The Unexpected Rhapsody || ✅

Chapter 2

"Let's go, ND," whispers Mira as she lights up the sixteenth candle on top of the cake.

ND stands up from the living room's couch and slowly walks with Mira towards Himani's room. The two women take careful steps and give their maximum to minimize any sound. When ND slowly opens the door, Mira steps in first and keeps the cake on the empty bed next to the sleeping figure.

ND draws open the curtains to slowly illuminate the room. As daylight falls over the birthday girl's features, her eyes lightly move underneath the eyelids. She squeezes them shut and turns away from the window to let her back face the window.

Mira huffs. "Wake up, Ms. Sleepyhead!"

Himani moves and lets out in her morning voice, "I hardly ever sleep and you're here like... ugh!"

This was true. Himani was known to burn herself out at both the ends. She would keep herself busy with anything and everything and hardly ever care about how many hours she slept. Her father and close ones were always worried about this. Sometimes she would get to bed at 11 PM and wake up at 3 AM. In other words, she would torture herself.

"I know it's a Saturday, Himani," says ND in a concerned voice, "But it's also your birthday, darling!"

Himani immediately opens her eyes.

"Oh no! I thought 1st September was tomorrow!" she quickly props herself up. "How could I forget JK's birthday! God! Where's my phone!?"

"Stop being so hysterical, Hima-ya!" scolds Mira as she grabs the younger by her shoulders.

When the sudden action causes Himani to come back to her senses, Mira speaks again, this time, in a much softer tone, "Himani dear, today isn't the 1st. It's still August. It's the 31st. It's your birthday."

"It's the 31st? Oh God! It's my birthday and not his," she breathes normally now. "I thought that it was his birthday and I forgot about it."

Mira laughs and gets off Himani. "His birthday is still a few hours away. I know you'll never miss it."

Himani looks down and blushes at the comment. Her eyes suddenly fall on the chocolate cake next to her, the candles melted down to half their length. She looks back up to the other two women and alternates her gaze between them. As they smile proudly, Himani doesn't help but cover her mouth with her palms in an attempt to not cry out loud. Her eyes eventually sparkle with a thin cover of water over them.

"Oh my God! Why?" she asks while trying to blink back her tears, "You really didn't have to."

"Shut up, Hima-ya," Mira playfully remarks. She picks the cake up and puts it on top of Himani's blanket-covered knees. "Blow the candles, now."

Himani eyes the cake for a moment and bites her lip. She inhales deeply and finally blows the candles off. As she does so, the other two sing, "saeng-il chuk-ha-habnida! Saeng-il chuk-ha-habnida! Sarang-haneun Himani! Saeng-il chuk-ha-habnida!!"

They all clap.

~~

"I didn't know you could bake a cake that nice, sis," compliments Himani as the three of them sit together in the living room and watch the drama 'Love Alarm' on Netflix.

"Are you still thinking about the morning?" asks Mira.

"Well, I can't seem to get over it any time soon. It was really delicious."

"Thanks!"

"Ah! By the way, when exactly did you make it? We pretty much went to the bed at the same time last night."