Birthday on Bannerman Road
Rani Chandra awoke on a rather rainy day in April, to the sound of party poppers and cries of Happy Birthday. She groggily opened her eyes to discover her mum and dad standing by her bed, looking happily down at their daughter.
"Happy Birthday my darling!" Gita gave her a big hug.
Rani laughed as she sat up in bed "Thank-you."
Haresh looked rather more nostalgic "My little girl turning 18. It's a big day." He also gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"I still have to go to school though, right?" Rani looking at her dad with a smirk, knowing she wouldn't get out of it.
Haresh grinned at her "You're spot on Rani."
Rani just shook her head and laughed.
"Come on darling, I've made you a special birthday breakfast." Gita and Haresh left the room, with Rani following along with a yawn.
After Rani had a full English breakfast, she opened her presents from her family and then went upstairs to get ready for school. At bang on 8:30am there was a knock on the front door. Gita answered it to find there was a delivery man there with a huge bunch of flowers. She brought them into the living-room where Rani was sat, putting her shoes on.
"Someone's a very lucky girl!" Gita beamed excitedly, passing them over to Rani.
"Are these for me?" Rani asked, stunned, looking at the beautiful bouquet of many different coloured roses. Rani's favourite flower.
"Does it say who they're from?" Gita wondered eagerly.
Rani opened the card which read 'Happy 18th Birthday Rani. Look forward to more birthday surprises today! xx'
Rani grinned "More surprises? I wonder who sent them?"
"Maybe you've got an admirer" Gita gasped "Oh that's it, it's got to be!"
There was a knock on the door, Haresh went to answer it.
"Mum don't overreact" Rani laughed, now putting on her jacket.
"Langer's here!" Haresh called from the hallway.
"Morning to you too sir!" Clyde said cheekily, and came into the living-room with his arms open wide and a beaming grin on his face, directed at his best friend. "Rani! Come here, let me give the birthday girl a hug!"
Rani and Gita laughed as Rani hugged him tightly.
"Happy Birthday!" Clyde told her, withdrawing from the hug, he spotted the flowers "Whoa, nice flowers! Who got you those?"
"No idea" Rani said "It says to expect more birthday surprises."
Clyde raised his eyebrow "Really? Well, we'll have to keep an eye out for those won't we?"
Haresh was stood in the doorway of the living-room "I suppose you want a lift to school and all do you?" he said, directing his solemn tone towards Clyde.
"I wouldn't mind sir, thanks" Clyde said cheekily.
Haresh just rolled his eyes and left the room, the other three laughed before Clyde and Rani left for school.
...
They got into school, everything was perfectly normal until Rani opened her locker and a 'Happy 18th birthday' balloon was inside it. Rani laughed as she took it out, attached to the balloon was a note saying "Surprise number 2!"
Clyde frowned "How did it get into your locker? Unless it's the caretaker who is giving you all these surprises!" he laughed.
Rani nudged him "Shut up, Clyde" she laughed.
But Clyde had made a good point. How did the balloon get into her locker?
They headed to their first class, to be met by cheers and everyone started singing Happy Birthday to Rani. She felt thoroughly embarrassed, and Clyde didn't help matters by dragging her to the front of the class. Once everyone had calmed down, Rani and Clyde went to sit in their normal seats, only for Rani to find a 'Happy 18th Birthday' badge on her chair with a note saying 'Surprise number 3'.
She turned to Clyde "Okay, now this is weird!" she laughed, putting the badge on.
"Why didn't I think to get you a badge?" Clyde thought, as he saw Rani put the badge on.
"What have you got me for my birthday Clyde?" Rani asked with a glint in her eye.
"Ah, wait and see!" Clyde mirrored her look, and grinned before the teacher began the lesson.
Throughout the rest of the day, more surprises were in store for Rani. At every class Rani went to, she found a balloon tied to her usual seat in that classroom, the same was at the lunch table they always sat at.
It was soon the end of the day, and Haresh was waiting at the car for Rani. Clyde as usual was by her side.
"Dad, can we give Clyde a lift home too?"
Haresh grinned "I knew that was coming, get in then Langer."
"Cheers sir!" Clyde called cheerily, before whispering to Rani "I think your dad is starting to like me!"
Rani laughed "I wouldn't be too sure Clyde, he's just being nice to you because it's my birthday."
"I'll win him round eventually" Clyde beamed, before getting in the car. Only for him and Rani to be met with more balloons.
Clyde moaned as he had to move them so they could sit down "Oh what is it with these balloons?"
"Dad, was it you, have you been doing all of this today?" Rani wondered.
"No of course not."
Rani raised her eyebrows "Then how did these balloons get in the car?"
Haresh gave a grin "You'll find out soon enough."
