Happy Birthday!

We worked together for six months but never really talked. 

After two years...

I am about to leave for the day when the screen of my desk phone starts flashing an int'l number. It cant be from any of the clients, they don’t call without a prior intimation. Who can this be? I take the call anyway.

"Happy Birthday!"

The voice on the other side freezes me. I don’t know how to react.

Too many thoughts cloud my mind. Is it really him or Am I hallucinating? Does he remember me? He sounds manly. How does he know its my birthday today?
"You're supposed to say thanks when someone wishes you birthday..."
"Please excuse my social ineptness. Wasn’t expecting your call. How do you know it’s my birthday today?"
"It’s all over the portal."
"Oh! Where you calling from?"
"US"
"I could figure that out; at work?"
"Not yet; I am at home."
"Uh huh!"
"Alright then. You carry on. Have a nice day!"
"You too."

After the call, it struck me that I never thanked him for remembering my birthday. So I dropped him an email. He replied saying that he will call me the next day when I wake up. I was wondering if he had my personal number.

Apparently, I never received the expected call the next morning. Turned out that he kept calling me on the number mentioned in the company records. He dropped an email with his contacts to cause no further confusion.

We finally connected.

"I am sorry for my reaction or lack of it yesterday. You caught me off-guard."
"I am sorry about that. I just wanted to surprise you. I hope you liked that."
"Nice try but I hate to break this to you.... it was not my birthday."
"Ouch!!"
"It's only on papers. My real birthday is on facebook."
"Wow! Now that was a surprise.”
"Whuups!!"