I am Ishrat.
After that beautiful birthday proposal on 15th May, Sadab and I became official. We were careful — holding hands only when no one was around, talking for hours on calls after finishing studies, and always encouraging each other to study harder for the boards. The months flew by in a blur of late-night revisions, shared doubts, and sweet messages like "Ish, you've got this" or "Sadu, don't stress, we'll do it together."
Finally, the board exams arrived. Those days were tough. I barely slept, revising formulas and chapters until my eyes hurt. Sadab would send me motivational voice notes every morning. We didn't meet much during exam time, but knowing he was there made me feel stronger.
The results were declared on 15th July — the exact same day as my 16th birthday.
That morning, I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. My phone was flooded with messages, but the one I waited for most was from Sadab: "Happy Birthday, Ish! Today is our day — results and your special day. Whatever happens, I'm proud of you."
My family gathered around the laptop as we checked the CBSE website. My heart raced as I entered my roll number. When the marks appeared — 92% overall — I screamed with joy. A few minutes later, Sadab called, his voice cracking with excitement: "Ish, I got 87%! We both passed with good numbers!"
Tears of relief and happiness filled my eyes. My mother hugged me tightly and said, "Beta, you worked so hard. Today is your birthday too. You deserve to celebrate. You can go out with your friends, but be safe."
I knew exactly what I wanted. That evening, I met Sadab near the park. The sky was painted in soft orange hues. I looked at him and said,
"Sadab, today is my birthday and our results day. I want to promise you something special. After we finish school and everything settles, let's go on a trip together — just you and me. A real celebration. Somewhere beautiful and peaceful."
He smiled brightly and held my hand. "I promise, Ish. We'll make it happen."
A few weeks later, with our results in hand and after many convincing talks with our parents (who finally agreed because we had done well and promised to be responsible), the day came. My mother gave me permission to celebrate properly. Sadab's parents also allowed him. We planned a short, safe trip to Shimla — a place I had always dreamed of visiting with someone special.
We took an overnight bus from Lucknow. The journey was full of laughter, sharing earphones to listen to songs, and dreaming about the future. When we reached Shimla early in the morning, the cool mountain air felt like magic. Everything was green and fresh, with clouds floating so close it seemed we could touch them.
We stayed in a small, cozy hotel suggested by a family friend. During the day, we walked hand-in-hand on Mall Road, ate hot momos and maggi at a roadside stall, and clicked endless photos. We visited the beautiful Christ Church, rode the toy train for a short distance, and sat quietly on a bench in Ridge Park, watching the sunset paint the hills in golden and pink colours.
One evening, as we sat wrapped in shawls near Scandal Point, the cold wind gently blowing, Sadab turned to me and said, "Ish, this is the best celebration ever. Thank you for bringing me here."
I leaned my head on his shoulder and whispered, "This is my promise coming true, Sadu. We studied hard, we passed, and now we're making memories together."