~ 🅂🄴🄿🅃🄴🄼🄱🄴🅁 22, 2021 ~

21st September, 2021
Jaipur

The mid night sky twinkled with lots of stars littered all around. A time when usually people will be sleeping soundly, but not everyone, especially when the special day is about to start at the strike of twelve.

Here our birthday girl Annie as expected sat awake answering calls after calls, getting her pre birthday wishes. The moment the clock's hands hit 12, it let out a loud alarm which made her jerk due to sudden noise. Her family members must have set it to remind them the time is here. She rolled her eyes and turned it off, and soon her face lit up as she saw them coming towards her singing the birthday song. After a while when they all finished their mini celebration for the night, they bid her a good night and dispersed.

Annie settled herself on the bed and smiled to herself recalling all the wishes and blessings. since all her near and dear ones had already wished her, she decided to sleep hoping to get up early tomorrow. But little did she know that there is much more awaiting for her in the night itself. All of a sudden, her phone rang, making her scrunch her nose due to the disturbance and she got up to pick it up. The screen flashed an unknown number. She narrowed her eyes, wondering if she should attend it or not, may be not, that too at such odd hours... or should she? May be someone is calling to wish her.

Lost in her own thoughs, she didn't realise when the phone call ended on it's own, making her sigh. But before she could put the phone down, it started ringing again. Hesitantly, she finally pressed the green button and said, "Hello?"

There was no reply. She checked if the phone was still on, and then again spoke, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

But much to her irritation, no reply came from the other end which irked her. But before she could scold the said person, the call ended.

"Ajeeb hai, baat nahi karni thi to meri neend kharab karne phone kyu kiya?" She groused and put her phone on silent mood and went to bed, determined to sleep peacefully. In the drakness of her room, the flashlight from her mobile phone beamed. She turned, prompted to check why it beamed. The lights wents off and again it beamed. Curious to check the disturber, she got up and grabbed her phone. It was the same unknown number, but this time, with a message. She clicked it open and it mentioned.
"Something special is awaiting your arrival in your wardrobe."

"Meri wardrobe mai to kuch special nahi hai. Aur isko kaise pata meri wardrobe mai kya hai." She thought to herself suspiciously, and then typed back, "Who are you? Can I know your name?"

A smiley flashed on her screen followed by a message stating "One among your well wishers. Now check your wardrobe. QUICK!!"

Astonished by the confidence of the caller, she walked to her cupboard. The moment she opened it, her room started swirling and a sudden force pushed her into the cupboard making her yelp, but instead of banging she felt herself falling. Gasping at the realisation, she looked down, only to find the missing surface. She.. she was actually falling...

She screamed on the top of her lungs, moving her hands and legs hastily, trying to grasp something, when suddenly a flying broomstick arrived and she landed on it. She clutched it with a death grip, her heart pounding in anxiety, she looked at the broomstick and her senses jolted her "Where is this taking me? How can opening my wardrobe lead to this? How on earth is all this happening?"

She gripped the front of the broomstick and innocently tried to direct it, "Mujhe ghar jana hai... Mujhe wapas leke jao abhi ke abhi." She tried commanding, masking her fear.

The broomstick halted, making her think, "Did it agree to my command?" Her hopes soared at the little thought, but the very next moment she screamed as it dipped and increased its speed making her live a rollercoaster ride without any safety precaution. It stopped after what felt like an eternity, dropped her on ground and went away.

She sat there, all still, in the same position, without opening her eyes. She wondered if her heart is still in it's place or had fallen out somewhere on the way. When she felt there is no more movement she opened her eyes a little and saw a blurred view of a stony structure. She opened her eyes completely and firstly checked herself, she was all fit and fine. She stood up quickly and gasped at the site.

A demolished castle stood there all alone, surrounded by all greenery, and no other living being was seen. "How did I land here and why? Oh God! This place looks so scary and there is no sane person around to help me. Hey bhagwan, birthday ke din hi kidnap hona tha kya, mujhe mere ghar jana hai." Her eyes turned glassy, but before her tears could drop, a bright twilight descended on the castle, making the trees around flutter creating a soothing chattering tune. She stood gaping at the scene happening in front of her, the demolished castle started constructing it self on its own and in no time it presented a view of a majestic well built castle and to add on to it, it started decorating itself with fairy lights and stain clothes patterned around the huge walls.

Then a huge banner erupted from below, showing a man size picture of her and it had some letters. Carefully getting placed together, they finally spelt "Happy Birthday Annie".

"What? Happy birthday Annie? Yeh.. yeh sab mere liye hai?" She clasped her mouth in utter shock. Before she could walk ahead, the twilight descended on her and she found herself twirling involuntarily and within a blink of her eyes, she was dressed up in a pretty blue frock.

She pinched herself, unable to believe what's happening to her. "Ye sab kar kon raha hai?" She mummured to herself, and as if someone could hear her, a voice boomed from nowhere, making her jump "Sab aapke jaan pehchan wale hi hain jee, jaldi jaldi aage padhariye aur intezaar nahi hota humse."

