part0011

“Laddoo! One more time. Shut up! I am a Cardiac Surgeon for God's sake. I perform operation on living beings. And this is just a cake. Now if you will stop panicking, I can get something actually done here," Karan fumed while concentrating on pushing in thirty candles one by one on a sugar free chocolate cake, which they intended to take to Avish's room exactly at 12 AM as a surprise.

‘“What happened to the numerical candles? Why did you not get that?” asked Sumer, who was looking at the proceedings on the dining table quite interested.

‘“They don't give ‘that’ effect, bade papa” Khushi explained.

‘“What effect? Of the glowing headache that you are giving me as I skillfully put thirty candles on a single cake?" Karan butted in, without looking up from the job.

“Chachu, you volunteered. Now just do it quietly," Khushi ordered.

‘“Hai re, Nandkishore! Is that how you talk to your Chachu? Where are your manners Titaliya?" buaji exclaimed, glaring from the chair she was sitting in, near Karan.

“Yes, Titatliyaaa... Where are your manners? Say sorry to me. Right now," Karan grinned, looking up this time.

‘“Chachu, please. And buaji, you too. I am so tensed right now. Only fifteen minutes are left to midnight. Eleven more candles have to still go in and then we have to light them up as well. And this freaking cake is crumbling like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. I am gonna kill that bakery wala tomorrow first thing in the morning," Khushi replied, agitated.

“Oooh... A human offering on Avish's birthday! And I thought you guys wanted it to be a low-key affair," Karan chuckled.

“Chachuuu' Khushi's high pitch reverberated into the dining hall and with that everyone concentrated back on the cake.

Khushi never denied, not even in her dreams, that she was the chosen child of God. While she had all the love in the world, first that of her own parents, and then that of father like bade papa, mother like buaji and her chachu, God took care that she does not become proud or insensitive. Her handicap had always kept her firmly grounded, literally and otherwise. In spite of riches surrounding her, all the pampering and attention she has gotten all her life, her empathy and sensitivity never died. She liked good things in life that her parents and bade papa's money could afford her, but God made sure that she never turned vain. And, she knew better than to complain for it. Yes, there are people like Suraj in this world, who broke her spirit into splinters. But then she found people like Riya di and Rishabh in this same world, who see the real her beyond the handicap. And no matter how much Avishji's arrogance and rudeness irritated her, she knew he too was one such good soul.

He did not say sorry. Hell, he ignores her like a dull wall painting behind bade papa's back all the time. But she could very well see the dignified way he handled the revelation of her limp. She might not be a deep thinker, but she was not shallow either to not understand that. He did not treat her 'special' because of it, and that was pretty much what she wants from all the people in her life. May be not by nature, but by sensibilities he proved that he was her bade papa's son. Though he was still at cold war with her and behaves as if she had offended the life out of him by asking for a proper apology, but not once did he show any pity towards her. In fact he treats her so normally that he does not even try to hide the fact that he is irritated with her when she barges in the study after dinner, when he is there with bade papa, or that bade papa entrusts her with all his medications, or the simple fact that she has a cute nickname and he does not. Just to irritate him some more she had two days back, held a detailed discussion in front of him with bade papa about the value and importance of nicknames. And how it shows the extra love you have for the person whom you bestow a nickname on. Even though he pretended to read a file that time, he looked sufficiently pissed. Hah!!, take that Sadu 'my dad' Singh Raizada, she grinned.

But all said and done, enough of childishness. On the occasion of his birthday, she will extend an olive branch and try to befriend him. But she knew that it will be a tad bit awkward looking at wedding fiasco and their rude verbal spats that followed. Any possibility of appealing to his brotherly instincts died after the grand scene where he was asked to marry her, for it distinctly etched out their relationship in a very different light in everyone's mind. Then his super quiet nature and ubiquitous temper were also a point of concern. She did not know all the history, but the fact that he had been living alone after Sujata aunty's death and had not come back home even once in last ten years that she is here, is hint enough that bade papa and aunty's divorce had left scars on his life. And she did not want to make him more sad, in fact she wanted him to be happy, for bade papa's sake. And that can happen only if she talks to him. More importantly, when she has one more indweller to chatter with in the house, why should she not utilize the opportunity? He is also closer to her age, just a little older. Bade papa and buaji always treat her like a kid, maybe if she befriends him he will treat her as an equal.

