bunch of wishes. Does it get monotonous? Hell NO.

The true surprise this year was from my colleagues and well wishers in Killeen. A big shout out to Coree, Loia, Chloe and the Amex team. You guys made my week special. How can I forget Jullie for the yummiest cup cakes? Rumz, Vidu, Bebzi, Aileen and Rich for making the evening fun filled and naughty ;) Gotta love technology !

Every call I got was special. Whether it was the Its or the Hoooooooooo or the Nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin, I laughed my guts out or smiled away to glory - Ladybird, Lexus, Doc, CD, RK, Chanda, Markus, Sheebs, Leens, Nils, Tif Taf, Yash. The string of messages on Facebook and chats on Whatsapp, each one I cherish.

The special birthday song from the team, the super cool dance of Chung. What more can one ask for?

It's all of you who make life a lot more meaningful and cheerful. Thank you for making me feel special on my birthday.

Aphrodisiac

2013-05-18T08:42:00.000-05:00

Baked oysters were his answer to reignite the passion between them. Back from work she barely tasted dinner. They made fierce, yet passionate love soon after.

He was surprised that small portions of oysters could create magic. He will never know the real aphrodisiac. She had run into Carl - the one she could never have.

Adversity

2013-04-09T00:52:00.001-05:00

"India is a land of unity,
In all its shades of diversity,
And more so in times of adversity,
But let's keep it till eternity."

The lines my grandfather helped me write for a school project, when I was 10.

Why did it have to be that word that is prominent today?

Falling

2013-02-22T12:14:00.001-06:00

A bookworm in school, a nerd in college, a double doctorate and a professor of Physics - Karan was indeed a loner. He still wonders how Anukta said yes to him.

Since then, his ice-breaker with every new class has been, “You can't blame gravity for falling in love!”. The laughter continues thru the years.

Hundred

2013-02-18T15:35:00.000-06:00

The maroon silk saree, simple yet fine jewelry, a hint of makeup. Anu dazzled like a princess.

The prospective groom & his family arrived. The sweets and savories were served. The dog and pony show ended. Yet again!

Anu was ready to add to her list – the hundredth reason that makes her an unsuitable bride.

Cold

2013-02-06T16:14:00.001-06:00

Stuffy nose and the perpetual sneezing. Samar was sleep deprived. To top that, Sana dint bother checking on him. No calls, just text messages. Something was not right.

"You haven't come to see me, Sweety. All ok?"

"You will hate me if I told you the truth. Just dint want to catch your cold, Baby."

Blind

2013-01-15T12:20:00.001-06:00

Pinkal read that love was blind. She never believed.

She finds her perfect love. Her world suddenly seemed different. Parents disapproving, friends advising, colleagues mocking.

"So what if my love is twice as old?"
"So what if my love is married?"
"So what if my love is a She?"
"It's magical for us."

Miracle or mere sensible engineering???

2012-12-28T21:23:00.001-06:00

Our fun road trip was all good until we were running out of gas. The trip meter showed 40 miles to go and we were sure of finding a gas station on Highway 40. Minutes passed and we watched the meter drop in number but no gas station to be found. We passed 3 stations that sold only diesel. Bad luck??? Maybe, to put it mildly.

The GPS indicated that the closest gas station was 26.9 miles away and our trip meter showed that we had gas only for 12 miles.

Sitting on pins, keeping our fingers crossed, unaware of what was happening on the road, ignoring my favorite Ms. Ghoshal singing for me, all our eyes were on the trip meter and the GPS. The meter got down to 2 miles and we still had a lil over 14 miles to get to our 'power source'.

Moment of truth happened!!! We were down to 'zero' on the meter.

Speeding at 80 mph, our hope was to cover the 14 mile mark.

The laughs and jokes were purely to mask the anxiety. Every mile we covered was a sign of relief. Finally made it into a city and the engine was still running.

The high-fives and hugs ended the drama but then came the awesome thought of, "How much longer would the car have gone if we skipped this gas station???"

Well, we dint want to find the answer :) Call it a miracle or sensible engineering, the experience will be one we will cherish forever.

On a side note, it's hard to believe that there is no gas station for close to 40 miles on such a busy highway.

The fun continues as we get ready to ring in the New Year !

It's a tradition !

2012-12-06T11:51:00.000-06:00

A wonderful birthday filled with great food, laughter, surprises, good wishes and not to forget, hectic work.

I laughed my heart out after a real long time talking about good ole times with dear dear friends. Less said the better about the wonder of technology that aided in connecting with family and friends across the globe.

As I write this, a bunch of sweet messages pass thru my mind. Every single one has been special in its own way.

The day started with this song playing in my car as I drove to work. What an awesome way to cherish the journey of life :)

"Thodi Si Meethi Hai
Zara Si Mirchi Hai
Sau Gram Zindagi Yeh
Sambhaal Ke Kharchi Hai"

Thank you all for making this day so special and memorable.

There comes a time in your life....

2012-08-11T20:41:00.001-05:00

Loved this and wanted to share.

“There comes a time in your life,
when you walk away from all the drama
and people who create it.
You surround yourself with people
who make you laugh.
Forget the bad, and focus on the good.
Love the people who treat you right,
pray for the ones who don’t.
Life is too short to be anything but happy.
Falling down is a part of life,
getting back up is living.”

Pure

2012-07-24T09:34:00.001-05:00

Their first date. She dressed simple. Her natural beauty was captivating. Those big eyes, supple lips, glowing skin and silky hair. They held hands. It was magic. The breeze blew her hair over his face. "Your hair smells so good", he said. With a cute smile she replied, "It's Parachute - 100% pure coconut oil".

Supernatural

2012-07-22T09:51:00.001-05:00

She could foresee people's future. With an impressively large client list and a jam packed calendar, her predictions were much spoken about.

When her close friends ask about how she didn't predict her own messy life, her reply always was, "You can't be right about everything, everytime. You've got to leave certain things to fate!"