OS: Cheeseburgers at Midnight

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OS: Cheeseburgers at Midnight
'Khushiji? Khushiji, wake up.'

Khushi blinked rapidly her eyes still blurred from sleep as she made out the face of the person hunched over her. 'Nanheji?' She shot up immediately, her mind whirring as she looked around at her surroundings and through the glass into the dark room beyond. 'What are you doing here? I... we... I was looking at the stars and I must have...'

'Shh Khushiji, come with me.' NK cut off her explanations and pushed the blanket aside before he held out a hand for Khushi to take. He controlled the burst of anger that flared as he felt how cold her hand was as her palm slid over his own and pulled her up gently.

'But where are we going?' Khushi looked over her shoulder nervously once again as NK led her up the stairs.

'It's a surprise,' NK's eyes gleamed as he rushed towards the study, keeping an eye on his watch to make sure he timed it perfectly.

Khushi stumbled over her saree which had become slightly loose while she'd been sleeping and began fixing her pleats as soon as they stopped walking.

'SURPRISE!'

She looked up in shock to see the study decorated with balloons, streamers and a banner that said 'Happy Birthday' on it.

'Oh please don't cry Khushiji, I've seen enough of your tears in the past month to last me for the next year at least,' NK teased as he pulled Khushi gently into the room and sat her down on the sofa.  He turned the stereo system on making sure to keep the volume low.

Khushi smiled as she heard her favourite song playing. She had completely forgotten about her birthday. Celebrating a birthday seemed like such a trivial thing in the midst of everything that was going on but as she looked at the table in front of her laden with jalebis, pakoras, cupcakes and some other foods she realised how happy she was that her tradition of eating a jalebi at midnight on her birthday wouldn't be broken.

She picked one up, closed her eyes and made a wish.  Amma, Babuji please watch over everyone, make sure Amma, Babuji, Buaji, Jiji and Jeejaji always stay happy. It was the same wish she made every year although the recipient of her wish had changed from Devi Maiyya to her parents and as Khushi opened her eyes to a smiling NK she made a quick addition, please keep Nanheji happy too.

'Thank you so much Nanheji. How did you...'

'How did I know? Payal Bhabi told me. She's planning on making you a cake tomorrow but I wanted to do something for you exactly at midnight. Now come on let's eat. I'm starving!'

Khushi reached instantly for a pakora but NK held her hand to stop her, 'no Khushiji first you have to have a cheeseburger!'

'Cheeseburger?'

'Yes, here you go I'm sure you'll love it.' He watched as she gingerly took a small bite of the burger he'd offered her eating only the bun and completely missing the meat and cheese inside. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she chewed and tried to assess the flavours. 'Arre, take a bigger bite, only then you'll be able to taste something!'

Khushi frowned and stuck her tongue out at NK before she took a large bite. The tender meat created a feeling of instant warmth inside of her and she smiled at NK who was grimacing. She tilted her head up to ask what was wrong and he reached out a hand to wipe the ketchup she hadn't realised her cheek was now stained with.

'Do you like it?'

Khushi nodded and settled into her seat more comfortably, holding the burger with both of her hands.

'On my last birthday, my friends and I did exactly this. We'd gone out the night before and gotten so drunk,' NK scrunched his nose up in apology at Khushi's distasteful look at the mention of alcohol, 'and I was craving a cheeseburger desperately! I think we must have driven 10 miles just to find a good place that served them. So at exactly 12 o'clock we were all sitting eating our burgers and it was only when I got a text from my mom that I realised my birthday had started.'

Khushi laughed as she finished off her burger and reached onto the table to pick up the plate of fries. She placed the plate on her lap and ate as NK told her about how he and his friends had eventually been kicked out of the restaurant because one of his friends had fallen at the feet of the waitress and claimed she was his wife from a previous life.

'You know on my first birthday in College, all of the guys in my class picked me up and threw me in the school fountain and then they told me it was school tradition! I thought it was true until I was on the way home and Jiji told me she'd been at the College for two years and never heard anything like it!'

'Did you get back at them?'

'Of course! I'm Khushi Kumari Gupta after all! I took out the air from all four tyres in the Principal's car after making sure that the Principal had seen them hanging around by his car.'

NK laughed as he pictured a younger but just as mischievous, Khushi sticking her tongue out to four burly guys as they got hauled to the Principal's office.

Over three hours later, after discussing practically ever birthday they'd ever had and so much more, Khushi hugged NK, once again tearing up. 'Thank you so much Nanheji for everything. The jalebis, the cheeseburger and especially my birthday cupcakes.'

'It was my pleasure Khushiji, honestly. Happy Birthday once again. I got you a present too, but I'm going to save that for the morning, when Payal and Akash give you theirs.'

'You didn't have to get me anything! This was more than enough,' Khushi waved a hand at the empty plates and cups strewn across the table, waiting to be tidied away. She'd offered to help but NK had flatly refused.

NK shook his head and held her shoulders lightly, 'it was definitely not more than enough, it wasn't even a tenth of what you deserve Khushiji. Oh God, please not tears again!'

'Well then you should stop saying such nice things about me,' Khushi sniffed as NK put his arm around her shoulder and led her out of the study.

When Khushi lay back down on the cold tiled floor she didn't feel as cold as she had done when she'd gone to bed earlier. She felt all warm inside, the kind of warmth that only good food and good conversation can bring. She spoke to her parents for a few minutes and then went to sleep with a smile on her face.