My three besties and I had sleepovers for our birthdays from the age of 10 to 21 years. These happened four times a year and were the highlight of our social life. There was no dressing up or make-up involved.In fact the real party began only after the parents went to bed and we changed into pajamas. We giggled late into the night, and sometimes slept outdoors on the terrace or lawn. In junior school, the conversations would drift between the math teacher, the nuns at school and colony gossip.In high school and college, we spoke in whispers pf crushes. I listened with envy to stories of college canteen and festivals, while I told of the boredom of medical college. Our homes offered no entertainment other than a delicious long night with nowhere to go and nothing to do. They were where we slow cooked our friendship.