Rani gave a groan "Oh that's not fair!"
Clyde and Haresh laughed as they headed home.
...
As they pulled up outside the Chandra household, they were met with a rather colourful sight. A 'Happy 18th Birthday' banner was across the front door, a rather large banner saying 'Happy 18th Birthday Rani' covered the window, and balloons were tied to the front of the house and the front garden.
"Oh my goodness!" Rani laughed as she got out of the car, along with the other two.
"Who did all this?" Clyde asked, coming to stand by Rani and Haresh, who answered Clyde's question simultaneously as they looked at eachother "Mum" "Gita". They laughed.
Within seconds the front door opened and the woman in question came out excitedly "My darling!" she gave Rani a big hug and a kiss, before turning to Clyde and doing the same "Are you joining us for some birthday tea Clyde, come on I'll show you the cake!" Gita grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the house.
Clyde looked back at Rani and Haresh, pleading for them to help him, but the two were just laughing.
Haresh turned to his daughter "Sarah Jane said she wanted to see you as soon as you got home from school, why don't you go and see her. I'll rescue Langer from your mother."
Rani laughed "Be nice to him dad, I'll be two seconds!"
Rani rushed across the road and knocked on the front door, she waited for five minutes but there was no response. Even when Rani tried to phone her. So Rani headed back home, opening the living-room door she was met with the sound of party poppers and cries of 'Surprise!"
Rani gave a cry of shock before she grinned brightly, there in front of her were her parents, Clyde, Clyde's mum and Sarah Jane.
"You crafty things!" Rani laughed as she got hugs from all of them.
"Happy Birthday Rani!" Sarah Jane gave her a hug "I spoke to Luke this morning he said to say Happy Birthday and that he will phone you later."
"Aw great thank-you" Rani smiled. Then she turned to Clyde, noticing he was no longer in his uniform "How did you manage to get changed so quickly?"
"Left my stuff here this morning when your dad answered the door, I hid the bag so you wouldn't see it. Also that's why he sent you over to Sarah Jane's, knowing she would be here and you'd be waiting for her to answer, so I'd have enough time to change."
"A lot of effort to go to isn't it, just for you to get changed?" she questioned with a smile.
"It's my best mate's birthday, gotta look good" he winked at her and gave her his cheeky Clyde Langer grin, showing off his new dark red shirt, dark navy jeans and trainers.
Rani just laughed and shook her head. Announcing that she was going to get changed, she headed upstairs and on her bed she found another note saying 'Surprise Number 4 in the kitchen'.
Rani got changed into a dark blue dress, and redid her make-up and made sure her hair looked presentable, before coming downstairs. She was met by Clyde giving a wolf-whistle and the adults gave admirable comments about her dress.
Rani held the note in her hand "I've got another surprise, apparently it's in the kitchen?"
"Go and see then!" Clyde urged her, pushing her gently towards the kitchen.
Everyone else followed her and there standing in the kitchen was Luke Smith.
Rani gave a cry of delight and everyone laughed at her reaction as Luke hugged her "Happy Birthday Rani!"
Rani was stunned "What are you doing here?"
"Had to come back for your birthday didn't I?" he grinned. He then reached into his pocket and handed Rani a note as he said "I was told to give you this."
Rani frowned and opened the note which said 'Have you figured out who is behind all of your surprises yet?'
Rani laughed "Right come on, out with it!" she pointed at them all "Which one of you is it, come on I know it's got to be one of you lot...or is it all of you?" she asked with a smile.
"What are you talking about Rani?" Sarah Jane asked, so Rani filled the whole room in with what had happened during the day.
"Well whoever it is, has put in an awful lot of effort for you Rani, you're a very lucky girl" Carla smiled, taking a sip of her drink.
"I know, I just wish I knew who it was."
Haresh put his drink down "Ah well I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, let's get celebrating! Rani can you get the champagne out of the fridge?"
"Champagne? Really?" Rani grinned, a shocked look on her face.
"Of course, it's your 18th!" Gita laughed.
Rani got to the fridge only to find another note stuck on it, a rather larger one, which read: 'Come on Rani, you want to be a journalist, think about it. It's staring you right in the face.'
Rani frowned as she took the note off the fridge; she said it aloud to the group who frowned too. Then Rani gasped, realising that all of the notes had been written in paint. She looked up and moved towards the person who she was now almost certain that was behind it all.
"Clyde, it was you wasn't it?"
"Well took you long enough!" he laughed.
The rest of them laughed too and Luke said "Finally!"
Rani gave a squeal of delight and hugged Clyde tightly "Thank-you!" she said gratefully, pulling out of the hug "How did you do all of this?"
"Well the flowers were the easiest" Clyde looked at Gita who beamed. Rani laughed.
