𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 [𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡]

ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ 32

"What?" Her eyes widened as she possibly could have had, she asked again, "what do you mean? Don't joke around!" That was Alia's literal worst nightmare. Being the attention of a crowd where she knew no one. Everyone would be looking at her!

Shreya shook her head no and continue to look behind Alia as she widened her eyes. "I'm not kidding. He is coming right up in. . three. . . two. . . .and.."

"Hi, baby. Happy birthday." She turned around and there he stood when his hand outstretched but with a..rose..? She frowned a bit looking down at it.

Shreya's laughter was heard and Alia smiled at Arman.

"Hi!" Alia smiled and turned around to Shreya quickly, "Choke on it, you bitch." She smiled and turned around again taking Armaan by his arm, she walked away from the woman whose laugh resembles a hyena.

"Here." He held out a rose to her and she took it.

"Thank you." She smiled. "So, do you have anything to do with everyone wishing me a happy birthday?"

"What?" He frowned.

She nodded. "Yes, everyone has been wishing been wishing me a happy birthday."

"Oh, that." He laughed. "Yes, that is quite funny."

It was her turn to frown now. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Immediately he stopped laughing after hearing her, "You don't know?" He asked in seriousness and then walked again.

"No." She shook her head, suddenly serious about what he was talking about.

He stopped at the beginning of the parking and asked her again, "Really? Do you not know?"

"No, I do-" she hit him as she saw him break character and almost laugh.

"Just tell me what is it I don't know about?" She spoke harshly.

He pointed a finger somewhere behind her, "You mean you don't know about The balloons that have a happy birthday with your face on them?"

"What?!" She turned around yelling to see what he was talking about.

"The fuck?! Who did that?" She yelled appalled at the sight of balloons with her face on it saying 'happy birthday' on her scooter.

He laughed behind her. "That would be Shreya and if I were you I would take those off." He reminded her.

Alia ran towards her scooter for dear life.

********

"Why would she do that?" Aliya shrieked in the car as Armaan drove.
"That was not a prank but humiliation." She continued.

He, on the contrary, shook his head. "I don't think so, love. It was a prank but I understand that you don't like those." He did.

Her reaction was anything but friendly towards the prank and if anything she hated it.

She tsked and looked out. "I like socializing, at times, I also like being the centre of the crowd and the attention of it but when someone humiliates me, I hate that. I get little jokes on me and otherwise, but that was making fun of me and humiliating me and that's not fair!"

Arman sighed, "what I am going to say is going to him- irritate you even further," corrected his left as he came to a stop because of the red light. "You are overthinking about this and taking it too far. It was just a prank and the next time we meet her laugh along with that and after a few days tell her that you didn't like it as much as she thought you would." He booed her nose. "Friendships are important and friends are going to be a part of it. Take it from a guy who is 21."

She scoffed smiling at that. "Yeah, you're old." Then straightened up, "I'm just a kid. How can you even think of being in a relationship with me?"

He gave her a stink eye. "You better watch your mouth, I am the one who is driving. It is going to take one turn and bam you are dead." He warned.

"Yikes, when you talk like that.." she shuddered. "Though where are we going?"

"Somewhere." He answered vaguely as he shifted the gear to drive. "But special."

**********

"Why are we here?" Alia asked as they parked in front of the market of sector seventeen. "Are we here to shop? We could have just gone to a mall." She grumbled.

"Hush it." He replied throwing a glance her way. "Don't ruin my surprise with that talk."

"Wha-Me?" Appalled she pointed at herself as he continued to walk in front of her. "How did i- don't! Stop walking!" She commanded.

He didn't stop.

"At least wait for me..." She groaned and stomped her feet as she moved quickly to catch up with him. "Just so you know good boyfriends don't do this." She informed him quietly.

He hummed. "I never promised to be a good one." He retorted back making her frown but she chose not to comment.

"Ice cream?" He asked as he looked at a stall and pointed at it.

"Yeah, mango please." She answered with a small smile. Ice cream in winter was something she loved.

With the cone in each hand, he took her to stand near a pole and asked her to wait there.

"Wait?" She frowned, "but wh-?"

"It's your happy, happy birthday!" A mob screamed and laughed together. Alia's eyes widened as she watched them take their positions and someone switching on the song.

Happy Birthday, ABCD2.

She gasped as the people danced and mixed retro songs with it and how they screamed happy birthday together whenever the words came up in the song.

"A flash mob," she whispered looking fascinated as the people danced. "For.."

"You." He completed with a smile. "Just for you."