~~ Happy Birthday Shrutika ~~

Happy birthday to me

The clock strikes 12 and a girl who just turned 19 started to sing and shout "happy birthday to me." She started to decorate her rented apartment with balloons, streamers, candles and flowers. For anyone in this world celebrating one's birthday alone would be saddening and depressing but for Sharon, nah, she is different. She has always been alone all her life. When she was 8 years old her parents died in a car accident and from that day she has stayed alone. But she never regretted it except one thing, she now don't have anyone whom she can call 'family'. She knew that God has chosen this life for her and she has always welcomed everything which God gave to her with open arms. After a week of her parent's death her uncle took her to an orphanage and she grew up there with her beautiful friends. She always wanted to see the world and do something that will make her parents proud. All her life she has worked hard and right now she is studying in the best college of Mumbai, St. Louis. Her hard work paid off and she got scholarship and now she is in St. Louis, her dream college. She couldn't have asked for more from God for her life. She was happy with everything. Every weekend she visits her friends in the orphanage and few others who are outside of that place, independent. They all gather there and have fun. Everything is just perfect in her life except one thing. Her weird neighbour cum class mate Swayam Shekhawat. She has always found him to be unpredictable. Sometimes he talks with her so kindly and lovingly that she feels tingles in her stomach and sometimes he behaves so rudely and coldly that she feels she is his biggest enemy. She never could make out what's with him. Why is he so unpredictable? She can never guess whether he will be sweet or bitter to her at the moment. She shoved his thoughts from her mind and continued with her decorations. She didn't want to destroy her mood by thinking about that weirdo. She turned on the music player on almost high volume and started to sing loudly with it. Suddenly she heard her bell ring. She stopped singing and went to open the door cursing that person who disturbed her from celebrating her birthday. Aahh who else can have this weird expression on his face other than Swayam?

"Hey do you want something?" she asked nonchalantly.

"God Sharon do you think you could get more louder? Few people like to stay in peace and especially at this hour of night!" he yelled.

"Sorry I will turn it down." she said sheepishly and walked her to the stereo to turn it down. She thought he must have gone. But she jumped when he cleared his throat and said "what are you wearing?" she looked down at her body and realized she was wearing too little. She then looked at him with wide mouth and eyes who was looking at her with a cocky smile. She tried hard to hide her blush and ran to her bedroom. After a minute she came back wearing a denim jean and a mickey mouse tee shirt to see Swayam checking out her living room.

"What are you up to?" he asked her raising his one brow.

"Nothing." She said nonchalantly.

"Oh come on you can't be that crazy to just decorate your living room at this hour of night." He paused. "anything special."

She hesitated.

"Now will you tell me what it is today?" he asked her sternly.

"It's my birthday." She said shrugging.

His eyes became wide. "What?" she asked confused at his expression.

"It's your birthday." He said softly. It felt like more than telling her he told himself.

"So?"

"You didn't even tell me?" he said hurt.

"Do you even bother?" she asked sheepishly.

He shrugged and looked away. Then he took a deep breath and said in a cheerful way "let me bake a cake for you."

"What? No no I don't want you to ruin my kitchen. So.."

Ignoring her he walked straight into her kitchen.

"Hey what are you doing? Swayam please.."

He suddenly turned around and she bumped into his chest. She was about to fall but he snaked his hand around her waist in the right time and saved her from falling. Both were looking into each other's eyes intensely, their faces were inches apart from each other. They could feel each other's warm breath on their face which was tying their stomach into a knot. Swayam made her stand properly and started to search for the ingredients.

"Swayam.." he cut her off. "Tell me where is the egg, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, vanilla essence, icing powder.."

"Stop" she yelled. She knew if she wants also he will not go. It's impossible to make him out of her house so she quietly gave him all the items which one needs to bake a cake. He mixed all the ingredients and made the batter.

"Where is the mould?" he asked her.

She pointed towards rack where all the moulds were kept. He saw there was a star, round, square shaped mould. But there were two more moulds. One was flower and the other was heart. Sharon was sure he will choose the round or the square. But she gasped when she saw him picking the heart shaped mould. He looked at her and smirked. She sighed. As always he is unpredictable. He put all the batter in the mould and put it in the oven for baking.

Sharon cleared her throat indicating him to explain why he chose the heart shaped mould but he didn't say anything nor reacted. With an expressionless face he walked out of the kitchen. She looked at his retreating figure totally irritated. When will he behave properly with her? he is so weird. Argghh. She followed him and now both were sitting on the couch in her living room. There was an awkward silence between them. Swayam broke it.

"Umm..why are you celebrating your birthday alone? Where are your friends? What's their names-yeah Rinni, Simmi, Kriya, Neha and then..?"

She smiled awkwardly. "Because I celebrate my birthday every year like this..with myself."

"But why?" he asked confused as well as curious.

She took a deep breath and said "because I don't have anyone special with whom I can celebrate. I last celebrated my birthday with my parents and after them there is no family left. That's why I celebrate it alone."

He looked deep in her eyes. He could see there was pain, loneliness. He knew that her parents were dead but he never could make out that the loud, cheerful girl is actually a lonely girl inside. He knew her, but just as a class mate. She was not even his friend. But he has always secretly liked her and wanted to make friendship with her and if he honestly admits then he has always wished her to be someone more than a friend.

"You have a family." He said honestly.

"Huh?" She asked confused.

"Nothing." He shrugged. Let's check whether the cake is ready or not. She nods.

They went in the kitchen and the cake was ready. Swayam brought it out and then started to do the icing on the cake. "Umm Sharon.." "Yes?" "Go and wait in the living room." "But.." "Please go." He said softly. She reluctantly went out of the kitchen to her living room. He came back after 30 long minutes. She was getting restless and thought of checking on him but luckily he came out and she sighed. She gasped when she saw the cake. It was covered with chocolate cream and was decorated with heart shaped strawberries and there was something written on it. It read "For the Special Person of My Life".

"What is this?" she asked totally confused, shocked and surprised.

"As if you can't understand." He said cockily.

"but..you..this.." she shuttered with her words.

He cupped her face and said lovingly. "You have always driven me crazy Sharon."

She was shocked as well as pissed. "Then why didn't you tell me before? And from when?"

He ignored the first question and answered the second one "From that time I laid my eyes on you."

"What?"

"Stop being so shocked." He said shrugging.

"God Swayam what do you expect? You kept on behaving coldly with me and.."

"I guess that's how I am." He said coolly.

"You are so unpredictable and weird." She said being irritated.

He chuckled "yes I am. So.."

"What so?"

"Do you like me?"

She blushed.

"Is that a yes?" he asked smirking.

"Yes." She said shyly.

"But I don't like you." he said sternly.

She looked at him shocked. "I love you Sharon." she felt her breath was caught in her throat. She was looking at him totally shocked as if she has seen a ghost.

"And I know your like will turn into 'love' very soon." He said confidently.

"I am feeling like its already turning into love Swayam." She said choking. She never felt she will get someone special in her life whom she will be able to call family. She hugged him tightly which he returned to her gladly. Her unpredictable Swayam made this birthday of hers totally unpredictable. She thanked God who gave her an unpredictable gift on her birthday. Like always she received his gift, his blessing with open arms.

"Can I kiss you Sharon?"