Perfect Birthday Gift (Concluding Part)

Click to Read Part 1

She walked up the stairs, not sure how this was all going to unfold. She was trying hard not to reflect and keep her feet grounded. His room door was ajar. She slowly opened the door and there he was engrossed in something in front of his laptop. She looked hard at him, and nothing about him had changed. He still looked the same. She was all overjoyed on seeing him. She wondered if she should call out his name or jus' hug him from behind and give him a surprise.

But time does change things, and three years sure is a long time. Though they lived and shared everything between them three years back, the distance over the years sure had brought in discomfort within her and so she decided to take things in a more ceremonial way. She cleared her throat hoping to make him turn. But he seemed to be totally deaf to her sound. She walked closer to him and, “Rahul?”

His head turned instantly, and he looked confused for a moment. They were both frozen in that moment. Hoping he would say something, she kept waiting, but having known him and trying to ease the situation she wished him “Happy Birthday Rahul!!!”

He still seemed lost, he asked her in a very timid voice, “Where is my birthday gift?” She was taken aback for a moment. All these years and this for sure was not something that she was expecting to hear from him. But she decided to play on, after all they were no strangers. She very artfully asked him what he wanted.

“I want something very special, which no one else has given me.”

She thought for a while, then grinned. She slowly leaned towards to him and gave me a warm peck on his cheeks. His face instantly turned red. He was all blushing.
Trying hard to look into her eyes he in a very demure voice thanked her.

She felt a little odd the way things were. Rahul was acting very strange. He didn’t show half the excitement or interest she had. She on various occasions during their conversations tried to talk him into about their past, but he sounded ignorant of all the focuses and was least unapologetic in his behavior.

Her excitement was beginning to die, and she was beginning to regret at her decision of having chosen to come back after all these years. Rahul had sure moved on, and it was very obvious in all his actions.

Knowing her presence there was of no significance and trying to clear the air around them, trying to end her agony she asked Rahul if he had nothing to ask or tell her after all these years. She drew a blank response from him. Growing impatient and deeply disappointed at his abrasive demeanor she asked him “I think I should leave?.”

“Okay, Byee...”

No sooner did he complete his phrase, she walked out slamming the door hard at him. And ran down the stairs with tears rolling fast from her eyes. Rahul’s mom on sensing something was wrong, ran towards the door and asked her what was wrong.
“Your son will never change!!! I feel sorry that I fell in love with your son. I wish I hadn’t come here today. Atleast I would ve lived with the thought that he still loved me.”

After couple of days,
Simran’s phone kept ringing repeatedly. But seeing it was Rahul’s mother, she refused to attend the calls. The following day, Simran was surprised to find Rahul’s mom at her door step. Even before Simran could say something,
“Thank you Simran for having come down at my request. This was the best birthday gift I could ve given him. He loved nothing and wanted nothing, other than you, all his life. I am happy at least on his last birthday I could give him a perfect birthday present. Rahul was suffering from Alzheimer's. I thought you would want to see him one last time yesterday.”

She placed her hands on Simran's shoulder and the next minute She silently turned around and walked away.


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