Happy Birthday to… Why?

story by Sameer Raote

It is evening time in an apartment. Many nicely dressed people are gathered here. They are quietly standing in the main hall with lights turned off. They are patiently waiting for the right moment. They stay like that for five minutes. Suddenly they hear two people talking outside and then one of them unlocking the door. The instant one of them steps in all of them cheer,

“Surprise!”

The girl who stepped inside the room is shocked and surprised. In a good way. Following her reaction everyone starts wishing “Happy Birthday Puja” while everyone comes and gives her all the gifts.

Tower of all the gifts given to her grows taller than her. This is expected. Today is her 30th birthday and she belongs to a rich family now, i.e. after her marriage. The birthday girl has a wide smile on her face while she receives all the gifts. Meanwhile her mother records her reaction on a phone.

After all the gifts are given Puja still looks around as if searching for someone.

“What happened dear?” asks her mother.

“Pa-.” she censors herself saying, “Nothing.”

That very instant her smile fades away. Not that anybody notices that. Ignoring all that Puja’s mother drags her to her bedroom. Then ensuring that nobody is looking she shows her something laid on bed.

“Jay and I went on sort of a shopping spree today.” says the mother while showing her a sparkly red-yellow dress and expensive diamond and gold jewelry. Jay is Puja’s husband. Puja is not very happy by that.

“Why all this? Must be very expensive.” says Puja.

“Oh come on baby… live a little.” says her mother. She then goes close and whispers the price in her ear. It’s not like there was anybody to listen, still she puts on an act. Puja’s eyes widen learning how much her mother made her husband spend.

Suddenly Puja notices an expensive pair of earrings her mother is wearing. Before she would ask her mother is quick to brag, “Oh he insisted on buying these for me. Enough with chit-chat there’s a birthday cake waiting for you.”

She then steps outside and shuts the door for her daughter to get ready, for the cake cutting ceremony. She then rushes to the kitchen and prepares what all is needed.

Meanwhile Puja is just sitting there with a phone in her hand. She keeps on checking her messages. Inside a one-on-one chat with a girl name Payal Ojha, she has texted, “Where are you?” still there is no reply to it.

Just above that, earlier that morning, Puja had sent a message saying, “Hey, you will be coming for my surprise birthday party, right?”

“Yes.” was the reply, “But I’ll be late so don’t wait for me.”

To that Puja typed, “Typical.” but didn’t send it.

Now, Puja is waiting for a reply but isn’t getting any. After every passing minute her mother comes knocking on the door to ask, “Are you done?” “Are you ready?” “Please come out fast!” “We are waiting!”

Puja simply ignores that and stays seated in bed. She sees the expensive dress and jewelry next to her as if she has no value for that. This is also apparent from the fact that her bedroom, although neat and clean, looks very simple.

She gets a phone call, from her husband Jay, who is standing just outside the apartment. Without saying anything he starts with, “I called her. She picked up the phone. She said she is coming. Just running late…”

“But?” she asks.

“But I don’t think she will be coming today. Sorry.”

Hearing that she hangs up the phone. Now there is no motivation for her keep on waiting. Quickly she gets dressed, steps outside and then celebrates her birthday. The cake cutting is over which is followed by dinner.

Puja is having a casual conversation with a guest at the party. That’s when a couple arrives. Seeing them Puja gets very excited. She hugs both and invites him in. Once they are seated Puja personally sees that they get to eat the cake. After that she sits with them to chat.

This makes Puja’s mother uncomfortable. Puja didn’t take that kind of initiative with any other guest. Then why her? Even though she saw that her mother had put a lot of effort in arranging this birthday celebration still never once did she ask, “Mother you must be is tired. Here have a cake.”

“What makes her so special?” wonders Puja’s mother. She should have known that but doesn’t. This annoys her and she wants to do something about it.

Meanwhile Puja with excitement asks the couple, “How was your honeymoon? Did you see the AA Tower? Or the Grand Park? You must have gone to the Corporate Zoo, right?”

“No.” says Payal’s husband Viresh, “Even though all those things were in our tour’s package plan, madam here decided to take a detour.”

“What! Why?” asks Puja.

She eagerly waits for an answer but before either of the two could say anything her mother interrupts. After exchanging some formal greetings she asks,

“Oh Payal. You missed the grand celebration. You should have come early.” says Puja’s mother.

“Sorry aunty. We came back today and there was a lot of unpacking to do. Also we have office tomorrow.”

“No… but you could certainly find time for Puja. After all she is your best friend, isn’t she?”

“Yes. Yes of course.”

“Mother. Please stop.”

“Why? I’m just asking a simple question. As a matter of fact, now that I think about since the time my baby girl got married, you have been conveniently skipping her birthday parties…”

“Maa…Stop it.”

“…What am I sensing here. Is it jealousy?” she says in a soft sly tone.

“That’s enough!” shouts Puja. This time she is loud enough to catch everyone’s attention.

