The Birthday Shock

Discover how her birthday surprise turned into a total shock!

*Ding dong! * *Ding dong! * *Ding dong! *

I slapped my ears with the pillow and clenched my eyes. The sound of that doorbell was like a lion roaring in my ear. Can I murder its inventor? Wondered my curious anger. At the same time, my mind instructed me to roll out of that cosy mattress. “Don’t. Keep. Somebody. Waiting”, it warned me. I wobbled towards the hefty wooden door. What greeted me is a sight that is imprinted in my memory.

“Happy birthday!” my mother dropped her bag and opened her arms wide, moving forward to hug me.

“Oh, w-wow! I can’t be-believe you’re he-here!” I held my face in my hands and continued, “I expected a call last night by the way,” I murmured in Marathi. I hugged back and looked around to spot my father. 

“Alone?” I continued the search for my father.

“Dad is getting luggage. Go on, I’ll wait here,” she smiled, assuring me. Although, she sensed something isn’t right as I did not welcome her in or take her bag. I didn’t care about her displeasure then.

In the next thirty seconds, I darted across the room to kick my boyfriend, whose more than six feet of physique was peacefully sprawled across my bed in FCB boxer shorts. Messi continued to smile, not giving a damn about what was happening!

“Whaa?” he stammered and dove deeper in the blanket, shooing me away.

“Get moving! My parents are here.” My instructions were a firm whisper, he widened his eyes, now absolutely awake.  Within a minute, he was fully dressed and ready to battle! I was equally horrified. I could see the fright in his seductive light brown eyes; however, it was upon me to support him. It needed abundant confidence, so I tried faking it. 

“Breathe. My parents know about us, plus it’s my birthday,” I kissed his hands. I mouthed ‘let’s do this’ and gripped his arm. I dragged us out of that dreamy bedroom into the dreadful battleground, the hall.

“Happy birthday, sweetie!” My father’s arms were wide, he had an ear-to-ear grin on his face, which showed his every tooth. His eyes did not flinch even a millimetre on spotting ‘the boyfriend’ next to me. It was like nothing out-of-ordinary for him. 

“We oldies interrupting your lunch plan, eh?” he cautiously enquired. I didn’t know whether to assume that he has accepted this relationship or to clear the schedule and lie to him that they weren’t interrupting. 

“Don’t worry. We see each other all the time,” It was a brazen lie. It was Monday.

“Let’s have lunch together?” I dared without consulting my boyfriend. For that moment, I was only a daughter. 

“Absolutely! What do you feel like having?” That came from my boyfriend. It was the winning six! I feigned excitement. 

That question was like breaking a dam. Suggestions and opinions quenched our thirst of anxiety. We were engrossed into “Oh yeah, pizza!” and, “Oh, not pizza again, maybe Chinese?” We also unanimously arrived at the conclusion of ‘Dessert at Corner House’.