Ageing is a slow and steady process. Joints get stiffer, naps get longer, and the TV volume gets suspiciously louder. Yet, what defies this gradual surrender to time is the irrepressible spirit of ageing Indian parents and their ever-enthusiastic gang of old friends. While their bodies may have taken a few hits over the years, their energy, camaraderie, and zest for life remain largely untouched — or, at the very least, amusingly defiant.

In many Indian families, there’s a group of “uncles” and “aunties” who’ve been friends since college days, office postings in the ’80s, or the first neighbourhood colony they moved into after marriage. Some friendships began during railway journeys or over shared samosas at college functions. Regardless of how they came together, these groups now function like extended families — ones that argue over politics, send each other garbled WhatsApp forwards, and still pose for group photos like they’re starring in a pensioner’s edition of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Even in their sixties, this tribe of spirited elders refuses to quietly blend into the background. Retirement might have freed them from office politics and daily deadlines, but it certainly hasn’t slowed them down socially. They now have more time to do what they love — which includes everything from classic chai-adda sessions and the occasional pub-hopping spree to full-blown Europe trips, where someone will inevitably attempt the hook step to “London Thumakda” with a creaky but determined knee.

What makes this gang truly unstoppable is their unapologetic, glorious disregard for fashion rules, social norms, and occasionally, basic physics. At this stage of life, they’re not trying to impress anyone — not their neighbours, not their cholesterol levels, and not even their own wobbly knees. Their style is a masterclass in “I'll wear what I want,” where comfort meets chaos in the most iconic way possible. Think track pants tucked into leather sandals, cowboy hats worn with starched khadi kurtas, and enough colourful scarves to start a small boutique. Transition lenses that darken at the most inconvenient times, sling bags overflowing with homoeopathic pills, cardamom pods, and at least one spare sock — all proudly part of their aesthetic. And let’s not forget their ultimate weapon: the multi-purpose shawl, flung dramatically over the head at the slightest breeze, as if possessed by a magical power to repel everything from viral fevers to negative energy and nosy relatives. The best part is they wear it all like runway models — fully fabulous. These legends walk (slowly, but with flair) to the beat of their own tabla and, in doing so, remind everyone around them that style has no age limit and grace only grows stronger with time.

Health, of course, features prominently in conversation. Any gathering begins with cheerful greetings and swiftly transitions into updates about blood pressure, cholesterol, or who got what test done at which diagnostic centre. Everyone has a doctor recommendation, and the competition over whose surgery was most successful is surprisingly intense. Yet, despite the litany of ailments, the laughter never stops. Jokes about back pain, memory loss, and calcium supplements are flung around with the confidence of stand-up comics — because when you’ve lived through ration queues, 56 kbps internet, and three rounds of demonetisation debates at dinners, a little arthritis seems manageable.

This is also a generation that’s not afraid of travel anymore. With the kids now grown up and more or less out of the house, and EMI burdens behind them, many ageing parents are enthusiastically ticking off destinations from their bucket lists. Whether it’s a trip to Rameswaram, a cruise in the Kerala backwaters, or even a European group tour with other retired friends, they’re ready. Luggage is packed days in advance, medications are colour-coded and ziplocked, and someone always brings homemade parathas — “just in case”.

Technology remains a sore spot, though they’re trying. There’s a constant struggle between wanting to be independent and needing assistance with every other app. Most of them now own smartphones, but navigating them is still an unpredictable journey. Video calls usually involve a close-up of someone's forehead or ceiling fan, while voice notes are accidentally sent in group chats meant for school alumni. However, their determination to stay in the loop is oddly touching — whether it’s learning to scan a QR code at a café or attempting to post their temple visit photos on Facebook.

Their resilience is perhaps most visible in how they deal with change. They’ve adapted to a world that shifted from landlines to smartphones, from family photo albums to cloud storage, and from handwritten letters to endless emojis. They may not understand everything, but they’ve accepted that the world moves on — and they’ve chosen to move with it, albeit at their own pace and occasionally in the wrong direction.

But if there’s one undeniable truth about these ageing parents and their friend groups, it’s that they’ve become masters of celebration. Whether it’s a 60th birthday, a new grandchild, or even someone’s retirement, it’s treated like a national holiday. They take group photos with wild abandon — often in matching printed shirts or colour-coordinated sarees. The poses are enthusiastic and unapologetic. There are matching sunglasses, cheerful thumbs-ups, and an unwavering belief that this will be the photo to break the WhatsApp group.

The magic lies not in their denial of ageing but in their attitude toward it. They’ve embraced their years, their lines, and their slower gait — but they’ve done it with humour, with heart, and with a fiercely loyal gang by their side. Each wrinkle holds a memory; each ache is a badge of survival. And through it all, they continue to show up for each other — for walks, parties, weddings, and emergency hospital runs — sometimes all in the same week.

There’s something deeply inspiring about their zest. While younger generations often get lost chasing productivity, these seniors have mastered the art of slowing down while still living fully. Their jokes are older than the internet, their friendships stronger than most Wi-Fi signals, and their ability to enjoy life in spite of its complications — simply unmatched.

Ageing may be inevitable, but how you do it — now that’s entirely your own style statement. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to do it surrounded by friends who’ve seen you in bell bottoms, cheered you on during retirement speeches, and will still be there at your next birthday party, grooving to Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey.

So here’s to the unstoppable, delightful, hilariously human parents and their wild little wolf pack of old friends — may their medicines always be on time, their jokes always borderline inappropriate, and their dance moves forever 20 years too young.