“Mummy, this time I want a Jungle Book theme,” he announced six months ago. “Papa, I want a remote-control car, the blue one,” he reminded his father every single morning.
But the best moment was the cake. It was a large, three-tiered chocolate cake with a plastic Hathi (elephant) on top. When his mother lit the five candles (Chintu was turning five, going on fifteen), the room went dark.
His mother laughed and kissed his forehead. “Okay, Chintu. But first, let’s clean this jungle up.” Chintu Ka Birthday
That night, as Chintu fell asleep hugging the blue remote-control car, he smiled. Birthdays weren't about the cake or the gifts, really. They were about the noise, the mess, and the people who loved you anyway.
“Make a wish!” everyone screamed.
The real chaos began when his school friends arrived. Sunny, Rohan, and little Meera came running in. Within ten minutes, the remote-control car was stuck in the ceiling fan (don’t ask how), the balloons were popping like Diwali crackers, and someone had spilled Frooti all over the new carpet.
“Yay!” clapped Meera.
He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew. Poof. All five candles went out in one go.