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the word, “Unacceptable.”
    “What’s wrong?” Hardik asked.
    “Shhh….” Jai replied. He went a little closer towards the door so that he could get a better ear to what Madhuri was saying.
    “It’s over Sir…” came the voice. “… I have had enough of this place . It’s time I go Sir. I am not required,” Madhuri fell silent perhaps while hearing out the reply.
    “You knew I was the best person for the job but you didn’t intervene. You robbed me off this opportunity not once but twice,” she seemed agitated. “I am done for good Sir. For good. That woman kept me on the tenterhooks for weeks together and this is what she says in the end? It’s a big joke, that’s what it is.”
    She went silent again, some more explanations were coming from the other end.
    Madhuri heard him out and regained composure, “What’s done is done Sir, you’ ll get my papers b y today afternoon. I don’t want to stay here a minute longer. Thank you for your support, duly acknowledged.”
    Jai was stunned to hear about the latest developments but he didn’t dare to utter a word to Hardik who was stan ding just behind him, a little away. Madhuri ended the call and dialed another number, as it seemed from outside. “Forward me the resignation letter I typed last night,” she said and hung up.
     
    Jai turned around shell shocked. With Hardik’s question-marked expression, Jai couldn’t really keep this thing to himself. He walked along with Hardik slowly towards the ground. “Looks like your jinx isn’t broken yet…” he said.
    “Why?”
    “Madhuri is being replaced. And not just from late-comers’ responsibility; but for good,” Jai finished his half sentence.
    Hardik stared at him with an expression similar to his when he heard the news first. No-one knew what to do and how to react. But it was in their best interests that t he y kept the news to themselves .
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    SEVEN
     
    Happy Birthday to you, Happy B irthday to you…Happy Birthday to Sahana, Happy B irthday to youuuu….!” There was a loud round of clapping and hooting after the chorus got over.
     
    The knife ran through the delicate, creamy chocolate truffle cake and Sahana broke a piece of it and popped it into Vanya’s mouth.
    Vanya took a huge piece of cake and made Sahana eat half of it and rest of it went on her face. Sahana groaned as her best friends covered every inch of her face with chocolate cake. Others laughed as they watched both of them fight and laugh. They too fed her cake and of course rest of it went on her face.
     
    Rishav stood there in one corner watching as a perfectly edible cake went on to spoil Sahana’s pretty face. He didn’t know whether to go and wish her among her old friends. He was awkward when it came to these things. He didn’t know what to do in such situations.   He had just talked to her for approximately half an hour , that too , a week ago. He wasn’t sure whether this was enough to give her a card.  
     
    He had gone to a sector nearby, for running an errand for his m om when he remembered it was her birthday. He wondered what would be the appropriate gift for a person whom you had talked to for a little while. He ran his fingers through the categories of an array of cards in the Archies gallery. He looked for something that was not too expressive. Just a simple birthday card . He chose a simple card with cream background with a small blue bear on the right hand corner with a little bit of sparkle on it. It had no double meaning whatsoever. Just a cute little wood creature.
    He took a black felt tip pen and wrote:
    Last week, a candle factory burnt down and everyone sat around it to sing Happy Birthday. Well I really don’t need to wait for something like that to happen to wish you a really HAPPY & AWESOME BIRTHDAY