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Author's note: I was out of ideas regarding what to write for the impress Aditya contest when someone suggested that I write a story on the below theme (not my favourite actually 😛). Unfortunately the person who suggested has not read it and many non participants have not read. 😒 I am just posting it so that some others can read and I can easily find it when I want to add it to my archive.
Do read and comment.
The Birthday Cake
Scene : CID Innova
Daya driving back from bureau, after a hectic day filled with 2 different murder investigations. Abhijeet on the left side passenger seat. Abhijeet looking a bit deflated.
Daya: Kya hua boss, chehra utra hua kyon hai?
Abhijeet: Kuch nahi, bas aise hi.
Daya: 😆 Acha, sorry. Mujhe yaad hai aaj tumhara birthday hai. Kya karen..time hi nahi mila celebrate karne ke liye. Happy Birthday! 😃
Abhijeet: Thanks. Wish karne ke liye time mila yahi bohot badi baat hai.
Daya: Chalo dinner ke liye kahin bahar chalte hain.
Abhijeet: Lekin iss baar bill tumhe dena padega. Pichli baar...yaad hai na?
Daya: Boss...mujhe us Purvi ki yaad mat dilao. 😵
(This Purvi is Daya's ex-GF, not Insp Purvi)
Abhijeet: Theek hai, bill tumhe dena padega. Dekh lo...main apna purse yahin chod raha hoon.
...and leaves it in the car's dashbord.
Bill nahi diya toh tumhe hi bartan dhona pdega.
Daya: Dekh lenge. 😉
Abhijeet and Daya arrive at a restaurant. Daya parks and both of them walk towards the entrance.
Abhijeet: yeh kaunsi jagah hai? Isse pehle main kabhi yahan nahi aaya.
Daya: Naya restaurant hai. Freddie keh raha tha ki yahan ka khaana bohot achcha hai. Wife ke saath aaya tha kuch din pehle. Uske agle din subah se shaam tak is restaurant ki tareef kar raha tha.
Abhijeet: Achcha? Tab toh ek baar try karna padega.
Abhijeet and Daya ask for a table for 2, but since all 2-seaters were occupied they are shown to a 4-seater table in a corner.
Daya: Abhijeet, ek kaam karte hain. Ab 4-seater table mil hi gaya hai toh Freddie aur Sachin ko bhi bula lete hain. Tumhe koi problem toh nahi hai?
Abhijeet: Haan, haan...mujhe kya problem ho sakti hai? Bill toh tum hi de rahe ho na? 😉
Daya phones Freddie and Sachin, they both agree to arrive in 15 minutes.
The waiter arrives and both of them order starters to kill time till Freddie and Sachin arrive.
Abhijeet: Daya, main zara washroom jaake aata hoon. Mere haathon mein gunpowder laga hua hai. 😆
Daya: Maine bureau mein hi haath dho liya 😛
Abhijeet leaves.
The waiter now comes and places a cake on the table on which Happy Birthday Abhijeet' is written.
Daya: Yeh cake? Humne toh order nahi kiya...aapko kisne bataya ki mere dost ka naam Abhijeet hai aur aaj uska birthday hai?
Waiter: Survi madam ne kaha ki is table par yeh cake serve karo.
Daya: Survi? 😲 Woh aapki madam hai?
Waiter: Haan sir, woh is restaurant ki owner hai.
Daya: Achcha? Kahan hai woh?
Waiter: Sir, woh aapki office mein milengi. Office uss taraf hai. (and shows)
Abhijeet returns and is surprised to see the cake.
Abhijeet: Arey waah! Tumne yeh cake order kiya? 😛 Woh bhi mera favourite - black forest?
Daya: Woh...actually...
Abhijeet: Kya? Tumne Freddie aur Sachin ke saath milkar yeh plan kiya na? 😉
Daya(embarrassed grin): Freddie aur Sachin ko aane do. Unke aane ke baad hi cut karna!
Main zara washroom jaake aata hoon.
Main zara washroom jaake aata hoon.
Abhijeet: Tumne toh bureau mein hi haath dho liya tha na?
Daya: Bas 2 minute mein aata hoon.
Daya walks towards the washroom, makes sure that Abhijeet isn't looking and walks towards the office which the waiter had shown.
Daya knocks.
Survi: Come in.
Daya walks in.
Survi: Oh aap?
Daya: Kaisi ho Survi?
Survi: Achchi hoon.
Daya: Woh toh dikh raha hai...😊 Tumne itna achcha restaurant jo khola hai.
Survi: Achcha hai ya nahi aap dinner karne ke baad batayiye.
Daya: Mujhe yakeen hai ki achcha hi hoga. BTW Pari kaisi hai? Tum log Pune chale gaye the...Mumbai kab aaye?
