CHAPTER-40

KETU
~~~~

Myself and madhesh.. Parked our bikes in the parking lot.. And walked teasing our lecturer.. as We were about to enter our college... And to get shocked..

" happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you ketu..." As suddenly people started singing.. I turned to see madhesh to sing with them... And I started to laugh.. I know my friends would do surprises.. But not thought.. They would do it in the college... With mass of people help..this grandly....

Me-" thanks ..." Said to madhesh..
Madhesh-" not us."...
Me-" who?"
Madhesh-" come..." And he took me inside the building.. They blasted the poppers from everywhere... And the friends started to move to let me get in... As I went in.. I am smiling like a idiot... They place is decorated so marvellously ... With red, blue, white balloons everywhere ... And ribbons of silver and gold colour hanging from the ceilings.. And snow spraying from here and there and poppers from here and there.. And people singing happy birthday song to me along the blasting birthday song from speakers... And at each step bunch of my classmates dance and move away to let me in... And I saw all family members...my mom, dad, Nadan, his parents, preethi and her parents, chand, bhanu , praveen, Gokul and his parents, sesh, papa, yad and his parents, jai and deepu and their parents and varsha and Gopi Anna, Jay, Mathew, Gopi, Xavier, Sam, jax, David everyone come out of nowhere and start to do three steps and move to let me take a step.. David?

David... What's he doing here...

Me-" David... What are you doing here?" He couldn't hear me.. So.. I signed him... He just smirked at me.. And moved away and showed me the way..

There standing in his all his glory in a navy blue unbuttoned up suit with white shirt with golden tie... Matching with my costume with a bad boy hairstyle.. Is none other than my husband smirking at me... So he really knows ... How to suprise me with suspense... I am smiling even more crazily and blushing.. He is smirking at me... And as the song ended ... He bought his hands front from back.. And giving me a chocolate bouquet ...

Yash-" I wish you happy birthday my wife..."

YASH
~~~~

I was planning for a month to celebrate ketu's birthday... She said me how she likes to have surprises in her birthday.. And her family and friends ... Have never let her down.. And each year they suprise her.. And they really done most of the things.. Like celebrating on a beach, park, restaurents, bridge, highways, hills, train, bus, even in her her hospital ... The only place left was her college... Asked varun.. How all they celebrated her birthday... He said me...

Varun-" what ever be it.. Simple or grand.. Flop or mass... She will love it... She just like surprises... So.. Without worry do anything.. Even buying and giving her a chocolate is the best surprise for her.. And she will get all happy... "

When I don't know what to gift her... I am roaming all around the malls singly and stupidly for the past eight hours.. Nothing is looking good to me.. If the colour is nice the design is not nice.. If the design is nice.. Colour is not nice.. And same with jewellery... Then fed up... I went to sumathi aunty shop..

To say sumathi aunty was shocked to see me.. In her shop... I didn't came here after mom died...

Sumathi aunty-" what a suprise?"
Me-" I need to buy a saree..."
Sumathi aunty-" okay... For ketu?" I nodded.." I think.. I need to thank her... Someone came to visit my shop...because of her..." And was about to call her..
Me-" no... Don't call her.."
Sumathi-" is it not to her?.. Then get out of my shop mister..." Said with all authority...
Me-" it's for her... For her birthday... " and she in a second got happy...
Sumathi aunty-" wow... So what can I show you... "
She got all hyper.. I don't like in her shop too...
Me-" sorry.. To break the news.. Nothing in the shop is good..."
Sumathi-" oye... Don't say I don't have .. Good clothes... Say me how you want... As you got something in your stupid brain... You won't like anything in any shop..."
Me-" maybe right... I didn't like anything in any shops that I went today..."
Sumathi-" how many shops did you went?"
Me-" like most of the shops in chennai... Please don't say anyone... Pretty please... " she started to laugh...
Sumathi-" someone is whipped.... Okay... Say me..." We went and sat before a system.. She took ketu photo.. She had... And started photo shopping according to my ideas...
Me-" Ok... I think.. That's it... "
Sumathi aunty-" it's super... But simple..."
Me-" she likes simple... "
Sumathi-" someone.. Here knows.. Her wife in his finger tips..." Actually only too little....
Me-"so... Aunty... I need jewellery too..."
Sumathi aunty.-" okay.. We can design... But only my friend makes it... I need to ask her about the details..."

