Treats, and meeting new people

9th March. Big sis's birthday.

Few minutes to midnight, my tummy goes all funny. I shout a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDU!!!!" from the washroom mins after her phone started ringing with wishes. Sigh.

But hey, it wasn't over yet. After I came out, gave her a gigantic hug, and she vanished into the loo (okay, what was happening? o.O), I locked her from the outside (BWAHAHAHAH) and got down to work. 

I hadn't planned anything but I just knew what I had to do. After debating over some options in my head, anyway.

15 days before the big day, I ordered the gifts. 10 days to go - they arrived, after checking the contents I wrapped the packages thickly in newspaper and hid them in odd camouflage-ish places. 8 days to go - bought gift-wrapping paper IN FRONT OF HER. 5 days to go - gift-wrap over newspaper-wrap then again a layer of newspaper-wrap (quite particular, ain't I?) and hid them in a bag under a heap of clothes. Heh. I also started working on a collage thingy with colour paper and cut-outs but haven't finished it yet. Grr.

I had less than 5 mins to arrange the unplanned. Took out the gifts from their hiding place. Ripped off the newspaper. The red gift-wrap looked rather crumply, maybe due to the cardboard-then-newspaper wrappings under it? It wasn't prominent, so, mehh.

Piled them nicely on the bed near new laptop, 'cause new stuff demand attention, don't they? And brought out the blueberry cake out of the fridge. Rushing around and about, candles - check, cake - check, gifts in place - check, matches - yup, and then -- OMG just remembered sis found some old and colourful fairy lights earlier! Grabbed 'em, coiled 'em around the little arrangement, turned off the lights, turned on the fairy lights, and TADA! It's amazing how doing these little things can give you so much joy.

When I unlocked the washroom door, she stepped out with a curious and grinning face.
Me: Close your eyes!!

Sis: O..kay

Me: DON'T OPEN YOUR EYES *glances quickly around the room, everything in place, ushers her in* 

Sis: Now?

Me:  Now.

Sis: ... *speechless*

Me: *smiling wide*

Mum: *smiling appreciatively*

Sis: WOW. This is so unexpected! Omg. 

I simply LOVED her shocked-and-surprised look. I wanted to do something special, but couldn't, so I did what I could to make her feel special. I don't know if I succeeded but her happiness made it evident that I did. Kinda. 

After the cake-cutting-ritual, and lemme tell you - the cake was DELICIOUS, it was time to open the gifts. I suggested her to unwrap the thinnest of the three packages, 'cause it was the book she was expecting, aaaand - TADA. Friends Forever by Danielle Steel. Haha, she did a "THIS BOOK!!" in this kiddish wide-eyed way, it was so cute. Heh.

The second one - It looked like a shoe-box, but lighter, out came a clutch bag. Me - "You mentioned you wanted a clutch but it was a week after I ordered it, bwahahah." Sis: "Wow. This is beautiful!" then she realized there's something else in the box - a metallic green wristlet! My gods, she LOVED it. Went all "THIS IS SO PRETTY" and I'm like "Remember once you opened the Zovi site and were about to view a green bag thingy but I closed it saying I needed to check something? I had ordered it an hour before that."
She: "I didn't notice it properly back then, but this is so lovely!"
Third one - Sis: "... more books?" and tada! More books. She let out a li'l squeal. Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer and Legacy by Danielle Steel, yay! Her most fave authors. :) 

Her expression was priceless. And I knew she was content, with whatever little I could do for her.

Oh, and – since I said I’ll pay for the Best Kept Secret which we had pre-ordered long ago and was received that day, she categorized it under “gifts from baby sister”. :)

An hour or so after that, she went to sleep, and I proceeded to write the “Surprise, surprise!” post. All that happened earlier that day.

Went to sleep, woke up few hours later, went to a restaurant with sis and her friends (who I had only seen pics of, never met) for a li'l celebration. She cut the yummiest pineapple cake ever. We had loadsa fun. Her friends - Monisha di, and Soma.
I forgot to tell them they're prettier in real life. :P

Lots of butterflies,
SFF ^-^ <3