“What is happening here dad?" came a voice from behind, making Khushi and Sumer turn back jumpily and Karan and buaji stand up dumbfounded.

While Avish looked skeptically at the three known and one unknown face in the dining hall, four people stared funnily back at him.

“Beta, what are you doing here?" Sumer gained his composure.

“I forgot a file in the study. On my way there I saw the light on here, so came to switch it off. What is going on?” Avish asked again.

Sumer and Kalyani were so not prepared for this. Karan who was itching to take the situation in his hand kept mum, because he had not yet been introduced to Avish, and it looked weird even to him to provide answer to someone he did not formally know when there were three other people perfectly capable for the job standing in the same room. It left Khushi to salvage the situation, and she handled it to the best of her ability.

“Surpriiiiise!! Happy Birthday Avishji” she squealed.

“It's not time yet, Laddoo," Karan prompted, in a hush tone from behind.

“In advance," she added with another squeal, not knowing what else to do.

While Avish mumbled a barely audible Thank You, Karan sniggered quite audibly at his flustered niece, making everyone look towards him.

“Hi... I am Karan. Khushi's Chachu," Karan said, sobering up from across the dining table and then moved towards Avish. He extended his hand for a shake and when Avish took it he wished him happy birthday with a smile. Avish noticed the man in front of him was around same age as him, a little older maybe. Tall, fair, bespectacled with intelligent eyes. Smiling face runs in the family, he concluded.

By then clock struck twelve and Sumer and Kalyani too moved forward and hugged Avish wishing him Happy Birthday. They pulled a still surprised Avish, who was clad in his black track pants and white hoodie to the dining table, seating him there. After a lot of bickering between Karan and Khushi regarding how each thought that other was ruining the cake, they finally got all thirty candles into it, lighted them and brought the cake in front of Avish to make a wish and bring in his birthday. In hindsight, that was probably the first time, in the glow of his birthday candles from the cake she was holding, that Avish had noticed how beautiful Khushi's smile was.

While Avish cut the cake, everyone sang the birthday song on the top of their lungs, specially Karan and Khushi, making Avish smile involuntarily. He received a set of gold cuff links from his dad as birthday gift, a silver Krishna idol from buaji which he politely accepted, a collectors pen set from Karan, which he refused several times but had to concede under his good-natured insistence and a box of sugar free chocolates & a bouquet from Khushi. Khushi's normal behavior which generally irritated Avish, was surprisingly, not doing any such thing. He was not frowning, not because his dad and her chachu were there as an audience but because he just did not feel like it. From the looks of it, she was organizing everything even after being treated so coldly by him since the past month. So even if she was putting up a show for her bade papa, Avish wanted to participate in the charade genuinely today. How long can he behave kiddish with this kid? He had just turned thirty and was going to behave his age now on.

While they all sat and ate the cake, Karan made the first move to get well acquainted with Avish. Laddoo had told him of his serious and quite nature, so Karan had willingly started the conversation in which Avish sincerely participated much to his delight. Avish was Sumer Uncle's only son. And Sumer Uncle was his and Khushi's only family, only guardian and only well-wisher in this whole world, making Avish important to him automatically. He was anyway planning a trip to Delhi for checking up on Laddoo as he had not seen her since she had left Mumbai after her marriage fiasco. But when she told him about Avish's birthday, he coupled both reasons and planned a hasty one day trip. And right now sitting in Raizada dining hall Karan realized that Avish was an intelligent man, with a very quiet and authoritative demeanor. He talked, but only the amount necessary.

How is he going to survive under the same roof as motor-mouth Laddoo?, Karan wondered for a minute. His fate. What can I do? Next minute he shrugged grinning. He was not worried about Khushi even for a moment for he trusted Sumer uncle's unwavering love for her that would not let anyone tell her off under this roof.

Little did he know that Avish had caught onto that detail quite a while ago, and now had made his peace with it as well.

When Avish got up and moved to kitchen for some water, Khushi followed him. It was time for the talk. As he turned with a bottle of water in his hand, Khushi who was standing there smiled.

“Did you like your almost surprise, Avishji?”