"Your dad took me to the school last night and helped me set everything up" Clyde looked at Haresh with a thankful look and a smile.
Rani looked a cross between beaming with happiness and surprise, that her dad and Clyde were appearing to get on so well.
"And Luke was easy to sort out too" Clyde patted his other best friend on the back.
Luke grinned "Happy to help."
Rani laughed "I still can't get over this, thank-you Clyde! Thank-you so much!" she hugged him tightly again, the two of them feeling the love spilling out of the two of them as they shared a very tender embrace.
Haresh coughed "Yeah alright, enough now you two. We've got a party to start!" they all cheered and Gita put some music on as Clyde and Rani came out of the embrace and looked at eachother lovingly "I mean it Clyde, you've done the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me, so thank-you" she reached across and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek. Making the two of them turn bright red, as Rani went to get the champagne she had meant to get a few minutes previously.
Luke came closer to Clyde and said so that no one else but Clyde could hear "You so like her!"
Clyde replied quietly, but just as forcibly "Do not!"
Luke just laughed and went to help Rani get the champagne flutes, leaving Clyde with a big grin on his face. Knowing Luke was spot on with his assumption.
..
The party began and was soon in full swing. They drank champagne, ate a lot of food which Gita, Carla and Sarah Jane had spent all day preparing. There was dancing, laughter and stories about Rani being told amongst them all. Games were played, including a very hilarious game of Twister, which is a lot more fun when there is alcohol involved.
More presents were given until finally Rani was left with one more. A very tiny box.
"And I guess this one is from you?" she turned to Clyde with a grin.
Clyde nodded and watched as Rani opened the small box, Rani laughed as she saw what it was "Another note? I thought we were done with the surprises?"
"This is the last one I promise" he told her.
Before Rani read the note to herself 'Seek the surprise in the place, where we spend the most time fighting for our race.'
Rani laughed at Clyde's attempt at a rhyme "At Sarah Jane's?"
"What's that honey?" Gita asked, having not seen the note.
"My last surprise is at Sarah Jane's" Rani smiled, turning to Sarah Jane herself "Can I go over and get it?"
"Of course" she passed her the keys.
"Clyde you're going to have to show me where it is" Rani laughed "You could have been a bit more helpful in the last note."
Clyde sighed "Never satisfied this one, come on then" and they left the house, crossed the street and headed straight for the attic.
Rani laughed, thinking how she didn't need Clyde's help at all. It was on the floor directly in the middle of the room.
"Hope you like it" Clyde said, rather bashfully, uncharacteristically so.
Rani smiled "I'm sure I will, I've loved everything so far. Shall I open it now or with everyone else?"
"Do it here" Clyde continued with his shyness.
Rani took off the wrapping paper of the rather heavy, and large, square shaped object. To reveal a beautiful purple book filled with pages and pages of pictures of herself in the attic, herself with Luke and Clyde, or just her with one of the boys, with Sarah Jane, on days out or adventures they had gone on. Clyde had also put in a lot of drawings he had done of her, and of her with the gang. K.9., Mr. Smith and of the attic. All the memories of their amazing time together. Some pages were left blank at the back for Rani to fill with more memories of the fun adventurous times in the future.
Rani was crying by the time she had got to the end of the book, Clyde noticed this and felt instantly worried "Rani, why are you crying? Don't you like it?"
"Clyde...seriously!...this is just...oh my god, it's the most amazing present I've ever had!"
Clyde's eyes lit up "Really?"
"I love it! Thank-you!" she beamed and reached across and kissed him fully on the lips, much to Clyde's surprise, but delight all the same. They broke apart and they laughed.
"If that's what I get for making you what is really, a posh photo album, I'd love to think what I'd get if I gave you a million quid!"
Rani laughed before she said seriously "Will you go out with me?"
"What?" Clyde said, stunned. "Seriously?"
Rani smiled "Come on Clyde, I know how you feel. I feel the same about you, we've been holding back on this for too long."
"You feel the same?" Clyde was stunned.
Rani giggled "Of course! So, what do you say?"
"Does this answer your question?" he reached across and kissed her sweetly.
...
A few minutes later, everyone left at the Chandra household was eagerly anticipating Clyde and Rani's return, a few of them waiting by the window. Gita and Carla gave squeals of delight as they all watched them approach the house, holding hands and smiling happily.
"I knew it!" said Gita happily, before turning to Carla "My baby girl is going out with..."
"My baby boy!" Carla finished off and the two over-excited mothers hugged excitedly.
The rest of them laughed and Haresh shook his head, knowing there was no getting out of this now.
...
This is what I, a bored uni student, does when i should be doing some dissertation reading lol. To be fair this is a lot more fun :)
Hope you liked it! Review please! :D