The letter !

Her fragrance is fresh and rejuvenating. Her purity evident from the way she looks.

I feel a sense of divinity engulf me as I look upon the beauty that she is.

Each layer of hers adds to the mystery and to her, beauty.

She has the immense capability to hurt the one who gets close to her.

Yet, it seems that she has been revered since eternity!

I had always wondered why she was the most chosen one.

I had pondered, amused at times even looking at the attention she managed to grab every time.

I look at her closely, not for the first time. But, my questions vanish. Feelings of doubt?

Not today, not now, for I am in love!

**

I am in love with the rose that rests in my hand. I am in love with its deep red color, with the beautiful layers that it has encompassing a feeling inexplicable, with the water droplets that rests on the layers, with its long green stalk.

For, today, I finally understand why it is used as a symbol of love. It is like love itself, alluring you towards the feelings it can create, and it is like love itself because it has the capability to hurt you with its thorns. It symbolizes love perfectly - the magic and the hurt!

And what's a better gift than this to symbolize what feelings I garner for you?

Especially that you yourself are like a flesh bloom of rose. You stand, firm, tall and beautiful, with a strong foothold and no airs around, as delicate and as sensitive as the rose. A harsh breeze or a rough handling, can crumble it, just what I did to you often and sometimes you showed me the power of thorns with your actions. But somehow, you stood by me, helping me pave my way to success.

Today, when I look back, I see how little I cared for you, of how easily I kept myself away from this beautiful feeling of love.

When I see the young man over there, hold his girl's hands, looking into her eyes while she smiles, I realize what I have missed.

Today, knowing the truth, it is different. I always thought I was habituated by your presence and only felt affection for you other than the sense of responsibility I had. Knowing, you are going to be gone forever, I am scared.

Thankfully it is better late than never. Because I know the power of it !

"I love you."

Thirty two years since I saw you in the bridal wear, that too only after I tied the knot and it is strange that I have taken so many years to tell you this little thing that I am in love with you. The three words aren't sufficient to let you know how much I am in love with you  - in love with your grey eyes that express every feeling I can understand, in love with your high cheek bones that support the most beautiful smile, in love with your strong will, in love with your stubborn nature for putting your foot down when I am wrong, for fighting with me when I hurt you or ignore you, for giving a taste of my own bitter medicine at times, and for making up for being too harsh on me, for curing my ailments with your tender touch, for standing by me even after youth and strength have deserted me.

As the youngsters today inch closer to celebrate the supposed day of love, I promise to inch closer to celebrate days of love- every single day starting from this day!

Happy rose day, my darling wife !

When you finish reading this letter, you can find me in our garden, planting a rose sapling so that I can present to you a bloom of rose along with my love, affection and my entirety every single day!

Loads of love,
your aged new Romeo ;)

****

P.S: Years after shunning the entire V-day concept of encapsulating love (something I believe needs more than a single day) in a day and all the other days that precede that, something hit me today and I am all mushy-gushy, thankful and what not !!

So here, I dedicate this post of mine to my loved ones, who are extremely dear to me, and who have taught me so much about love, affection,care,emotions and nurtured me to be the person I am.

Happy Rose day !

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The unseen rendezvous

Note : This post made it to Super 25 Shortlist of Tumbhi's short story competition 'Somewhere Sometime'.

(Link)

There were so many who she entertained,
But there was just one, for who, her heart yearned !

His short visits would never suffice. At the break of the dawn he disappeared, leaving her heart broken yet again. She would shrug it off and hide behind a mask of her happy face, alluring every passerby she found. In spite of all the attention they showered, in spite of her offering herself completely to some of them, she never felt the fulfilment that she attained in the wee hours of morning with him. The cycle continued for as long as she could remember. 

While the day progressed, she would conclude that she wouldn’t let him touch her, that she wouldn’t melt in his love, when he came for her. But, when the night gathered the dark blankets, her admirers left her all alone and her thoughts inadvertently went back to him. She held her frail heart in the bellowing wind, whispering her craving for her lover’s company.

Sometime during the night while she tumbled into the yonder of sleep, he would slip in stealthily and slowly surround her. Before she knew it, she surrendered to his cold kiss, holding him close, spending moments of pure bliss until the morning rays knocked on their door. 

Days passed, and she lost her beauty – frail and old she became! Her friends abandoned her for other beauties in their prime. She knew that she had nothing to offer to them. Loneliness was her only company! She wished for the day to go by swiftly, for the night to take over, because, even after her beauty had been vanquished, her lover had not stopped coming back to her. He did not stay longer than he did before, but each parting was different now. Difficult even, because considering her condition, they did not know if she would survive another day in the world. Savoring the little moments they shared, they continued their rendezvous, bidding many of the last good byes each and every time.

The seasons changed and the winds of fury blew. She had no strength to withstand the strong gust and gave in to meet her end.

When she was young, she had once asked him “Why don’t you stay, if you love me.”

To which, he had replied “You should know my darling, that my love for you has always existed, right from the moment I set my eyes on you, when you were just bud sealed in your protective cocoon, knowing that the cruel world waited outside to devour your beauty, but you peeped out one deep red petal at a time, slowly, confidently, swaying delicately in the breeze. I had caressed you before anyone had even discovered your beauty. I thought you loved me because you were young and did not know of the admirers that you would have, once you bloomed. But even now you wait just for me every night. I am jealous of the butterflies and bees for they can bury their secrets in your bosom throughout the day whenever you let them, but I, have just these wee hours in the morning before the sun rays touch us. I have to go leaving you alone because I want to return to you every night. I know that sometimes you wish you wouldn’t melt in my love but the truth is I melt every single day just to be with you. Our moments together might be less but remember my love, I come back only for you. The day you wither I shall annihilate my soul and join you in the ranks of the breeze.” 

The next morning when he visited, he knew she would be gone but he settled over her remains- the scattered petal that she was and the dew that he was, having the last of their unseen rendezvous!

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