I Was, I Am.

-THE BIRTHDAY BOY-

EDITED CHAPTER#12:

"Of course. He's the birthday boy; my little brother." She said; as I stood their motionlessly for a couple of seconds; letting the news sink in; while the only thing that kept playing and replaying in my head was;

I'm sorry miss; but your brother isn't as little as you make him sound.

"Ooh." I finally replied.

"Hey but how do you know him?"

"He happens to be my boss. Well not my immediate boss, but um...yeah."

"Oh so you work in SENSES too."

"Yes."

"Nice. Aditi right?"

"Yes." I smiled.

"Anyway, I should continue my shopping now. It was really nice meeting you Aditi."

"Oh same here!"

"Say bye to Aditi Misha." She said to Nimisha; as Nimisha hesitantly waved at me; barely whispering, "Bye."

"Bye." I smiled at her and gently pulled her cheek.

And with that; we went our own ways.

So Mr. Ahuja is turning thirty.

Contrary to the control I wished I had, I found an unknown part of me brood over this little piece of information I'd just learnt. It was actually kind of fascinating to have found out something...anything about a man as reserved and unpredictable as him.

My thoughts were interrupted by my ringing phone. I stopped walking; placed all the bags on the floor and pulled the phone out from my shorts. Sighing; I picked up the phone and was greeted with Mihir's grave tone;

"Do you know how to bake a cake?"

"What?"

"Do you or do you not know how to bake a cake?" he repeated.

"Um...I don't know. But why do you need to bake a cake?"

"It's one of my distant aunt's birthday and I may have blatantly declared that I'm a pro at baking."

I burst out laughing at that in the middle of the street and a group of teenage boys crossing the road gave me a stare as though I were some lunatic. I stopped myself consciously; and adjusting my shirt spoke into the phone;

"You're stupid."

"Shut up. Help me. Please." He begged and I smiled.

"I'm out right now. Let me go home and figure this out."

"Where are you?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

"I'm desperate okay?" his pleaded.

"That's not the answer to my question."

"Ugh. Go now. Reach home and call me." And at that I hung up the call.

So let's see.

I can ask mom for the cake baking recipe; I'll ask him to talk to her and she'll help him with that.

Deciding that; I walked back to my house and adjusted all the items in the fridge and the counter one by one. This was one of the chores that I was responsible for-shopping for the monthly groceries and supplies, adjusting them and refilling everything from time to time. Since I never cooked, I had to keep asking Ma what she needed to be refilled.

"Okay so I thought about that; I'll ask Ma to explain the recipe to you." I said to Mihir; after I called him back.

"That's...not an option anymore."