The calendar showed 14th in pink letters. I was out of bed with exuberance. It was the only day other than my b’day when an alarm was not required. I hasted up with the morning chores, squared my face in the mirror and wore an immaculate shirt & denims (which my mother has washed so painstakingly). Looked for my wallet, retrieved the austere pendant from under the mattress and kept it in my shirt pocket closer to my heart.
“Have breakfast beta” my caring mother said.
“No I don’t feel like…BTW I’m going to rajiv’s house, will return late in the evening. Don’t prepare lunch for me”.
“But I have already………” I got out and slammed the door before my mother’s words could reach me.
*****
Walking Up the road, I was occupied by the thoughts of my ‘Valentine’. It was love at first sight, her delicate beauty, flowing brown curly hairs, exquisitely manicured hands. It was ecstasy. The first time we had kissed.
“I Love You” I had somehow managed those words. She pulled back.
“Don’t say that. It makes it look ordinary” she whispered.
Her voice was what you may call ‘chocolate for the ears’.
“Mall” the auto driver shouted. It brought me out of my reverie.
“Haan”.
An elite gentleman was seated beside me, nose into a book. Something made me peek into the pages. I catch 4 words but get only 3. “Love-euphemism for attraction”. However my vocabulary didn’t restrict my comprehension.
“Stupid. These school of thoughts and philosophers”.
The auto halted. I preferred a shady area as not to darken myself (at least not today). It was the first date when I was ‘just in time’.
My phone rang. ‘Valentine’.
“Where are you?” her sugary voice.
“I am late.” I joked.
“I can’t come, sick today” she said.
“Ok never mind”.
“Bye”
“Bye” I fumbled.
*****
I bought a cigarette and was contemplating over going back when I saw her getting out of an auto. Oh! That’s a nice surprise, but something made me hold back my steps and the cigarette. Someone was putting an arm ‘protectively’ around her waist. He escorted her to De Beers diamond showroom. She was giggly. I preferred to burn my lungs than to follow her.
She got out of the shop flattered about her prized possession, I failed to learn whether it was the guy or the diamond. The cigarette was lighting and dimming. I felt like an insignificant white pawn on the chess board with the black king and queen. The pendant close to my heart was crying. I hurried away from the place, stopped at a roadside dhaba that used to be patronized by my friends during our college days. I sat on a bench, contemplating.
*****
A middle aged couple with a cute kid were sitting in front of me. The father checked out his upper pocket for a crumpled note and ordered jalebis. When the jalebis arrived, he shifted the plate towards the mother and the kid saying he wasn’t hungry. The mother wasn’t hungry either. She took the plate and began feeding the kid. Each time she would feed him a chunk and would kiss him so lovingly as if he was the world to her. The cute kid was happy and overjoyed, unaware that love will become so obscure for him one day. My eyes began to wet. I felt a lump in my throat. I began to imagine myself as a kid and how my mother would have loved me, sacrificed so much for me and would have taken so much pain to fulfill every small wish of mine
“Why did I grow up & began looking for love that is so much afflicted to materialism?”.
What happened to that innocent love where reason wasn’t required? I went to the counter and ordered two plates of jalebis.
“That table” I pointed out.
“But…” said the owner.
“Tell them that it is V-day complimentary special”.
I took an auto back to home. A song of kailash kher about a bird with broken wing was playing in the auto.
My cell blinked.
1 Message Received –Valentine.
“Sorry baby I couldn’t come. Btw how was your day?”
“I FOUND LOVE” I texted back.
Courtesy Someone I do not know...
