Her Birthday..

It was dusk. A cold slow wind was blowing. Aly felt so enervated inside.
The chrome sky was turning into a gloomy canvas. She sat on the couch at the balcony. Something makes her to get lost in past in these solitary moments. Eyes closed, slow breathes, somewhere deep in her mind she was in the light of some other day…

She was walking hastily on the city street, rushing through the traffic, and at last she reached the school gate; “Get in fast, you’re late!!” exclaimed the watchman. She entered, the final bell rang and that seemed the sweetest sound of the world for her.
She stopped at the door of the prayer hall, as expected, it was Rehan, and he was standing beside the door with his back supported against the wall, chewing a gum. 
“Late as always”, Rehan smiled at her.
She was busy tucking the falling hairs behind her ears, “That’s my only specialty buddy!” she was going to push the door…
“Happy birthday anyways!”
Aly stopped and turned at him, with mouth open and face dumbstruck.
 “You remembered! My god!!”, an amazing smile waved on her lips.
“Nope, my cell phone reminded me” Rehan grinned.
“Lame!” she turned her face away dramatically “Though your phone is the only one to remember my birthday else mom. Thanks to him!”
“My phone is female.”
“Bleh.” Aly shrugged.
“Come on. No more bad jokes, only fun today”, Rehan tried to convince her.
“Pay me to eat. Will ya?” she turned her tongue out at Rehan.
“Yeah, let’s go to Ramu’s teashop!” Rehan blinked his eye.
They laughed out together. Prayer was missed. They went to the office’s storeroom and got out of school from the backdoor that was their personal school-bunking-route.

They were eating burgers sitting on the riverbed. That narrow stream-like river was drenched with colors of the setting sun. 
“It’s my best birthday you know!” Aly exclaimed with a suppressed joy, staring at the river. “Why? We had a great fun at the food plaza last year and that movie?”, Rehan said, unmindfully. 
“Not like that Rehan….it’s just…it’s” she mumbled.
“It’s something you can’t defy right now.  We are making memories for the future Alz.” He put his hand on her shoulder, comforting her.
“There you go Mr. Right!” she smiled softly, and a beam of faith painted that smile, a radiance of friendship, a strong emotional bond…

...Aly opened her eyes; she heard a knock on the door.
The drowsy she went to open the door slowly.
“Happy Birthday coconut-head!!!” they shouted as she opened the door, her three old friends, or may be the only friend she has carried from her old days, Rita, Avantika and Vishal.
Aly stood like an idiot seeing them standing with a candlelit birthday cake and balloons.
Finally she spoke up blankly, “Are you guys nuts?”
“For sure” Avantika grinned, “let’s eat it coconut-head” they shouted again.
“Come in morons. I want that chocolate cake!” Suddenly she was back there, that old girl, smiling.
The cold wind changed its way, it was warm there.