It’s a very awkward moment but she isn’t done talking. Puja’s friend Payal seems to be in tears yet Puja’s mother shows no mercy. Payal does not understand what to say. She simply puts the cake on the side and walks out of the house. Puja wants to follow but her mother holds her back.

“I’ll go see what’s wrong. Sorry for this. Ma’am. Please continue with your party.” says Viresh.

Outside in the parking space. Payal is sitting inside the car crying. She is holding a perfume bottle in her hand. Suddenly there is a knock. The windows are up so his voice is not audible but he asks something on the lines of, “Can I get in?”

She unlocks the door and lets him in.

“What happened back there?” he asks.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” says Payal.

Acknowledging that he keeps quiet. Payal continues to mope silently while her husband is texting on phone. He is replying to the countless messages from birthday girl Puja who wants to know if her friend is okay.

There is complete silence in the car until Payal is ready to speak. “Today is the day my mother died…”

“…In a car accident. Yes, I know that.” he adds.

“What you don’t know is that today is also my mother’s birthday.” she says.

“Actually I do. We are married now. The least I can do is remember important dates of your family…”

“Oh.”

“…But there is one thing that I don’t know. Why do you hate celebrating birthdays? Today, we were ready to come on time yet you insisted on going late.” says he, “Tell me… why do you hate celebrating birthdays?”

“I can’t. It’s personal.”

“I know that. That’s why you get married with someone, to be able to share something personal without any hesitation.”

After delivering this impressive line there is silence in the car. This annoys Viresh so he unlocks the car to step outside. But then Payal being seated in the driver’s seat, locks the doors again. He waits for her to start talking,

“It’s been six years since my mother passed away. Six years ago we had prepared for a surprise birthday party. My mother was returning from work in a cab. It was Puja’s birthday too so we had ordered two cakes to cut that day. I had bought a bottle of this perfume as a gift. We don’t get these here anymore.” she says looking at the bottle in hand, “We waited and waited but mother didn’t come. Instead we got a phone call. Immediately we got in a car and rushed to the hospital. Puja didn’t care for her birthday either. She came with us.”

Payal said nothing more. That’s when her husband got the full picture. This is the reason why Payal insisted on skipping their honeymoon tour and instead traveled to a remote place in a foreign land to buy this cheap perfume bottle. He did not understand the sentimental value behind the perfume back then. But now he knows.

He keeps quiet for some time. Thinks about it and then says, “Now I know what you go through whenever someone talks of having a surprise birthday party. To think that history will repeat itself and you might lose yet another loved one on their birthday is a scary thought. I understand it. But that does not mean I agree with your behavior.”

Payal is not looking at him but he believes that she is listening. So he continues,

“You said Puja was there with you at the hospital. She was there when you needed her. Does she deserve you storming out of her birthday party like this? No… You have to be there when she needs you.”

“There are many people there for her now. She doesn’t need me.” says Payal while crying.

“Yes she does.” says he showing her a long string of messages he received from the birthday girl in the past five minutes.

Payal is surprised to see how much her friend still cares about her. But it’s difficult for her to go back while all the judgy high society people are up there, including Puja’s mother. That evil witch!

“We have to go up there to show how much she means to you. That’s why you bought this perfume bottle, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” says Payal, “We used to put on mother’s perfume and pretended to be like her, the businesswoman. We have to go back…”

“…but may be not now.” he adds with a smile indicating that they can return after the party is over.

“Yes. I’d like that.” she says starting the car.

Payal takes the car out of the parking space and drives it to the main gate. All of a sudden the birthday girl Puja jumps on the hood saying, “You’re not getting ride of me so easily.”

The doors open and Puja gets in the back seat. Puja’s husband enters from the other side.

“What are you two doing here?” asks Payal.

“They wanted more drinks. So I had come down to get them.” replies Jay.

“And what excuse did you give?” asks Viresh to Puja.

“To help him carry the crates.”

All of them laugh. Without a word all four of them seem to have made-up their mind to ditch the party and go for a simple dinner in a nearby restaurant. Before they exit the gate Payal says,

“I’m sorry for storming out like this… here’s your gift.” she says giving Puja the perfume bottle.

“Is this the…?” asks Puja’s husband.

“Yes.” says Puja.

“Is this the reason why you took a detour at the…?” ask Puja.

“Yes.” says Payal.

Suddenly both girls get very emotional. Despite being seated diagonally opposite to each other they decide to go for a hug. Both their husbands patiently wait for them to finish. Unfortunately the hug continues for a long time.

“That’s enough.”

“I think we should leave before they figure out that we are ditching the party.”

“Wait… you two aren’t going back?” asks Payal.

“Why would we?” says Puja.

“I sent the drinks with the watchman.” adds Jay.

“They don’t care about us.” says Puja, “They are just…”

“…bees that attract to honey.” says Jay.

“Dude they are your relatives!” says Viresh.

“I know.” says Jay. “That’s the sad part.”

All four of them laugh as they drive away from this pretentious birthday party.

END

written by Sameer Raote

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