In a land of Serasca, everyone mourns at the birthday of someone. Those who celebrate their birthday die that year. No one, not even those who want to commit suicide, want to celebrate birthday. Ajo has its tenth birthday. Though he wants to live, he wants to celebrate his birthday.

PREFACE

Why not? – screamed Ajo.

You know why not.

But mom. Noone will know.

Doesn’t matter. If you want to live, you must mourn your birthday. No celebration I said.

Times have changed.

Not in this house. End of discussion. – Ajo’s mom shut him down.

He sank into the kitchen chair in despair. He had seen in the movies that there was a time when birthdays meant cakes and candles. People got gifts for the birthday kid. He wanted to be that happy birthday kid. Close his eyes and blow the candles as he made a wish. Confetti falling all around him as he cuts the cake. He could envision his friends and family singing him the birthday song. That traditional tune which is played in the movies during such celebrations. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”.

But how can he fight the whole world? Especially when such a small celebration can cause death. Who the hell monitors people that celebrate? How do these happy people die within a year? Why is celebrating such a crime? Ajo was clueless. Until he and his sister came up with a plan. He will disguise the celebration as a mourning ceremony. That’s it. They can do the same things that people do at the birthday parties in the movies but call it a mourning ceremony.

So he asked his uncle to order a cake with “We will remember you” written on it. Asked everyone to wear black clothes like it was a funeral and get gifts for the person who might be soon going away. He even got his neighbour to play the birthday song in a melancholic tune. This bit was his sister’s idea. It all went brilliantly as per plan.

That night after all the guests went away, he sat and opened all the gifts. Smiling and excited. He couldn’t believe that his plan had worked. It was just a mellowed down party while he got his cake and gifts. He thought he should be patting his own shoulders in pride. As he lifted his hand to pat his shoulders, he felt another hand there. Patting once. Patting twice. He turned in shock but no one stood there. Blood was sucked out of his face. Ajo kept the gifts away and went into his bedroom. He saw the blankets move and welcome him into the bed. He just walked into the bed in disbelief and the blanket wrapped around him on its own. Ajo did not move.

Ajo was awake all night but nothing happened after that. Until the next night. He could hear a loud ticking sound in his ears, every time he closed his eyes. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok. There was no clock in his room. He hesitated from telling this to his mom. She would just say – told you so. He shouldn’t have celebrated his birthday. They were supposed to mourn it. She reminded him that it was what the Gods wanted him to do.

The next morning, he walked past the TV in the living room to news that caught his attention. A girl who celebrated her birthday at a pub was found dead on the seashore a month later. No signs of struggle and no suspects around her death. He gulped some water as he remembered the ticking sound.

Ajo decided to apologise to God. He went into the church and confessed to the Father that he had celebrated his birthday. The Father told him to do good things before he dies. Do good for people who needed it. His days are numbered anyway. Ajo begged him for a solution but the Father didn’t know how to help him. This boy had betrayed God and he has to pay.

Ajo walked out of the church onto an empty road to his home. A motorbike almost crashed into him. The biker swerved around him at the last moment and stopped. He turned and looked at him saying – you, you must be Ajo. Before Ajo could react, the guy hesitated as if he was not supposed to have said that and started his bike. He smiled at Ajo with red eyes and dark teeth showing. And that was the last image that Ajo saw of him. There was a bruise on Ajo’s right hand that came from the bike scrapping him. He was in terrible pain. He ran home grabbing the bruise tight.

By the time he reached home, the bruise was gone. No trace. Just healed. Puff. The only thing Ajo could think of was that he had to find the biker. His sister Elena offered to help. They concluded that this biker knew something. Something that could keep Ajo safe. When the sister asked what the biker looked like, all Ajo could remember was that he had a devilish smile.