THE BEST GIFT

                                              

It was my fifteenth birthday, which I still remember. I got up early in the morning, all excited for this big day. I dressed up in the new clothes and with full swag; I marched to my parents’ bedroom. I wanted to get my birthday gift – A SMARTPHONE! I had been telling my parents since months, “You need to get your smart girl a smart phone for her to be smarter!” And the promise had been procrastinated till my birthday. This’d be the best birthday gift ever, I had told myself.

I entered their room and my gift was waiting for me. I quickly put my sim card in, installed the necessary apps and waited for my friends, family and extended circles to wish me. Especially, I wanted to be wished by my crush through whatsapp. He had mocked me of not having whatsapp at 15 and I had challenged him that he will find me on Whatsapp on my birthday. He could wish me and to confirm it was me, I’d reply instantly. I was excited for this childish challenge of ours.

However, as my fate could make it, iced by my prodigy level of carelessness, I lost my phone; that too on airplane mode (Planes were always my fancy). I searched all over the house, ransacked all the closets but I just couldn’t find the single piece of metal!

Noon passed; we went to a restaurant to celebrate, still without my mobile phone. Dad assured me that we’d find it soon as it must be somewhere in the house but all I was worried about was the ‘challenge’ and sadness gripped me as I was still not wished by my crush.

As I was in my balcony crying and blaspheming, the sun dipped into the horizon along with all my hopes to find my phone and win the challenge. Just then, I saw him running down the street; right towards my home. I rushed at the threshold to see him and thought he’d ask for a handsome ransom for losing the challenge. I felt ruined. Nothing’s worse that facing defeat from your crush. But as I saw him coming nearer, a ray of joy hit his face. He wiped off the drops of sweat from his forehead, and smiled the widest. His eyes twinkled in the glitter of the dusk and his cheeks blushed red.

He dashed straight into me and hugged me as tight as possible. “Thank God, you’re all right! When you didn’t reply to the Whatsapp messages, and didn’t even receive my calls, I was so worried. I was desperately waiting for your birthday to wish you. Hey, see, I forgot, Happy Birthday!”

And even though I couldn’t find my mobile temporarily that day, I found my love for eternity and even beyond. He was the best gift for my fifteenth birthday.

by-Sanskruti Siras