The birthday gift

We were at our predetermined place to celebrate brother's birthday. As expected, Aunt and uncle were not a part of this celebration which made me very happy. However, there were lots of people of my brother's age present. I concluded those people must be my brother's 'few friends' about whom he had said earlier. But man, all his friends were so ho...ahem good looking.

I took a quick glance at the food arrangements which didn't slip past my brother. He sighed, shook his head, then murmured, "So childish," But he smiled at the end.

Once Annie arrived, I started to hang around with her. Hanging around included the activities like –eating lots delicious food, little bit of dancing and gossiping about guys present in the party. Once again, the guys were damn hot!

While talking with Annie, I thought I saw Neil. To make sure I wasn't hallucinating, I asked Annie, "I think I saw Astors, is he here too?"

Annie nodded her head then she said, "You saw him just now? I found him the moment I came to this hotel. Not just him but Samantha is here too." She frowned as she ran her searching eyes here and there, then she whispered, "Look, there she is!" and I saw Samantha.

Samantha liked to be dude more than a diva. Even today, she was dressed in black leather pants and a leather jacket. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail. And the way she stood slightly leaning against the wall while her hands in her pockets, she was looking damn gorgeous! How come I didn't notice her the moment I came? She was shining so brightly like the sun in the presence of so many stars. She was looking like a cool rockstar, only she didn't has a guitar in her hand.

"Raine? Raine!" Annie snapped her fingers in front of my face to bring me back to the reality. "What are you thinking about?" She asked.

"Ah, nothing. I was just wondering who invited them? I mean who invited Neil and Samantha? I am sure they are not my brother's friend." I said.

"Oh, I know that!" Annie exclaimed. "Actually Samantha came with her big brother and she brought Astors as well. Samantha's big brother might be a friend of your brother." She said.

"Right, but how do you know all these things?" I asked her.

"My friend, you know very little about me. I am not aspiring to be a journalist for no reason. I am good at collecting information." Was her response.

"You plan to be a news reporter? That's so cool!" I said, and I meant it from the bottom of my heart.

"Yeah." She said. "I'll interview you if you choose music as your profession."

We both talked a lot and laughed at our silly jokes. It felt good to have someone as a friend. It was a good feeling to talk with someone else except Mini, my brain.

"Annie, excuse me for a while. I need to catch up with Neil, I have to befriend him... and you know the reason." I said and she nodded then she gave me a thumbs up as the sign of good luck.

I took a few deep breaths and slowly walked in his direction. As the distance between I and him were decreasing, my anxiety was increasing. So many what ifs were dancing inside my head. What if Neil would think I have turned into a stalker? What if I would end up sounding so desperate? What if brother would not approve me talking with a boy?

To think of my brother... I searched him with my eyes, and his eyes were somewhere else. Brother's eyes were on Samantha? Oh, well whatever as long as he's not looking at me!

I took another step towards Neil. I was sure he had figured I was approaching him, I could tell that from the movement of his fingers. And to make my assumption correct, he looked at my direction. To be more specific, he looked right into my eyes. I froze right there. All the will power I had gathered to talk with him, slowly slipped away like the sand under the fist.

I was habitual of being ignored, and when someone gave me their sole attention, it made me confused and scared.

W-what should I do now? How am I supposed to escape his gaze? Should I just run away? These questions were making me stressed and panicky. Thankfully, the cake cutting was announced! I hastily ran from there.

Everyone gathered around the cake as my brother blew the candle. Then someone reminded him to make a wish and he did so. I and everyone else started to clap and sing the happy birthday song when he cut the birthday cake.

In his previous birthdays, he would offer the first bite of cake to uncle, then to aunt, and lastly he would eat himself. As for me, 'Raine, now this whole cake is yours,' he would say and leave without bothering to know how his attitude hurt me. He never offered me cake with his own hands in this last six years.

Right now he was holding a piece of cake and looking here and there, searching for someone. I wondered who he was looking for. Maybe one of his close friends? Then he said,

"There you are!" And he came towards me. He brought the cake near my mouth and whispered so that only I could hear, "... this first cake to my little Nobi," I felt like I was about to cry any moment. Hence I ate the cake and ran away from there.

Did I...did I finally found my brother after all these years? My Doraemon who used to fulfill all my wishes when I was a kid.

Now It was my turn. My turn to gift him the memory which I treasured so dearly while he seemed to have forgotten. It was time to gift him the happy coloured past.

I borrowed the guitar from the musician, and hit the string. Slowly, carefully and gently. Just like my mother used to do while playing a certain piece of music. And the next second, a familiar melody echoed in the hall. All the noises which were coming from people's chattering and laughing around, died down. Now the only source of sound was the music which was coming through my guitar.

I cast a glance at my brother who was looking at me. He was not angry for me touching the guitar. Rather, he looked as if he was being hit by some kind of nostalgia. It was a good sign. Hence, I continued to play the music.I forgot my surrounding because this certain piece of music took me to the depth of the memory lane, in the embrace of my mother. It reminded me of the day where everything was in happy colour.

After playing the last note of the music, I said, "Happy returns of the day, Doraemon!"

The music had ended, but no reaction came. Everyone stood like the statue as if they were spellbound by something. Then someone from the crowd clapped, and everyone came to their senses. They all clapped. And they repeated what I had said earlier, "Happy returns of the day, Doraemon!"

Today he was 23 years old.