Morning Can’t Come Sooner
“Happy birthday to you ___ Happy Birthday to you” Khanak sings Rishav a birthday song in phone only to hear a sound effects of mock irritation in reply.
“Don’t act!” Khanak reprimands him and Rishav knows that his need to hide his happiness sometimes frustrated her but not today. Today even her berating is filled with softness. “It feels so good that you now have a mobile phone! I can wish you birthday without any deadline”
Until few months ago there was only one mobile phone in his family of five and his step-father, Dinesh had it. But now that he is in 11th standard after passing 10th with good marks and seeing how he almost always stay away from home, his mother bought a basic model for him too. Rishav did not need it and certainly does not like it because now his mother keeps calling him to keep track on him but on occasions like this it certainly comes in handy.
Till last year he had to stand near landline in living room just before 12 so no one else will pick up Khanak’s call because no matter how much time he used to tell her to wait till morning and wish him on their way to school, she never listened. Every year like alarm clock, land line used to ring on exactly 12 and as soon as he picked up, she would start just like she has started this year. And yeah it really feels good that this year he will not have to hide his happiness in the fear of showing his family just how glad he is to get his first wish from his best friend.
“Thanks Khanak” He thanks her after calming his nerves. The formal conversation they used to have on landline didn’t seem romantic but ever since he has had mobile phone every conversation of theirs on phone, and there have been very few conversation like this since call rates are crazy expensive, seem romantic to him. It doesn’t help that Khanak’s voice sound husker than usual on phone.
“So?” Her voice breaks his chain of thoughts, letting him know that he has been lost in his thoughts for too long.
“So” Rishav mimics her.
“So what’s the plan Mr. Seventeen year old?” she asks.
“Nothing special Ms. Still sixteen year old”
“Why? Don’t you have someone, who will make your 17th birthday special?!” a touch of nervousness in her tone. His thought first went to his family and for a moment his mood became somber but then it immediately life sensing that Khanak isn’t talking about his family. This is the aspect that really makes him thankful to his mother for buying him a mobile phone. When he and Khanak are with someone else, it feels like nothing has changed __ like he hasn’t changed, like she hasn’t changed, like their feeling for each other hasn’t changed but the moment they are with each other alone, and that mostly happens on phone, it feels like her hasn’t changed, she hasn’t changed and yet everything is changed. It feels like their new feeling each other is a puzzle, a problem and both of them have to find out the answer.
“You tell me, do I have someone special who will make my birthday special?” Just as he finished his question everything became silent on the other side. And he started berating himself in his head “idiot, shit dude!”. Maybe she was really talking about friends and family and he likes a lovesick fool thought she was flirting with him. Just as he was about to pretend to laugh and make his “I was joking” act convincing, she takes a shaky breath on the other side.
“I think ___I mean I think that and you don’t have to think the same but I think that you have __ you know some one special” No one has said more beautiful words to him than Khanak’ s nervous rumbling just now. He knows his happiness and relief is apparent on his voice when he said one single word.
“Yeah?”
“yeah” Rishav can totally imagine her round face hot and blushing. Though her complexion really makes it difficult to figure out whether she is blushing or not but her gestures give her up. And he can hear her nervousness in her voice. He really shouldn’t tease her but he just can’t help himself.
“And what that someone is going typo to make my birthday special?”
“You don’t need to know that. You just need to know that you have to meet her at school back gate after school and you can’t back out of even be late” all this comes out of her mouth in a single breath and he really could himself so he let a chuckle pass.
“I am hanging up, bye” before he could have said anything she hung up. And her nervousness makes him laugh lottery and more freely.
He jumps on his bed with his phone tightly enclosed in his first as if he isn’t holding phone, he is holding onto her. “I really shouldn’t have laughed” he shouts as if she can still listen. “this birthday hasn’t even started and you have already made me the happiest I have ever been. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER”.
Rishav continues jumping on his bed with the widest grin, he can manage, on his face. If he wasn’t so happy, he would be worried about his cheeks.
“Rishi” Rishav hears his step father calling him from his room’s door. Rishav tries his best to control the expression of exactly how happy is but by the look on his step father, Dinesh’s face, he knows he wasn’t exactly successful.
“What happened?” its not like Rishav doesn’t call his step father Papa, after all since Rishav has had sense, Dinesh is the only father he has known. Whenever it was needed Rishav called him Papa, its just that Rishav doesn’t like call Dinesh Papa a lot.
“I have to send an email. I would have send it from so tomorrow but the other party needed it urgently so can I?” This is what Rishav likes about Dinesh, he never assumes. The only computer in the house is in his room so it’d be easier felt him to study.
“Yeah Sure!” Dinesh goes to sit on the chair in front of computer and Rishav sits on his study chair.
“So 17 is a big number, huh?” Rishav doesn’t know why Dinesh even try to have these awkward kind of conversations with him. It’s not Rishav’s dislike for Dinesh that keeps Rishav away from him, on the contrary Rishav really admire good step father. The way Dinesh had handled his business, his brother’s family, his own family is really admirable. It’s the fact that Rishav is not Dinesh’s family and the only family Rishav had, his mother, Dinesh took her away from Rishav!
“I guess” Rishav takes any random book from his table and opens it just stop he will have something to do with his hands.
“Any big plans?” Dinesh asks and Rishav smiles nervously thinking that he would be anywhere but here.
“Yeah ___ with friends”
“with Khanak, right?” His step father asks in so low tone that if Rishav was not on permanent Khanak alert, he would have surely missed it.
“Ye _ yeah … Well, she … she is one of friends so yeah with her and also with other friends” Judging from the smug look on Dinesh’s face, Rishav knows, this kind of nervous reaction is exactly what Dinesh has expected from him. “Do you need help with that email? It’s taking you really a long time to type it”
Dinesh gets up from the chair smiling, glad that he has atleast came somewhat closer to his eldest child.
“Happy Birthday Rishi” Dinesh awkwardly wishes him and turns to leave.
“ Don’t tell Maa about this?” Just as Dinesh was about to open the door, Rishav requests.
“Don’t worry this will be between us”. Dinesh replies, happiness apparent in his voice.
Rishav lies down on bed with a jump and smiles to himself. Morning can’t come sooner,he thinks and sleeps with the biggest grin on his face.