Chintu closed his eyes. He thought really hard. What should I wish for? A video game? A bicycle? A pet dog?
His mother sat next to him. “Tired, baby?”
“Make a wish!” everyone screamed.
The first gift came from Papa. It was a big, wrapped box. Chintu tore the paper open with his teeth. It was the blue remote-control car! He zoomed it across the sofa, under the table, and over his sleeping grandmother’s foot.
Chintu had been waiting for this day for exactly 365 days. Ever since his last birthday, when he had blown the candles off a small vanilla cake, he had been planning the next one. Chintu Ka Birthday
Finally, the morning arrived. Chintu woke up before the sun, before the crows, and even before the milkman. He ran to his parents’ room and shouted, “Aaj Mera Birthday hai!” (It’s my birthday today!)
The end.
His mother laughed and kissed his forehead. “Okay, Chintu. But first, let’s clean this jungle up.”
That night, as Chintu fell asleep hugging the blue remote-control car, he smiled. Birthdays weren't about the cake or the gifts, really. They were about the noise, the mess, and the people who loved you anyway. Chintu closed his eyes