The Birthday Party

Kusum looked over the arrangements again. She had took full charge of her daughter Tia's 5th birthday and had worked hard since morning. The pink and white balloons put up on the trees fluttered merrily in the wind. The white laced tablecloth on center table was spot-less and the cake looked amazing. Her expression relaxed and she gazed at the cake with pride.

She had taken the day off yesterday to bake this cake. It was a 3 tiered cake with pink and white icing and to top it off there was a very realistic looking doll she had made herself. It had blue eyes with fine lashes, a rosebud mouth and small nose. Her dress was pink and white to match the cake and she looked almost alive. She couldn't wait for Tia to come down and look at her birthday cake.

Her attention got drawn to the cuckoo clock as it stuck 5 and the cuckoo came out announcing the start of the party. She looked at the gate but no one had come yet. She frowned and thought it was a fashion these days to come late be it kids or adults. She had invited all of Tia's school and colony friends. She went up to see if Tia was ready.

She found her on video call with her father Arun who was away on business in Japan. She too joined the call and forgot that the cake in the garden was unattended. It had been a windy day and the breeze was turning into a storm outside. Inside Arun was recounting the funniest story of him trying to talk with a shopkeeper in Japanese and Tia shrieked with laughter and she too got lost in the call.

Outside the storm gathered strength and the balloons got detached and were being tossed around, The table cloths were flying about and a chair crashed loudly. This made Tia jump and Kusum rushed outside. Big drops of rain were starting to fall and her eyes darted to the cake and she got a big shock. A chair had flew on top of the cake and it was ruined. As she went near and looked at it dismayed, she saw that the doll was not present in the ruins!!! By this time Tia had come outside and started wailing looking at what had happened. Kusum took a few valuable items and picked Tia up and went inside closing the door shut.

Now what had happened to the doll? Had she gotten alive and took shelter from the storm?

Inside Kusum was trying to console Tia and at the same time baking a quick microwave cake. Storm was almost over by the time she took out the hot baked cake. She heard the bell ring and thought who had made it to the party during the storm. She opened the door and couldn't see anyone and was about to close the door thinking some wire had tripped making it ring when her eyes fell on the doll. She screamed thinking that the doll had come alive.

She then heard a merry laughter coming from the side. Her eyes fell on Rohan who was Tia's classmate standing there with a gift. She picked the doll and took Rohan inside where Rohan told what had happened-

Rohan had arrived first to the party just after Kusum went up. He had took the doll to play a trick. But as the storm gathered he had rushed to the shed and hidden for he too was a little boy and was afraid of the storm. He hid till the storm had died down. And then he smelled the cake being baked and he had played a trick after all.

Hearing the story and seeing the beautiful doll Tia cheered up. Kusum topped the hot cake with the pretty doll and the three of them had a wonderful birthday party!