Me-" okay... " and we designed a diamond and pearl set... Her friend said okay... And she said me. She needs two weeks time... I said okay... And to keep it a secret between us.. She said deal...

So.. With a help of my friends.. We came with some ideas ..... With madhesh help ... I got help from her classmates to do dances... And with Krishnan uncle help ... I got permission to celebrate it in a grand way in her college... And pleased Latha aunty to decorate her college... Actually she is more than okay with it.. But let me to please her for two weeks... And same with madhu aunty to make A tasty cake for ketu... Can't disturb renu aunty.. As she was busy with varsha and yad engagement.. And then she got unwell... I was actually in the plan to ask her choreograph the dance steps... But she sent me her friend...

We planned to say I am going to London... And my presence will be more suprise...
And after ketu went... I cancelled my ticket.. And me and David went to the office.. And spend the time there till ketu left chennai...

Right now we are going to ketu's place...

Jai-" I have never seen.. You this much worked up even for a multi million projects.. "
Me-" yeah that's true.. Because it's in my department.. But.. This is something I don't know.."
Yad-" not even my dreams.. I thought you would be worked up for celebrating a birthday..."
Me-" even I never.. Thought.. I would be..." Everyone started laughing at me...
Deepu-" it's funny.. Why are you so worked up.. yash?"
Me-" you know ... When she was saying me.. How everyone surprised her in her day... It was like she was all hyper and in other world of heaven... And also when I said advance happy birthday... She became alive to her happy ways... And it was cute..."
Deepu-" so .. How can You sit simply.. Without celebrating it...say ?" they completed for me and sighed ....
Yad-" man... You have said that about hundred times... We got memorised..."
Me-"Because.. You are asking me repeatedly ... Why I am doing this... "
And everyone teased me a while and we spoked for a while... And everyone slept... Except me, jai, yad...
Jai-" do.. You know yad what actually is surprise for me... "
Yad-" How yash is this whipped.." He nodded...
Me-" it's not me whipped... It's ..."
Yad-" say whatever you want..." I do this because...
Me-" it's something called.. A duty of a husband... And a friend..."
Jai-" friend??.. Yad have he done something like this to me.. Or you...?"
Yad-" never that .. I know..." And they both laughed at me ..
Me-" shut up... If we don't do this... And ketu becomes sad... Then you will know.. What will papa do.. And along with her list of brothers and sisters.. Now do I want that?"
Yad-" absolutely .. I don't want to even think .. I am torturing you..."
Me-" good..." Both laughed at me...
Jai-" are you really only doing for that reason?" Asked in all seriousness...
Me-" don't know..." Then they left the topic.. I really like her.. But love? No.. That is totally not my chapter... But jai and yad are the only one knows... That me and ketu are really not really close..... Along with her mother.. Other than these three everyone thinks we really are close ...

We reached the place... Where Krishnan uncle booked us rooms in the hotel... And we checked in...

It strikes twelve...

I called from papa mobile...to ketu... And put it in the speaker...
Me-"happy birthday... "
Ketu-" thanks..." Good thing she didn't find it's me....
Papa-" happy birthday ketu..."
Ketu-"once second... Thanks papa..." So... She thought me as papa.. We laughed...
Sesh-" happy birthday bhabi.."
Ketu-" thanks..."
Sesh-" okay.. Bye... Have a nice day.. Hope many others are in line to wish you..."
Ketu-" yes.. Good night..."

And I woke up in the morning.. And went to the college.. To see all the arrangements were done... And got satisfied... I texted madhesh to get her to college... He bought her...

It was super to see her excite... Seeing my arrangements... And was smiling all the way.. Never did her smile left her face.... It got more and more as she saw her classmates dance and her friends dance and her family dance and my family dance for her and seeing David she got confusion... And asked him... And as he moved and saw me.. Her suprise filled shock was so.. Evident... Success yash success ... And she started smiling even more... She is looking dead gorgeous in costume.. Than we designed in the photo... The song ended...

And I gave her the chocolate bouquet and she took it with her merry smile.....

Me-"I wish you happy birthday my wife" said teasingly .... she tried to glare... but only smile is dominant...

Ketu-" at last my husband remembered to wish me ... it seems... ??"mocked me back.