She looked around hurriedly, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone, but there was no one around. But wait, the voice sounded so familiar. She tried to recall and suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder making her turn around and gasp.

"Mujhe dhund rahi ho kya?" Our ponga Pandit stood there, grinning at her.

"Pa... pa.. aap.. aap kaise?" She whispered unbelievably.

"Kaise matlab? Maine hi to saari tayaariyan ki hain to main kaise nahi aata?" He said, winking at her.

"Haan, kaise nahi aata? Party mein itna saara khana hoga aur aise mauke pe Pandit nahi aaye, aise to ho hi nahi sakta. Waise bhi, khane ke alawa aur koi kaam to karta nahi hai." Munna appeared out of nowhere and smacked his best friend's head.

"Abe Chenu, mere khane pe nazar mat laga, aur kaam kyu nahi karta? Mere kehne pe hi hua hai ye sab." He looked around proudly.

"Acha? Tere kehne pe hua hai? Lekin sabse zaruri baat to tune kahi hi nahi, Ponga Pandit." Pandit looked at him all confused, he indicated at the girl looking at them in disbelief.

"Happy Birthday!" They screamed together, which made her jerk at the sudden change of topic.

She smiled widely, by now the surprise had stared to sink in, leading to her excitement bubbling up.

They took her to the main hall, as she eagerly awaited to see, who all she is going to meet on her birthday. Her wait didn't last long as she saw Preeti and Swati appearing in front of her.

Swati presented her a beautiful bouquet "Aapke birthday party mein aapka hardik sawgat hai miss Annie."

Looking at her glazed expression preeti pinched her arm giggling, "Yakin karlo, ye sach hai ki shakshat Preeti Agarwal tumhara birthday manane itni door, Ahmedabad se aayi hai."

"Bas baatein bana le tu, koi gift to laayi nahi hogi hamesha ki tarah." Naina entered along with Sameer.

"Gift to main laaya hu hum sab ki taraf se, lekin wo abhi nahi milega kyuki tum use dekh ke hum sab ko bhul gayi to party kaise hogi?" Sameer winked at her.

She almost jumped in joy looking at her favourite couple standing together.
"Happy birthday Annie" They chirped together as the girls took her in a bear hug.

"Yaar jaldi cake kaato... Preeti Swati tum dono lane wale the na, abhi ye mat kehnna cake laana bhul gaye." Pandit warned, looking at their empty hands.

"Jee nahi, hum kuch nahi bhule aur aaj to cake kisine khud apne haatho se banaya hai khaas Annie ke liye, bas abhi aate hi honge." Preeti said, looking at her watch.

"Aate honge nahi aa gaye." A crisp voice boomed from the entrance making them all turn. Arjun and Shefali entered with a cake trolley flashing their beaming smile. They wished her and placed the chocolate cake on the center table ready to cut.

Arjun noticed Sameer and Naina's hands entwined with each other. He grimaced and was about to pull Naina to his side but stopped looking at Shefali's stern glare. Sameer noticed this exchange and quickly escorted Naina near the birthday girl keeping safe distance with his brother in law.
They sang the birthday song in chorus and Annie blew the candles and cut the cake.

Admist all the celebration Sameer came forward, dragging an extremely giant box wrapped in gift paper. Annie looked at it in awe. This was the first time she was receiving such an extraordinarily big gift. She immediately rushed to open, but before she could do it, the gift itself burst open and what she saw next made her feel dizzy.

All her friends from FamiliaDeYUDKBH 's Discord server, who lived in different parts of India were now standing infront of her, all grinning and chuckling, loving her shocked expression.

"Tum.. tum sab toh.. tum sab toh..." She stammered, not finding the correct words to speak.

"Haan hum sab India ke alag alag kono mein rehte hain, but itne special dost ke birthday ke liye ek saath nahi aa sakte kya?" With this, all of them rushed forward to hug her and showered her with their amazing wishes.

Time passed in a jiffy and their celebrations came to an end. All her Discord friends came forward to give her a small gift box which she opened, only to reveal a shiny wooden stick. She looked up in surprise wondering why have they gifted her a stick but they had a mysterious smile on their face. She touched the stick gingerly and the moment she picked it up the tip started glittering. Her memory jolted her and she sheirked recognising it "Magic Wand!"

But before she could fullfill her fantasy, the sudden force which had come earlier in her cupboard, appeared again and pushed her back to her room.

She jolted awake and saw her mom shaking her "Kabse utha rahi hu, ek din to jaldi uth ja... Ab aise kyu dekh rahi hai jaise bhut dekh liya ho." Her mom narrowed her eyes looking at her bewitched expression.

She quickly shook her head with a sheepish grin. Her mother wished her once again, kissing her forehead and walked out asking her to come soon.

Her phone beeped once again, and without a second thought she dashed to pick it and flashed a pretty smile as she saw the Discord birthday wishes channel flashing numerous wishes from all her new friends.

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ

𝙵𝚘𝚛: its_rithya (Annie)
𝚆𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝙱𝚢: mahi2325
𝙴𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙱𝚢: pahul_gpk