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The air was crisp on the morning of September 4th, Ayush's birthday was on 9th, but for him, it felt like just another day. With pre-boards looming and pressure mounting, the idea of celebrating seemed thoughtless.
As he sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the stack of textbooks that dominated his desk, Ayush felt an odd mixture of unease and apathy.
His younger sister, Aishwarya, noticed the sadness on his face as she walked into the room.
"What's wrong, Ayush?" she asked, her tone more curious than concerned.
"Nothing," Ayush mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "I just don't see the point in celebrating this year. It's too much right now."
Aishwarya rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! You're acting like you'll never have a birthday again. This could be the last one we celebrate together, you know? Next year, we'll all be too busy—exams, different colleges, and who knows where we'll end up?"
Her words struck a chord with Ayush. It wasn't that he didn't want to celebrate; he just didn't know if it was worth the distraction. His mind drifted for a moment, considering her point. But before he could respond, the buzz of his phone snapped him back to reality. It was a text from Kiara.
Meanwhile, Kiara sat cross-legged on her bed, her laptop open and tabs upon tabs of online gift ideas cluttering the screen.
She'd been at this for hours, and yet, nothing felt special enough for Ayush. She wanted to surprise him, to do something that would make his birthday memorable. But every idea felt either too common or too extravagant.
Frustrated, she shot a message to Tanmay, Aadhit, Sanya, Ajay, Maya, Neha, and Ansh in their group chat AYUSH'S BIRTHDAY, hoping they'd have some creative suggestions. The replies came quickly, but none of them seemed to help.
Maya: "Why don't you get him a nice watch? It's classic."
Ansh: "Gift him some books or study materials, maybe?"
Sanya: "Gift him a wallet. Maybe?"
Aadhit: "Why don't you try for that special edition jersey?"
Kiara sighed. These ideas were fine, but they didn't capture the essence of Ayush, the way she knew him.
Neha, however, had remained silent throughout the conversation. Kiara messaged her privately, desperate for advice.
Kiara: "Neha, you're the only one who hasn't said anything. Do you have any ideas?"
Neha's response took a moment, but when it came, it hit Kiara differently than the others.
Neha: "Kiara, you don't need to buy anything special. Just do something from your heart. You know Ayush better than anyone. He may not always show it, but he's sensitive. Whatever you do, make it personal."
