SCARY BIRTHDAY!!!

It was 8.00pm. I was engrossed in my favorite reality show. One reason I like reality shows are that they usually feature ordinary people instead of professional actors unlike the stereotypical soaps. I felt the pulsation on my bed followed by the standard Nokia tone, the next moment. I jumped on to the phone and attended the call in a fraction of a second without even checking who was calling. I wasn’t expecting any important call nor was I punishing any miscall prankster. It was just that due to some reasons (which I would not want to discuss here) my outgoing calls were barred. So I couldn’t afford to miss any of the calls.

Hey!! Wassup?? I assigned the perceived tone to relative positions on a musical scale based primarily on the frequency of vibration. I heard a high pitched voice which would fall on any deaf ears. Two harmful effects of Screaming; it ruins singing voice, it turns the listener oblivious.. That was Hero.. She delivered around 120 words in the next thirty seconds to my already deafened left ear. I couldn’t grasp anything. I prompted her to say it again.

Her slower and shorter version was something like this..

“Actually, its my friend’s birthday so I wanted to give her a surprise by getting a cake to her place at 12 so that she would be happy for which I need your help as my other friends are busy with something or the other so I want you to go with me to her place to wish her a very happy birthday but one problem is that she might sleep before 12 and what if she did not open the door??? You will go with me right??

WOW!! That was FAST!! I wondered how many litres of O2 and CO2 her lungs might be bringing in and out per second. Anytime!! I said. But I am not here for social service, I added. I was offered a party instantly but at the beginning of the next month. Her plans were AWESOME!! Except that she had not taken permission from her mom to go out in the night till the last minute. I liked her confidence.

She came in her Santa (that’s what she calls her scooty). Santa was an amazing little thing which moved like a UFO whenever she rode and like a bullocart whenever I did.
They shared a very strong chemistry and were made for each other.

I somehow managed to guide her way to Koramangala 1st block. She asked for a landmark, nothing came to my mind other than Pingara Bar. Guess what, she waited for me right in front of the bar at 10.PM. I forgot to get the match box/lighter though she had reminded atleast thrice. She carried a yummy chocolate cake and candles from the bakery right next to her house.

We reached Preethi’s (not the real name) house at around 10 30. I carried the cake, fixed the candles on the cake and lit it like Isaac who carried wood for his own sacrifice. I did not foresee my coming fate at that point of time.

We opened gate slowly and entered the veranda. There she revealed her master plan. “I would hide somewhere you go knock the door with the cake”. NO WAYS. I’m not gonna do it, said I. We had fixed atleast 20 candles on that limited size cake and it burned like furnace. I could feel the heat on my face. I had no other option than listening to her at that instance. I walked slowly towards the door. I stopped there for a moment, I prayed, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me. One last time, I turned back to to find out if we could come up with a plan B. But she had just disappeared. I ran out of the gate with the “burning” cake. I found her standing at the end of the street half a kilometer away. I sensed something was wrong and something terrible was going to happen. I was a perfect stranger to Preethi and was standing at her door at around 11 with a burning stove (that’s what it looked like from far) to wish her birthday. I cursed the moment I agreed to going with her.

I knocked the door. “KAUN???” I did not open my big mouth. She partially opened the window repeated the same question with a surprise. Just wanted to say Happy Birthday.. I said confidently. “ONE MINUTE..” She replied and closed the window. Pure adrenaline coursed through my veins, never in my life had I been so scared. I thought, either she was calling police to report a thug standing at her door steps or she had gone to the kitchen to find something solid to knock me down.

She opened the door slowly and looked at the messed up cake and then at me. Happy Birthday.. Thank you… But do I know you.. I was not listening to her but trying to figure out if she was carrying some weapon in her hand. I waited for the entry of hero..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! I saw her jumping out of a bush.. Next moment, I witnessed a festival of kisses and hugs which went on for around 25 minutes. We cut the cake with the waxy icing and sang “Happy birthday to you”. The kisses and hugs resumed again but didn’t last for long. Preethi thanked me for making her birthday so ‘Special’. It was indeed SPECIAL..

On our way back hero revealed that she met her just two months back. Is she crazy??? Or so damn sweet???

Well, let me know your thoughts..