With love, ~PART 2

The bouquet…. It stood there fresh and delicate, the red tulips faintly moving to the silent rhythm of the breeze. There were about twenty- twenty five of them, her favorite flowers, with tiny white ones outlining the same. There were thin silver glittering ribbons that made the beautiful bunch look lovelier. A sound from behind her head repeated for the millionth time. It was him. It WAS him. IT WAS HIM? How could it be??

Her brain was all fuzzy and eyes, welled up. She took the bouquet inside and she placed it on the dining table. Something dropped out of it… It was a small postcard.

Anahita…

Dear Love, thy name is hope.
I thank my God every time I remember you.
And I live because you live within me.

:-)

And you thought l forgot…
Our first valentine after marriage…
Happy Valentine’s Day!

P.S: Something’s waiting for you - Your Cupboard – Top Shelf

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About a month ago - A telephonic conversation

“But we don’t do flowers, yaar. I TOLD you. Only couriers!!!”

“Relax! Mickey, dude, I don’t think it’s a difficult task ok. Please, it’s for my wife, man. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you to two jugs of beer. Ok make it three…”

“Alright, alright. You and your emotional hailstorm. I’ll ask my man to deliver the flowers. Happy?”

“That’s my man!! Chal, jot down the message … Yeah... Ready?... Ok here goes… Anahita… A-N-A-H-I-T-A... Dear Love...”

“Yeah… yeah... hmmm… Wow... Not bad at all Mr. Romeo! Heheh… What time. 10.30 morning na?

“Duh! Obviously, you idiot! Ok sorry baba. Just as I told you… deliver this sharp at 10. 30 a.m., when I’ll be in the bathroom pretending to take a bath… okay… She’ll receive the flowers… Then she’ll reach for her cupboard and find the surprise waiting for her there… and then for the most romantic climax….”

“And what if the plan fails?”

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Her fingers trembled as she opened her cupboard. Standing on her toes, she reached for the shelf and searched with her hand, while scanning the place mentally. Nothing… just winter clothes that she normally stacked in the uppermost pocket of the cupboard. Her hand moved to the corner and felt something – a packet? She pulled it out. It was a small Shoppers Stop poly bag. There was a box inside it. She flipped it open.

Her face bore no expression, for, it was frozen with disbelief. Suddenly everything was hazy. Tears blinded her vision. She blinked and let the drops fall on her cheeks. She started weeping abruptly and then stopped to laugh crazily. Next moment, she was incredibly irate.. she grit her teeth and trembled violently. Flinging the box out of her hand, she shrieked, “This is unfair!!!! Unfair… UNFAIR UNFAIR!!!!!!”, and broke down into painful sobs…“Why? Why did you leave me alone???”

The box toppled over the bed and fell with a plop on the ground. Inside, from a red velvet case, rolled out a diamond ring... and a note attached to it flew up in the air. It read:

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings…
Anahita… Marry me… again.”

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“…when she would be least expecting it, I would emerge from the bathroom and surprise her by repeating the lines myself!”

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Death is a horrifying stranger. She who comes in without a knock on the door...