High School Romance Revisited

Chapter 16 - The Wish

There was a small cake with a single candle placed on the table and beside it the Cherry Blossom painting was kept on a stand. Our conference room was not at all like the boring ones of corporate offices. Rather it reflected our creative field. 

The centre table had doodles on it and bar stools were scattered around the room. The huge white board was for projections while the walls were decorated with pinboards to display pictures, notes, charts, etc. However right now nothing was visible properly as apart from the flickering candlelight there was only natural moonlight coming from the adjacent balcony.

Mahen was sitting on one of the stool playing the guitar. There was bandage on his head and hand. His knuckles were swollen as well. 

All this for that painting? Why? And why was he here? He remembered my birthday? My head was spinning. What was going on?

My phone's ringtone startled me pulling me back from my thoughts. It was Chitra calling. I had a feeling that Rai and Koushik too were in the conference call.

"Why don't you take the call first? Then I can answer all your questions. After all we have all night!" Mahen said in a low voice.

Picking up the call I had to hold it a little away from my ears. As I had thought, the three of them wished me together. They were so loud that even though my phone was not on speaker the conference hall echoed with their voice. They went on saying a lot of things of which nothing registered in my head. I kept giving answers in yes, no and thank you. Then Chitra assumed that I might be in deep sleep and said they will speak in the morning. I quickly agreed and finally they disconnected.

"Still in the habit of forgetting your own birthday?" Mahen asked as he put the guitar aside and climbed down from the stool.

He was right. I did have a tendency of forgetting my own birthday every year. I don't know how I did it but I just did.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. Picking up the knife from the table he said, "mind cutting the cake first?" I cannot deny that there was a strange fear and excitement surrounding my heart. I took the knife from him and he added, "don't forget to wish."

Mahen went round the table and stood opposite to me. I lowered my head to blow the candle. Taking one last glance at him I closed my eyes.

I wish; what do I wish? Shall I wish to get him back in my life? But do I really want that? Shall I wish to receive what I really deserve? Or shall I wish for the time to turn and take me back to those old days? 

Knowing none of those wishes are eligible and will never come true I ended up not wishing at all. I blew the candle and was about to cut the cake but paused. "Mahen why did you purchased the Cherry Blossom painting? I don't remember you to be an art connoisseur. Then why?" I asked not looking up from the cake.

"I didn't purchase it. They gave it to me."

I frowned. What the hell is he saying? "Mahen please don't lie."

"One thing you know very well about me Deepa that I never lie."

I looked up and met his eyes, "You want me to believe that someone gave you this painting just like that?" 

He nodded. I kept the knife on the table, "I don't believe you. Moreover the article says –"

"That the English family gave the painting to an art enthusiast whom they consider to be a passionate lover."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Deepa I got the painting twelve years ago to give you as a proposal gift."