Valentine's Day @12
I was finding it difficult to sleep.The lines ran through my head, and I kept uttering them even in sleep. I never had sleepless nights before my exams but this was different. It was special .Well; those lines were the dialogues I had to deliver to her tomorrow. I twisted and turned desperately trying to get sleep but even the unconscious part of my brain had those lines doing the rounds .”Happy Valentine’s Day!All the best for your exams and may you pass with flying colors”. Those words were suggested to me by my elder cousin bro who was supposed to be more experienced than me in those matters. I had to deliver them with perfection the next auspicious day. I closed my eyes once again trying to calm myself and this time I succeeded. When my eyes opened I could see the eastern sun struck by a cupid too. Wow!What a day it will be, I told myself.
I got ready for school trying to look a little bit more handsome today. I wished mom good bye and set off on my bicycle. I did not take the usual route though. I went to a friend’s place to get a very important stuff; hmm…it was a kind of necessity. Without it the situation would lose the punch. I reached his house and he was already there awaiting me. He gave me two roses; a red and a yellow one wrapped in a newspaper piece and wished me luck. I smiled and took off towards school with a different air around me. The roses were kept safe in the side space of my school-bag. Whole day I waited for the classes to get over. Usually everyone’s eager for the end of the classes and that day I was at my restless best always stealing a glance at my wrist-watch on every opportunity waiting for the evening.
The classes came to an end with anxiety rushing through my veins, my mind trying to imagine the situation when I would look into her eyes and deliver the advised punch lines. I rushed to my friend’s place which lay just opposite to my KG school. She was there in her school uniform, a knee-length skirt, a white shirt for a top with the tie on. The chill of February evenings made sure that she wore a cardigan over her shirt. Her round eyes tried to avoid mine as I entered my friend’s house. She blushed away in anticipation and I too walked past her not sure what my next move would be. I tried hard to organize my thoughts which all of a sudden had gone into panic state. She started walking away towards her house.
I stared down urging myself to speak out and ask her to stop but nothing came out and I kept quiet. She had reached the junction which lead towards the parish church. I just took out the roses, and ran. I reached her real quick and called out her name. She stopped and turned back, our eyes locking for the first time. We stood there in the middle of the highway. Anybody could have witnessed us with the roses but we were at our nonchalant best then. I observed her curly hair waving across her forehead, her round lips breaking into a slight smile.”Happy Valentine’s Day”, I blurted out having no idea where that suddenly came from. She wished me back with a handshake which made us both go into a tizzy. I tremblingly handed her the roses.”The yellow one for friendship and the red one for love and care”, another poor choice of words I thought trying my best to sound as casual as I can be. My face gave it away though, with all the nervousness and anxiety which had accumulated over the previous night.
She accepted the flowers of love and friendship and this was the first time we talked with each other since our friends had started teasing both of us. I thanked her for the gift she had delivered to me the previous day through a common friend. “My friends told me to do so”, she uttered softly in her child-like voice with a lot of innocence.”That’s fine”, I answered trying to find a clue in her face which said the gift idea was hers’ and her friends just encouraged her to implement it. I didn’t find it but still I seemed happy to receive a valentine day gift from a very sweet and cute girl.”All the best for your exams and hope you pass out with flying colors”, I delivered the punch lines with not the best of emotions but at least with a sincere heart. She wished me the same and waved her hands,as she walked towards her home.
I could not control my feelings, and just could not believe what had just happened. I sprinted towards my bicycle with a feeling which I had never had before .My heart felt light, and it had never been so happy and mad at the same time. I had a wide grin on my face and I could have ran till my home. I rode my bicycle, the freshness of the evening breeze spreading its chill over my face. I reached home still not able to absorb my first valentine day adventure. Whatever be, the moment had entered itself into the most of the most memorable events of my life and I’m sure hers too. I was sitting on the terrace when my bro suddenly tapped on my back.”How did it go?”He asked. ”Good”, I replied with a smile, my cracked lips hurting a bit.”Did you kiss her?”He spoke jokingly as my lips bled slightly because of the dry February air. I nodded and smiled back wiping the blood away with my forefinger.
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