Survi: Pichle saal mere saas aur sasur - dono ka death ho gaya. Unhone apna saara property Pari ke naam kar diya. Isliye hum yahan chale aaye. Mujhe saalon se ichcha thi ki apne khud ka restaurant kholoon. Ab paise mil gaye toh maine yeh restaurant khol liya.
Daya: That's great 😊
BTW, tumhe Abhijeet ka birthday abhi bhi yaad hai?
Survi: Haan...main unka birthday kaise bhool sakti hoon?
Daya: Aakar ek baar mil lo Abhijeet se...
Survi: Nahi...rehne dijiye. Abhijeet ko mere baare mein kuch bhi yaad nahi. Bohot dard hota hai unse milkar.
Daya: Main samajh sakta hoon.
Daya: Main samajh sakta hoon.
Survi: Aur main yeh bhi jaanti hoon ki woh mujhse milna nahi chahte.
Daya: Yeh tum kaise keh sakti ho?
Survi: Main unhe bohot achchi tarah jaanti hoon. Isliye unhone in 8 saalon mein ek baar bhi mujhe contact karne ki koshish nahi ki.
Main unhe unka favourite cake khila saki...yehi kaafi hai.
Daya: Hmmm...Anyway...tumhe yahan dekhkar achcha lag raha hai. All the best. Hum log yahan aate rahenge. 😊
Daya went back to the table.
Abhijeet: Kahan chale gaye the Daya? Itni der kyon laga di?
Daya: Main bas washroom gaya tha
Abhijeet: Jhoot mat bolo Daya. Tum doosri taraf se aa rahe the...wahan kyon chale gaye tum?
Daya: Jisne yeh cake deliver kiya - unhe thanks kehne gaya tha.
Abhijeet: Itna special thanks kyon? Woh toh unka kaam hai...
Daya: Yeh cake special hai Abhijeet. Darasal ise maine order nahi kiya.
Abhijeet: Phir kisne order kiya?
Daya: Kisi ne order nahi kiya. Is resaurant ke owner ne tumhare liye complimentary cake diya hai.
Abhijeet: Kyon? Owner mujhe jaanta hai?
Daya: Jaanta nahi, jaanti hai. Is restaurant ki owner Survi hai.
Abhijeet: Survi? Woh ...yahan...kab aayi?
Daya: Ek saal pehle.
Abhijeet: Oh...(looks embarrassed and confused)
Daya: Boss...woh tumse abhi bhi pyar karti hai.
Abhijeet: Toh main kya kar sakta hoon? Mujhe apne zindagi ka woh hissa yaad hi nahi hai.
Abhijeet was silent for some time. He felt guilty that he didn't remember Survi, but at the same time he couldn't suddenly force himself to love her back. He had moved on long ago and was happy that she had moved to Pune. Survi's sudden appearance in Mumbai would complicate matters.
Abhijeet: Daya, mujhe yahan kuch achcha nahi lag raha hai. Kahon aur chalen?
Daya: Come on Abhijeet. Freddie aur Sachin aate honge. Aur humne starters bhi order kiya hai. Ab bina khaye nikal jaana bad manners hai. Come on Abhijeet...cake cut karo...dinner khaao aur uske baad nikal jaao. Tumhe Survi se milne ke liye koi force nahi kar raha hai
Soon Freddie and Sachin arrived and there was no more talk of Survi. Abhijeet cut the cake and the 4 of them had a lovely dinner. Soon it was time to leave.
Daya, Freddie and Sachin moved towards the exit.
Abhijeet: Tum log jaao...main 2 minute mein aata hoon
Daya understood and smiled to himself.
Abhijeet went to the owner's cabin.
Survi(surprised): Aap?
Abhijeet: Cake ke liye thanks.
Survi: Kaise hain aap?
Abhijeet: Theek hoon. 😊 Pari kaisi hai?
Survi: Pari theek hai...woh ab college mein hai.
Abhijeet Aur...Aap kaisi hain?
Survi: 😆 aap'??? (shakes her head at the irony) Main bhi theek hoon.
Abhijeet: Aapne doosri shaadi ki?
Survi: Nahi...(laughs) woh filmon mein kehte hai na...'pyar sirf ek bhi baar hota hai'
Abhijeet: hmm...(embarrassed) .Restaurant bohot achcha hai...khaana bhi badhiya hai.
Survi: Sunkar achcha lag raha hai. 😊
Abhijeet: Main chalta hoon. Take care.
Survi: Aap bhi. Good night...aur Happy Birthday once again.
Abhijeet: Thank you.
Back at the Innova...
Freddie: Abhijeet sir...kahan chale gaye the?
Abhijeet: Bas restaurant manager ko cake ke liye thanks kehne gaya tha
Daya: Dobaara yahan aaoge?
Abhijeet: Khaana toh bohot achcha tha.
Daya: hmmm...😉
Abhijeet: Tum nahi sudhroge. 😆
*** THE END ***
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