The Wrong Birthday Cake

Warm ceiling light. Ek birthday candle cake par jal rahi hai. Wall ke balloons half-decorated hain, aur dheere-dheere neeche phisal rahe hain. Sofa, kitchen counter, aur ek tiny dining table. Bas.

ARJUN (32), neat shirt, anxious smile, clipboard aur tiny party hat ke saath, table ko final inspection deta hai.

VIKRAM (34), untucked T-shirt, stubble, sofa se uthta hua, thoda lost.

IMRAN (31), stylish jacket, expressive face, gift bag ko overproudly pakde hue.

Okay. Perfect. Candle on. Cake centered.

Balloon thoda left ko... nahi, zyada left.

Bhai, cake ko center mein hi rehne de.

Yeh NASA launch thodi hai.

Surprise hai, Vikram. Discipline chahiye.

Surprise? Lovely. But kis ke liye?

Arjun freeze. Clipboard dekhता hai.

Guest of honor ke liye.

Guest of honor kaun?

...Aata hi hoga.

Mujhe yeh dialogue suspicious lag raha hai.

Vikram cake ke paas jhukta hai.

Waise cake maine laaya hai.

Great. Then you know whose birthday it is.

Main bas cake laaya tha. Birthday details tum log sambhalo.

Tum clipboard leke khade ho, jaise election result announce karoge.

Arjun clipboard kholta hai. Sirf list hai.

Cake

Candle

Balloon

Gift

Surprise

No name.

...Name missing hai.

Missing? Kaise missing?

Oh no.

Imran gift bag ko aur proudly chest pe chipka leta hai.

Tumne gift liya?

Obviously. Special gift.

Kis ke liye?

Imran blank.

Emotionally, for someone important.

Matlab yaad nahi.

Main feelings yaad rakhta hoon, names nahi.

Arjun panic mein party hat uthata hai aur Vikram ko pehna deta hai.

Birthday boy ko pehno.

Main birthday boy hoon?

Ho sakta hai.

Nahi. Iska face “main bas khana khane aaya tha” wala hai.

Aur tumhara face “main scene steal karne aaya tha” wala hai.

Because I did.

Balloon ek aur inch neeche phisalta hai.

Okay, focus. Koi toh yaad karo. Kaun hai party ka owner?

Party ka owner?

Wait. Yeh mera flat toh nahi?

Nahi.

Toh phir yeh kis ka flat hai?

Teeno ek dusre ko dekhte hain.

Arjun, tumne venue book kiya tha?

Maine? Nahi. Vikram ne bola tha “bas ghar pe kar lo.”

Maine bola tha? Maine toh sirf cake laaya.

Maine toh gift laaya. Main innocent hoon.

Innocent log gift bag ko aise hug nahi karte.

Candle flicker karti hai.

A DOOR OPENS OFF-SCREEN.

A tired MALE VOICE, the APARTMENT OWNER, enters from outside frame.

OWNER (O.S.)

Arre... yeh kya chal raha hai?

Teeno instantly freeze.

Arjun clipboard peeche chhupa leta hai.

Vikram party hat straight karta hai.

Imran gift bag sofa ke peeche hide karne ki koshish karta hai.

OWNER (O.S.)

Birthday toh kal tha.

Silence.

Kal?

Wait... kal?

Toh aaj kiski birthday hai?

Owner finally enters frame enough to be felt, not fully seen. He looks at the cake, the candle, the balloons.

Meri.

Beat.

Oh.

Aaj?

Kal.

Then... we are one day late.

You think?

Arjun gulps.

Sir, sorry. Actually... aapka naam?

All three lean in, hoping.

Beat.

Main yahin rehta hoon. Teen saal se.

The three stare at each other.

Naam yaad hai kisi ko?

Emotionally... no.

Honestly... no.

Owner stares, offended.

Cake kaun khaayega?

Beat.

Wrong birthday tha.

But cake right hai.

Arjun slowly removes the party hat from Vikram and puts it on the cake.

Officially... party still on?

Owner sighs.

Khana khatam karo. Phir naam yaad karna.

Teeno, guilty and relieved, move toward the cake.

Happy wrong birthday.

Best birthday ever.

Clipboard mein yeh note kar leta hoon.

Arjun looks at the clipboard.

Now with one new line:

"OWNER NAME: ?????"

They all stare at it.

END.