I was not expecting any letter.
And least of all, on the Valentine’s Day!
The alarm rang notoriously loud that day, and like
every day, I thought that it rang louder than ever. Shaking off the sleep, I
sat up staring at the hopeless Sun. For lovers, it was going to be a special
day. For non-lovers, it was going to be a day of recollecting the most pretty
female face they had ever seen. For me, it was going to be just another day.
Till I had my breakfast, things were like every
other yesterdays-brushing, cleaning the room, bathing, making a phone call to
my mom, and eating the same old parathas.
With sufficient time in hand, I decided to go through the headlines of The
Telegraph. But just then it happened; a something that never happened on the
other mornings I lived to see. Knock Knock!
I opened the door find a postman, who claimed I had
a courier from a nameless somebody. I checked the address; mine was right. The
sender’s address however, seemed alien to me. Who on earth would ever send me a
courier without a name? I kept my astonishment invisible from the postman, and
quietly put my signatures on the paper the handed out to me. Salaam! I nodded back.
I thought a lot, trying to guess who the sender was.
My mom loved to surprise me, but that would be limited to my birthdays only. My
didi does play a prank or two when we
see each other, but that’s when we meet. In any case if either of the two would
send me the courier, I would have recognised the address. But the sender of
this one was a nameless somebody who knew my address, but whose address I did
not know. I tore off the cover to see the content, only to find a neatly-folded
hand-written letter in it. For some reason or the other, the handwriting did
not seem very unfamiliar.
“Dear
Kuldip,
Long time no see! I hope you are doing
fine. I wish I was there in person to tell you the words I wrote. I am keeping
myself anonymous from you, with a hope that you’ll recognize me after reading
through it completely. No. I am sure YOU’LL recognize me!
Life runs alike every other space co-ordinate, relative to the time
co-ordinate, except that there are no equations, no assumptions, and no
inferences. There is but one thing that exists, and that is reality. Long ago,
I lived in a world made by me and governed by my rules. It’s funny when I think
of that world. It was so different from the world everybody lives in! There I
used to be a Hitler for my own actions and reactions. I dictated terms on
people who loved me, yet you survived your days with a smile every time I
summoned you in my court, be it for a feast or a fist. And after everything,
like everybody, you too passed away one day. It was the happiest day of my life
back then. But as soon as slumber eludes and you open your eyes to stare at the
Sun, dreams die off.
Years passed by since that day. I was ashamed to call you or even text
you; I felt it would point a finger at my prestige. But I wanted you to know
everything I felt, everything I wanted to say, and so today I am finally
putting them to words for you, for I was living the thoughts of the
un-prestigious lies and the weight was killing me slowly and methodically as
days passed by. That day, I was too young, too inquisitive, too anxious, too
impatient, exploring the world of love in haste. For love, love and love alone
I travelled beyond my shame, my desires to live the love I “desired” the most.
In case you still ask me that was the story you find on my blog was a fiction
or fact, I will again stick to fiction. You are my fact. The rest were
fictions.
I managed your address from my schoolmate; she is now happily married to
one of your best pals in college. I requested him not to tell you a word and I
hope he has been true to his word. Even if he’s not been, it doesn’t matter
anymore because I know you have recognized me. Please write back to me as soon
as possible, if you want to that is. I will conclude by saying something-“for
you, it was always a thousand times over!” Hopes it makes up for an apology. I
have a thing more to say, but that depends on how fast you can come. I’m
waiting.
Forever yours,
---------------------“
I dropped at Aniket’s home on my way back from
office that day.
There was he. There was Anushka.
And then somebody hugged me from behind. I closed my
eyes. I love you. We swayed to the
tune of Hey Jude. It had to be The
Beatles!
“Hey
Jude, don’t let me down,
You’ve
found her, now go and get her.
Remember
to let her into your heart,
Then
you can start to make it better…”
Ten years had
passed by, but she was still the same. She, the prettiest face I ever saw. She, the sender of the anonymous letter.
