The love of my life

18. Her Birthday

January '2019

Another week passed as Daman burried herself in college work and tears, catching up on missed classes as she slept with her head on the practical manual.

It was around midnight when Samayra sneaked into her room with a balloon filled with thermocol and confetti as another 2 friends brought the cake.

Samayra held the balloon just above Daman's calm dreamy face and poked it using a pin.

"POP"

The sound of the balloon bursting echoed as a sleeping Daman woke up suddenly and sat up.

"Ahhhhh..." Daman screamed with  her mouth open as confetti rested on her tongue, wrapping it in her saliva along with thermocol balls.

"Happpyyy birrrthhhdddaayyy to you... Haapppyy biiirrthhdaayy dear Daman... Happppyyy birrrtthhdddaayyy to youuuuu..." The friends sang as Daman got up wiping the contents of her mouth with a tissue. Samayra put the happy birthday's fun punjabi version on the bluetooth speaker while she focused on the candles on the cake and looked up with a friend clicking her picture.

"Sttooopp... I'm not wearing extensions or a wig." Daman says as the friend nods and respectfully keeps the camera down, waiting for Daman to do whatever she finds appropriate.

Daman was soon smiling, hugging and blowing candles wishing God for happiness with Ekansh or even a closure.

She smiled, cut the cake fed it around as she felt her phone vibrate somewhere around the bed. She paused the music on the speaker looking for her phone. She found it and looked at the contact.

Ekansh Calling

She took a deep breath, calming her rapidly beating heart before accepting the call.

"Hey." She spoke.

"Happy birthday, Daman." he said as she took another deep breath.

Don't cry, Daman. Don't cry. Please don't cry. She told herself as Samayra looked at her with an 'Everything okay?' look.

Daman nodded but her grave expression told Samayra who was on the other side of the call. She looked away, deciding not to interfere between them.

"Thank you, Sir." Daman said sounding professional as he chuckled.

The same damn chuckle that made her fall in love.

"I think we're past the 'Sir' stage." He said.

"Oh, are we? Then what are we? Sir.." She said as he went silent for a minute.

"What are you doing tomorrow evening?" He asked.

"Going out with Samayra." She said as he spoke.

"Okay, then after that we'll go for ice cream." He said as she opened her mouth to say 'No' but just couldn't.

"Your birthday treat..." He added as she nodded.

"Okay, I gotta go. Bye." She said and disconnected unable to look Samayra in the eyes as all the other girls were busy chatting.

"Don't tell me that you made plans with him..." She whispers in her ear as Daman clears her throat.

"We're still going out. I can't spend my birthday without you." She said changing the music to a different song as the dance started.

She went to sleep at 3 in the morning, her brain still half active and cooking up scenarios about Ekansh's confession of love for her at the Ice cream parlour when the alarm blared out loud at 8 in the morning.