chapter 18

It was around 6 pm. After a whole day shopping, Jay and Nitin came back home. They had shopping bags in their hands. Jay rang the doorbell.“Hey, they are back! Prach, please be ready with the camera. I want to capture Jay’s reaction,” Mita.Prachi took her phone in hurry and stood in the corner. Mita switched off the lights and opened the door.“Why is it too dark??” Jay.Mita switched on the lights as Jay entered the house.“Surprise!!!!!!!!” All three screamed together. The room was fully decorated with blue and white balloons. In the living room wall, Happy Birthday sticker was put and the full wall was lightened up with the led lights. The centre table was set up near the sofa with candles and rose petals. Jay was absolutely stunned to see all that.“What is this??” Jay.“hmmm, lots of hard work done by Mita. Well done girl!” Nitin.“Thank you. Prach helped me a lot. Especially with the balloons, Thanks Prach!” Mita.“Come on yar, Jay is not only your fiancé but our friend too, Well done Nitin. You came back on time,” Prachi patted Nitin’s back.“Yes, we could set this up all because of you,” Mita.“Oh ok, now I understood why suddenly Nitin wanted to go for shopping. All well planned it seems?” Jay realised.“Yes, the master mind Ms Mita,” Nitin.“But without you and Prachi it wouldn’t have been possible. Har ek friend zaroori hota hai!!,” Mita.“Mita, you really don’t not have to do this,” Jay came forward and held her hands.“Why not?? You are special and so is your birthday,” Mita.“This is just a trailer Mr. Jay, picture abhi baaki hai mere dost,” Prachi.“Really?? Well, I am too excited to see the full picture then,” Jay looked at Mita with lots of love in his eyes.Mita blushed and her cheeks turned red.“Waise khane ko kya hai?? This aroma is making me curious to know about today’s special menu,” Nitin.“Hahaha, go and freshen up yourself, party will start soon,” Mita. After an hour, around 7:30 pm, everyone assembled in the living room.“Guys, since Jay is a non-veg lover, Mita prepared Pahadi moorg kebab, ghee rice, butter chicken masala,” Prachi.“Not only me Prach, let’s say, we have prepared,” Mita.“What about desert??” Nitin with soft voice??“We thought of preparing Gulab Jamun…” Mita.“Wow…Gulab Jamun after long time..yummm” Nitin.“Nadan balak, poori baat soon to le…let her finish,” Prachi.“Sorry Nitin, we couldn’t manage with the time so prepared Semiya kheer,” Mita.“And also, there is a special chocolate cake by Mita,” Prachi.“Ohh ok..cool,” Nitin.“Well done girls. You have put lots of efforts. Hats off!” Jay.“Thank you!!”“So guys, here is the plan. We will have starters first. Some music and dance. We will play cards. After that there is another game for Jay, by that time it will be 12:00 am and we will cut the cake,” Mita explained.“All right… Party is On!!!” Everybody screamed and started enjoying the food and the games.As planned, at around 11:00 PM, Mita gave a small piece of paper to Jay:“Jay, this is a small game, a treasure hunt ..”“Treasure hunt??” Jay.“mmm… not actually a treasure hunt, we can call it as a Gift Hunt,” Mita was smiling.“I did not get you,” Jay.“Let me explain, in this card, you will get your first clue,”“Clue?? About what?” Jay.“About your gift..Once you get a clue you will have to go and search there for your next clue. This way you will keep searching for next clues about where the gift is kept,” Mita.“So much hard work for the birthday gift? Poor Jay.” Nitin“Interesting. But even if I don’t do this, I will still get the gift right?” Jay.“mm…yeah..but do this na Jay. It’s so much fun, pleaseeee!!” Mita.“Okk,” Jay took the paper and read the message on it:“The first thing you do in the morning before having a breakfast”.“Toilet?? Yuckk.. What type of clue is this??” Nitin.“There are many things we do before having breakfast. May be people like you, don’t brush your teeth…yuck,” Prachi.“Huhhhh” Nitin.Jay thought for a while and said, “Brush my teeth???”Mita shrugged her shoulder.“Come on Mita, for the first clue you have to help me,” Jay.“Maybe you are right, but you need to check there for the second clue,” Mita.“Ok.” Jay went to the bathroom, checked near the tooth brush holder. He found another small paper with one chocolate. He read the message:“Congratulations. You have got your 2nd clue: Your favourite breakfast curry.”He looked at Mita, “This is really difficult one. I like so many curries. How can this be a clue?”“Try try don’t cry,” Prachi. Was smiling.