He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew. Poof. All five candles went out in one go.

His mother laughed and kissed his forehead. “Okay, Chintu. But first, let’s clean this jungle up.”

As Chintu cut the cake, he smashed a big piece onto Rohan’s face. A food fight broke out. By the end, Chintu’s white shirt looked like a chocolate factory had exploded on it. His hair was sticky with jam, and his cheeks were smeared with cream.

His mother sat next to him. “Tired, baby?”

The end.

“Yay!” clapped Meera.

After the friends left, Chintu sat on the floor, exhausted but happy. He looked at his gifts: the car, a new cricket bat, a coloring book, and a shiny red bicycle from Dadi.