"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you dear Zoya! Happy birthday to youuuuuuu.....", Riya droned on in my bedroom almost four hours after the ceremonious cutting of the birthday cake.

Riya was now holding out her fifth glass of lemon tea to me, pretending it was wine, as she addressed an imaginary audience.

"In fifth grade she gave me an extra world map in Geography class because I had forgotten to bring one. In seventh grade, she gave me the money to pay my fine at the school library because I forgot to return my book. In ninth grade, she gave me her spare pad, though we were both on our period because she lived closer to school. But more than anything else, for seven long years she has given me something I will treasure forever - her bond. They say diamonds are a girl's best friend. But my best friend is a diamond herself. Zoya, Happy Birthday. I love you!"

"OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod! Arreeey waaah!", I said dramatically, wiping imaginary tears from my eyes as Mishti clapped loudly in the background.

"Ladies and Gentlemen", Riya went on "presenting the first adult of the troop - Zoya Fakhri!"

More clapping from Mishti. "You're now eligible to vote, drive and get married Zo", she told me brightly.

"She's also eligible to drink and have sex", Riya reminded.

"That's a cheerful thought Riya. Thanks", I said with a grin. Riya grinned back.

"And now we go to bed", Mishti said.

Riya instantly opened her mouth to protest but Mishti was stoic, "It's way past my bedtime. It'll be my breakfast time in a few hours", she grumbled.

I looked at the clock. It was almost three in the morning.

"I'm on Mishti's page", I said stretching my arms and yawning "Let's crash girls".

I crawled into the bed between Riya and Mishti but it was too difficult to sleep.

I didn't know when I had fallen asleep but suddenly, I was woken by the familiar blipping of my phone notification.

I leaned across Mishti, grabbed my phone and read the message that had popped in.

It was from Rahul!

"Don't come and look down from your balcony", it read.

Ya Allah!

I leapt out from my bed. Mishti stirred slightly but Riya was fast asleep with her mouth wide open.

I crept out of the bedroom as the living room clock struck five, opened the balcony door, stepped out and looked down.

Rahul was standing there and waving at me.

"Can you come down?", he mouthed.

"Wait", I mouthed back as I turned and made my way downstairs.

Half way down the stairs to the parking lot of our block, I saw Rahul standing infront of the gulmohar trees looking impossibly badass even at five in the morning with his long hair swept back and his usual jacket in place.

I suddenly felt I should've at least looked in the mirror for a second. I had no idea how my hair looked but I was sure it was nothing pretty. And I felt like a total idiot in my hideous pyjama pants and tank top. And no freaking bra underneath.

Rahul however, mercifully didn't seem to have noticed anything up there.

"That handsome, am I?", he asked grinning widely "Stop staring and come here!", he said holding out his arms.

"Oh shut up", I said and I raced down the remaining stairs laughing.

He laughed too as he lifted me off my feet and twirled me around, "It's already the next day...but
Happy Birthday Zoya!"

"Oh my God! Rahul, it was the happiest birthday ever!", I said when he put me down, "Dad actually came! Can you believe it? It's the first time he has come to the society. And he loved it. And Riya and Mishti came of course. They're still up there."

"See? I told you, your dad would come", he said.

He had remembered that he told me. I smiled.

"Five hours too late to wish you in person...no birthday present...I am an asshole right?"

"No, just a busy person. And I think this is really cool too. Nobody has ever wished me by turning up below my balcony", I said.

"You make it sound way cooler than it is", he said and to my horror he seemed to be taking in my messy appearance.

"So how come you're looking like this at five in the morning?", I asked.

"Oh we had a show last night and then we came back and thought we would practice here in the event hall for the next show which is tonight. I just grabbed a few minutes to come and see you".

The fact that he had such a massively important schedule and was putting out the only few minutes he could grab for me was flattering to an unnecessary extent.

I looked overhead. The last vestiges of the dark night were disappearing as the sky turned from blue black to a glorious shade of orange. I have seen the same thing, the other way round, on hundreds of evenings and yet this felt so different.

"I have never seen a sunrise before", I whispered as Rahul pulled me back closer to him.

"What else have you never done before?", Rahul asked, his eyes twinkling.

That did it.

I leaned forward a millisecond before Rahul and crashed my lips into his.