76/100. “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.” ~ Toni Morrison

Sorba is a friend of my mind and the sister of my heart. To know Sorba is to be enchanted by her and then to be awed by her sheer strength. But for me, Sorba long ago ceased to be anything in particular, she just is an indelible part of my life and my heart.

This year, her birthday coincided with Diwali – a holiday. So, we met and went my mom’s place for a simple birthday lunch and some relaxed time with the family.

Our six hours together that day were spent in laughing at our older selves who just could NOT manage a decent selfie. We then decided to test my newly-learnt skill of taking a selfie in the mirror. As we looked at ourselves, we collapsed into giggles again. At the contrast between what we used to see twenty years back when we took that last look at the mirror before going out and what we saw now.

Strands of silver, wrinkled brows, laugh lines, cheeks less able to defy gravity. But eyes wiser. And yet with that bond between us just older and stronger, not worn away with years of use.

Here we are. Sorba in her birthday saree – a gift from her sunny – a white and fuchsia crepe with an embossed design of flowers. And me in an old maroon and darker maroon Coimbatore cotton saree with the characteristic, wide horizontal stripes and a zari border.

I know we look silly. And these are definitely not our best photographs. But, what better testimony to an old friendship than silly, not-our-best photographs?? ?