“Yes. Thank you," he replied, quite sure that his dad must be either in the earshot or watching them. But to his surprise, he was busy eating the cake and talking with her chachu.

As if guessing his mind Khushi said, “I am not talking to you for bade papa's benefit. I am just tired of our cold war. How about we bury past bitterness and start afresh? How about we become friends? Would you like to become my friend?”. Her huge emerald eyes were looking at him with what he could only decipher as hope.

Avish really did not know what to say. The kid, as he had termed her, had stumped him with her maturity to initiate peace-making.

“You can at least try. I mean it's your birthday. What better day to make a fresh start?" she continued a little apprehensively.

“Okay” he replied.

“Okay. I mean good. Phew! I was so tired of all this silent treatment. And bade papa would like it too if we get along for real. Sooner or later he would have caught on, he is very intelligent you know. And I mean what reason do we have to not talk to each other? We both did not want to marry each other. When we fought that night you did not know about me. Next day you did try to apologize, in your own peculiar way, which we should not talk about as our opinions differ on that. But now that we will become friends, we will take care to not hurt each other. I am sure it will be great," Khushi spoke in a delighted manner.

“Yeah," he replied, not sure as to which part of her tirade was he agreeing to. It then struck Avish that what exactly has he just signed-up for, recalling her chatting sessions with his dad and buaji.

“Great then. I have also planned a dinner for your birthday tomorrow at an awesome restaurant. At Dum-Pukht” she excitedly informed. “Have you heard of it?”

Avish just shook his head in denial.

“So that means it'll be a novelty for you. Brilliant.The food is yumm…. , trust me. Bade papa and I love that restaurant, Karan chachu not so much and buaji is neutral. But it’s okay. I am sure you'll love it. And buaji is going to cook your birthday lunch for you. Bade papa asked us to keep everything low-key, that is why there is no party. Do you want a party? I can arrange it if you want. You just give me the list of your guests," Khushi offered.

“No. Your plan is nice," Avish started moving towards the dining hall.

“See, we've already started agreeing on things," Khushi chirped and followed him out of the kitchen.

Later that night, Avish laid in his bed with his hands folded under his head thinking of his first proper birthday celebration that took place an hour back, in the very house where he was born. Birthdays didn't matter to Avish. When they had once upon a time, his parents were too busy fighting among themselves to pay any attention to him. How was he supposed to enjoy his grand impersonal birthday parties when he knew that his parents have just fought and will fight again as soon as they see the last guest off? And when they had eventually paid attention to him, he had already been packed off to the hostel.

In London, his mother used to celebrate his birthdays at her house, but that was part of his those memories which he wanted to completely erase from his mind because whenever those birthdays came to his mind, he could not help but wonder if his mother saw him just as Raizada's property document since the day he was born or did she ever actually love him, even once? A closure would have been nice. He would have liked to hear it out from her own mouth what she had to say about the things she had written in her diary and those photographs and about his fake signatures on property transfer papers. But that will not happen now in this lifetime, he sighed. Anyway in last five years, he has come to expect his dad's call at midnight to wish him birthday and an exquisite gift arriving by parcel next day. Their relationship was on a mend all these years and he did not find the need to ask him to join him on his birthdays. In fact, he preferred the solitude of his apartment in New York and company of his work on this day. Except for adding a year to his life, he did not see any other purpose of this day.

And today also he was expecting his dad to wish him, and at the max buaji to join him. Never in his wildest dream did he think that Khushi will forget their rather strained equation and arrange a midnight surprise for him, and a birthday dinner tomorrow as well. Also that her chachu, whom he surprisingly found really easy to get along with, will fly down to wish him. And then she surprised him with her friendship proposal. She never ceases to surprise him, first her fighting with him, then her impossibly childish behavior for the last month and now with her sincerity to bury the hatchet. Well, he was glad that she initiated the peace-making and he accepted. If nothing else, she was at least a non-complicated human being, so unlike him. And truth be told, he really appreciated her enthusiasm for celebrating his birthday. He knew he will cherish this midnight celebration, all his life.

As sleep started engulfing him, Avish's last thoughts were scattered between his dad's warm hug, buaji lovingly warding evil eyes off him, Karan & Khushi bickering while putting candles on the cake, their singing birthday song so loudly and Khushi's smiling face in the glow of his birthday candles.