“Prachi, you have to help me. This is my bday gift right?”“Try Jay, think for a while its easy,” Prachi.“Breakfast means poha, upla, idli dosa right? That day only I saw upma and peas curry, you mean peas curry?” Nitin to Mita.“Ohh right, how could I miss that? Peas curry..yesss,” Jay.“Nitin, you aren’t supposed to guess that. Jay has to do it,” Prachi.“Sorry, I just reminded him the curry but for the clue he has to find the paper right?” Nitin.“Right,” Mita.“mmm…ok peas curry means peas, means in the kitchen. Let me go to the kitchen and check,” Jay went to the kitchen and started opening the drawers, trollies. He saw the boxes of pulses. He took the box of green peas and opened it… yesss..I got it” Jay opened his third clue. He started reading the message,“Wow.. you got your 3rd clue. I am so proud of you!!! Now let’s go to your clue no. 4:You never leave the house without taking this..”Jay started thinking.“This is interesting now. Even I am enjoying it,” Nitin.“Right, that was the intention, we should enjoy it,” Mita.“Enjoyment is fine, but how many total clues are there?” Jay.“Don’t worry Jay, just one more after this, aaaaooooooo” Mita screamed, and sat down on the chair.Jay ran towards her, “What happened Mita?”“Nothing, it’s a cramp, but really painful” held her leg with pain.Prachi got a glass of water. Jay started massaging her toe where she got the cramp.“No no, don’t touch it, just let it be, it will be fine in couple of minutes.”“These days she is getting lots of cramps, seems to be vitamins deficiency,” Prachi.“Mita, just leave this game and all, you are not well,” Jay.“Ohh no..please continue..see now I am fine.. it was just a cramp,” Mita.“Are you sure?” Jay.“Yes, of course, now go and check it,” Mita.Jay started thinking again, “without phone, keys and wallet I don’t go out…phone is with me only and the keys are there in the key holder so let me check for the wallet now” He went to his room and took the wallet from his cupboard. He checked all sections of his wallet but did not get anything. Finally, he kept the wallet back in the same place and there he noticed another paper, his next clue.“You are working really hard my dear Jay and I am loving it!! Here is you last clue:The place, where you spend your maximum time in this house!!”“Sofaaaaa!!!” Nitin screamed.Prachi gave him an angry look.Jay walked towards sofa and started searching here and there. He couldn’t find anything. He checked each cushion and its cover but no use. Finally, he looked at Mita, she smiled.“Try try but don’t cry,” Prachi.“Don’t give up Jay, you are so near to get your gift, please keep trying,” Mita.“Sofa means he can check nearby sofa also right?” Nitin.“mmm…yeah, maybe he can,” Mita shrugged her shoulder.Jay started looking here and there again. He checked all the corners near sofa but could not find anything.“I can’t”, he gave up and sat on the sofa, that’s when he noticed the centre table, it was decorated with rose petals, Cake was kept at the centre and there was a blue colour birthday hat near the cake.He thought something for a while and suddenly lifted up the birthday hat.“Yeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy,” Everybody started clapping. ”Finally, you got it. Shabbashh!!” Nitin.Jay, kept the birthday hat aside and picked the small white coloured pouch, which was nicely tied with red coloured ribbon. Under the pouch, there was a very small cute, pocket-sized card. He picked up the card first, read the cover,“You are the Sun of my day and the moon of my nights”.He smiled again and opened the card“You are special,On this special day, I thought to do something special for youto make these memories even more special for our lifetime…Happy Birthday my love…Yours Only,Mita ❤ ”By now, Jay’s eyes became teary. He couldn’t see the letters on the card. Mita was just observing Jay and trying to see his reaction.“Open the pouch Jay, I am so curious to know what’s that,” Prachi.Jay, kept the card and picked up the pouch. He softly untied the ribbon and opened it.“Wooooowwww….. This is so prettyyyy…” Prachi.“Sahi main..it is awesome..lucky Jay,” Nitin.It was a golden bracelet with a beautiful design and Jay’s nickname was written on it.“Kannan….”Jay was so overwhelmed that he could not understand how to express his emotions. He came forward, hugged Mita and kissed her passionately. Mita couldn’t resist and kissed him back.“Awwwwww….” Nitin and Prachi closed their eyes.To be continued......