But the best moment was the cake. It was a large, three-tiered chocolate cake with a plastic Hathi (elephant) on top. When his mother lit the five candles (Chintu was turning five, going on fifteen), the room went dark.
“Mummy, this time I want a Jungle Book theme,” he announced six months ago. “Papa, I want a remote-control car, the blue one,” he reminded his father every single morning. 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!) But the best moment was the cake
His mother, still sleepy, pulled him into a hug. “Happy Birthday, my little Sher Khan.” She had already decorated the living room with green and yellow balloons, cutouts of Mowgli and Baloo, and a large banner that read: “Mummy, this time I want a Jungle Book