Yash-" guess so..." She came forward... and hugged me...
Me-" thank you yash" whispered to me... and went away.. and there was a happy tear in her eyes....

Yash-" you are welcome... " and I pressed the button...

KETU
~~~~

Everything went off... The power went off...

After a few seconds.. Some sparkling light candles .... In a big white colour cake of about nine tiers came before me.. And in the cake... It's written ...'happy birthday.. Ketika...'

Yash gave me a knife.... I took it from him...

I blowed the candles... And in a step by step manner.. First the the people in the third floor corridor lighted the candles... Singing " Wishing you to open more joy filled gifts"
Then in second floor '" Wishing you to to blow away all the evils like candles..."
then in first floor " Wishing you to share the cakes of your happiness..."
then peoples away from me in my floor "Wishing you to celebrate each day like your birthday.."
then the peoples near me... " wishing you to have a happy,healthy and prosperous life.."
then the power came back... " happy birthday ketu ..... Happy birthday ketu...."said all synchronously...
Me-" thank you..." I shouted in common... As they ended.. I am in cloud nine...

Preethi-" let's see.. Who gets the first piece of cake?"
Marce-" I root it for Lakshmi aunty.."
Bella-"I root it for yashwant.."
Bhanu-" I root for Krishnan uncle.."
Dad-"bhanu.. She gave me the first piece last year.. So this year.. It must be Lakshmi...so.. I think the competition is between Lakshmi and yashwant.."

Wow... The most difficult part... The first piece of cake .. Competition??... If I gave mom.. Yash may feel sad.. As he is the one that arranged this... If I give yash.. Mom will be sad.. Who should I give.. I looked at mom.. She smiled and saying to give him.. And not to her....I looked at yash.. He to smiled like give to my mom... Not to him...So again my decision... I am in deep trouble... Some started shouting for mom and others for yash...

I looked at each other... Then I took the piece towards mom.. She mouthed to give yash to me alone.. So he won't be hurt...

Then smiled and took to yash... He was like.. Are you sure.. Not your Mom... And as he was about to open his mouth...

I ate the first piece... Everyone started laughing...
Sesh-" that's not fair... Ketu"
Me-" all is fair with yummy Black Forest cake..." Everyone where laughing...

Nadan-" so.. Let's take the second pieces who is important to her next to her..."
Me-" of you are going to do something like that... I will myself complete the yummy cake.. And will not be giving anyone..."
Mom-" you don't want to give the second piece... Come on yash?" He went near her... And she cut a piece and she said something to him.. He said okay...

They came near me.. And both holded the cake..
Mom-"open.. Your mouth" and the gave me the pecie to eat... I bite a little...

Mom and yash-" happy birthday ketu" said and smacked the remaining cake in my face... Everyone started laughing.. Even me..

And they removed the first tire of the cake and took the remaining to give everyone ... All my close buddies started applying the cake on me.. And i too applied on them.. With no much success.. My face and hair is masked in cake..

Varsha-" so...come on ketu... Ask yash for the gift..."
Me-" he gave me on Sunday itself..."
Deepu-" what??"
Me-" this dress and the accessories ... "
Sesh-" you never said.. Us .... you bought her gift.. And that too gifted her..."
Yash-"I thought gift should be a surprise "
Yad-" yes..." And looked at yash.. And everyone left the subject...
And everyone got busy with something... Leaving me and yash...

Me-" thanks.. For the super surprise... I loved it..."
Yash-" welcome... "
Me-" I was thinking.. Even after your promise.. You forgotten... And scolding you...in my head..."
Yash-" so I think ... I need to punish you.."said teasingly ...
Me-" do you need too?"
Yash-" maybe need to..."
Me-" oh"
Yash-" how can I punish you..."with a smirk ...

Madhesh-"how about a kiss?" And winked at us..

Me-" idiot... Eavesdropping is bad..."

Sesh-" come on kiss.." Clapping his hands..

Me-" same goes to you sesh .."

Then preethi, bhanu, deepu, varsha, yad, jai, kavi, marce, bella.. And everyone is saying.. Idiots don't know.. Eavesdropping is bad... From come on kiss ... It now changed to

" kiss her... Come on yash kiss her..." We tried to stop them... But with no luck...
We looked at each other... What to do know... ?