26th August

Completed morning program.I was born today. Hope to do Vipassana meditation in the 74th year more regularly. Attended a get-together of children and grandchildren in a restaurant at Gurgaon.They gave me useful gifts. Silku brought a beautiful egg-less cake with words on top of it "Happy Birthday ". Since Silku's birthday falls tomorrow, we cut the cake jointly. I was impressed with the restaurant staff as they put out the light when we were cutting the cake. The two little candles flooded the darkness of not-a-two big Chinese restaurant, opened and managed by a Chinese born and living in Kolkata. It was full with customers. They looked amused with the onset of darkness all of a sudden with two little candles doing their best to lighten the environment. Each of children and grand children fed me & Silku with a piece of cake. So did I. There was singing of "Happy Birthday to you", twice, once for me and another time for Silku. Akshat's birthday falls on 15th September. I asked him to let me know the gift we should give him on the day. He gave an innocent and disarming smile. I am sure he was thinking about it, but could not makeup his mind. I will ask him after a few days. Khyati's birthday is on 10th October. Venita's birthday follows a day after. If both of them agree we could celebrate the two together as I celebrated my birthday today along with Silku, whose birthday follows a day later. Ritsy asked about our next visit outside Delhi. I told her that we were to go to Fatehpur for 10 days during Diwali holidays and thereafter to the 12th Jyotirling near Ranchi during X-mas holidays. Venita has already visited eleven Jyotirlings. The Jyotirlings are located at places where Lord Shiva appeared on the callings of his devotees.
Neha discussed the matter relating to extraction of Akshat's milk tooth for dental stem cell bank.

After the lunch we went to Silku's house and spent sometime with Aleynah, who could not come as she is too young. We took her to a nearby mall where she bought a few things of her choice. Silku took us to his flat in a nearby place where we met Mr.Mundre, his father-in-law. He was busy in finding out the cause of corrosion/erosion of the metro airport railway track. He is a recognized authority on railway track technology all over the world.
We were delighted to know that under 19 Cricket brigade won the World cup final in Australia. Earlier they beat Pakistan in the Quarter finals and later New Zealand in Semifinals. We also watched on the TV in the restaurant India beating New Zealand in the first test match at Hyderabad with an Innings and 119 runs today.
Retired to sleep at 11pm.