"What's the need to cut the cake again?" Prachi said and immediately regretted doing so.

"What do you mean by again? Did cut the cake earlier today?" Pragya asked frowning.

Prachi looked pleadingly to Shahana to help her as she was not good at making up lies.

"Cake....She meant those cupcakes I made, didn't you?" Shahana said with a bright smile.

"Yeah! Those cupcakes." Prachi nodded.

"Are you saying the truth? I think you are hiding something." Sarita dadi eyed them suspiciously.

"Why would we lie? After all, we are innocent little kids." they said with a not-so-innocent face.

"A cupcake and cake is different. Now, cut it." Pragya said placing the cake on the table.

The door bell rang, drawing their attention. Rishi went to open it and ushered the guests inside.

"You came at the right time Ranbir and Aryan." Sarita ji said welcoming them.

"How did you know it was us?" they enquired.

"No one gives us frequent visits other than you." Rishi pointed to which they grinned ear to ear.

Now that Prachi was surrounded by the people she considered the most valuable in her life, her face glowed more than the moon in the sky.

"Make a wish." Shahana squealed as Prachi blew the candles.

The people surrounding me should be happy and keep smiling always. May choti have a great year ahead and keep her and papa away from all evils.

Prachi cut the cake and fed it to Pragya first. Next, a large piece was cut and kept aside on the window pane for her twin who was not with them physically. She fed Shahana the next piece who hugged her. Prachi picked up the next piece and walked towards Ranbir.

"I was waiting for the day when my girlfriend would feed me lovingly with her own hands." he whispered making her blush furiously.

When everyone had finished eating the cake, they handed over the gifts to Prachi one by one.

Pragya brought a guitar and handed it to Prachi making everyone present there confused. Since Prachi could not play guitar, they saw no point in gifting her one.

Pragya understood their confusion. "It's your father's guitar. I had waited for years to hand it over to you. Keep it safe." she said emotionally.

Prachi stared at the guitar in her hand. For the first time, she was holding that belonged to her father. She knew her father loved music and the guitar must have been dear to him once.

"I promise to keep it safe. Thank you maa." she said and kept it safely in her room.

Shahana, who new Prachi's love for jhumkas, gifted her a pair of those.

Prachi thanked her for the beautiful gift.

"I don't know much about your preferences, but hope you like it." Aryan said handing her a box.

She opened it to find a simple yet beautiful bracelet.

"Thank you. It's so lovely." she beamed.

Rishi gave her a set of the latest books she wanted while Sarita ji gifted her a beautiful dupatta stitched with her own hands. Prachi thanked both of them for their thoughtful gifts.

"Here's something from me." Ranbir said.

Prachi was surprised. He had already gifted her twice.

"What's the need of this? I have received my gift already."

"The proposal was from Ranbir to Prachi, the card was for my lecturi and this one is from baklu to his chikchiki. Won't chikchiki feel bad if baklu doesn't give her a gift on her birthday?" he said innocently.

Prachi opened the small box to find a necklace with a diamond studded locket. The locket could be opened and was actually a frame which had her and Ranbir's picture in one side while the other side her, Pragya and Shahana's picture.

"Now you can literally have your close ones close to your heart." Ranbir said.

Pragya excused herself so that she could keep the gift she brought for her other daughter with the other gifts she had preserved since years. Sarita ji went to the kitchen to bring snacks for them.

The youngsters were left alone. Ranbir and Prachi were lost in stealing glances of each other while Shahana was busy narrating something to Rishi. Aryan felt left out, so a devious plan popped in his mind. He picked up the frosting from the cake and sneaked behind Shahana. All of a sudden, he applied all of it on Shahana's face.

"Have a look at your face. You like a joker." he burst out laughing at her frowning face.

"I won't spare you bandar!" Shahana said picking up more frosting in her hand. She aimed it a Aryan's face but he was quick to duck. Unfortunately, Ranbir who was lost in Prachi's eyes became the target.

Ranbir was too lost even to understand anything. Prachi, who was in front of him burst out laughing at his face.

"Oh....God.....Baklu......You became a ghost......" she snorted.

A mischievous idea popped up in Ranbir's mind. He grabbed Prachi's hand and pulled her towards him.

"Ranbir....Wha....." she stopped as Ranbir rubbed his cheeks with hers. Prachi closed her eyes feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"Aww......Such a romantic way to apply frosting." Shahana's voice broke their trance.

Prachi looked at her face in the mirror and realized that Ranbir had tricked her.

"BAKLU!" she yelled and picked up a large piece of cake and advanced towards him.

Ranbir ran away while Prachi began chasing him, upsetting the furniture in the room. Finally, Prachi caught up with Ranbir but he pushed away her hand to save himself, resulting in the cake flying and hitting Rishi straight on his face.

"Now all of us look like run away clowns." Prachi stated, tears flowing continuously from her eyes.

"Wait a minute, Aryan is still left. He was the one who started this." Shahana pointed.

Ranbir found Aryan hiding behind the curtains. He gestured the others towards him. They tiptoed upto him and moved the curtains aside.

"What are you doing here bro?" Ranbir smiled.

"I..I was enjoying the view." Aryan smiled awkwardly. He noticed the cake in Prachi and Shahana's hand and made an attempt to escape. Ranbir and Rishi caught his arms and pinned him between them.

"You need some make up bro. Girls, please help him." Ranbir said notoriously.

"Sure. It will be our pleasure." they moved forward, taking slow and deliberate steps.

"Bro, you are my brother from another mother. You can't betray me." Aryan pleaded.

"Brothers should look the same always." Ranbir stated.

Prachi and Shahana plastered the cake on his face. Now the dues were even. They dropped down on the sofa afterwards to catch their breathe, laughing merrily.

It was Prachi's best birthday ever.