Invitation

“ARAVIND !” someone shouted “ARAVIND !” Someone shouted again.  It was so reminiscent of my college days when my Professor used to call my role number.  Out of habit I said “PRESENT SIR !”. I heard a laugh and reply came back to me “Sir I am Ramu your postman”. I woke up a bit I asked him whose letter is it?.  He said “FROM BALA IYER”.  Her roll number used to be after mine.  I swept back to my college days, when I first heard her name in my class “BALA IYER” a tame reply came from the back “PRESENT SIR!”. I turned around to see the person who replied to it and I saw a 4 feet 8 inch gal in a over long chudi, hairs well kept , whitish in color, lips glossy, mole on the lower part off her lips (her mole still steals my sleeps), and a voice that I later came to fell as a exotic one. In the mean time I was seeing her I realized that she was giving me a nasty look. Out of shame I forced myself to turn my gaze away. I never knew she would cast a spell in me that even after 7 years would be hard to shake off.

“ARAVIND!” again a shout came.  It was my postman “Sahib ji, where are you?”.  I came back to reality.  I opened the door.  I saw a rather old but beaming face of my postman. I didn’t know why he was so happy and I wish I never asked it.  But I did ask and the reply was” Today is valentine day sahib ji and you got a letter from a gal”. Well,  I thought why that would make him happy. He continued “I will give you letter only when I get a prize for it”. Now his happiness was turned into my pocket being lighter by a few bucks.

I looked at the cover in my hand with my name on it.  I took it close to examine it I could sense jasmine scent in it.  It was her favorite perfume.  I gifted it to her on 22 Jan, exactly 6 years before and just about a year after I saw her. Things were natural as it should be. She was with me in all college labs thanks to our roll numbers and slowly she and I mingled. As time would have it we became quite intimate. Teenagers who just begun to feel that friendship between guy and gal aint just friendship. It was at midnight after our daily calls she said to me “Aravind today is my birthday”. I got furious for her not telling me this before. She said no problems at least I was the first to wish her. I was sleepless I called my friend who has gift's shop owner. At midnight I opened his shop and I took a random bottle of perfume  (never gift a gal a perfume randomly), packed it and I was outside her door at 2am.  Her parents were not exactly pleased but I  didn’t care. She too  wasn’t happy but still I couldn’t have gone without presenting her a gift.

My mobile started to ring again breaking my chain of thoughts.  I took my mobile to see the date and message been slashing “HAPPY VALENTINE DAY”. I looked at the calendar 2012 ,month February 14.  Exactly 5 years before I proposed to her.  I was seeing the calendar in her house. It was Valentine’s Day. The emotions in me had taken over me the love in me for her knew no bounds. I have tried to say how much I love her but never got the guts enough to say it. That day that time I felt I could say it to her.  But I couldn’t.  I wrote in her calendar “BALA IYER WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BALA ARAVIND”. I don’t know if she saw it or not. And I didn’t even know if the text she sends to me was in reply off my question.  She texted me “YES. WHY NOT?” maybe in my youth and in over confidence I felt she accepted my proposal.  Later I texted “I LOVE YOU”. The reply she send I still saved in my mobile” YES, I WOULD LIKE TO BE BALA ARAVIND”.

It was 9 am. Load shedding time. The power went out off my apartment and off my romance too. Seeing the letter in hand I couldn’t make it out why she has sent me it. It had been 3years since we talked to each other. After the end of our college career I didn’t turned out to be a great success.  She got placed in an MNC. And I as usual was still placed in her heart. She was loving and understanding perhaps I was the one who took her remarks in the wrong way. There are no reasons for a break up it happens as naturally as love itself. She went for training and I was still unemployed. Now each day without her was hell plus jobless graduate. I would phone her daily. But each day her being busy wouldn’t go down well with me. Then one day it happened we fought. Over the phone nothing I said that could be written here. She listened, listened, listened, and when I ended she said “ARAVIND I HATE YOU DON’T CALL ME EVER AGAIN”. I never called her again for the simple reason that she changed her mobile number. She didn’t turn up for the convocation where I thought I could apologies to her I waited for her till the day ended as it started. And nothing happened.

Now today after so many years still the love for her has not even reduced. No other girl could capture my heart as she did. Yet why did she send me a letter?  Is she going to come back in my life?  Is there a reason for all these days of silence?  Is she going to tell me that yes she is ready to be my wife as now we both in good jobs. May be she has seen my facebook pictures. Maybe, Maybe.  Out of curiosity I opened the cover. I could not find any letter all. I found it was an invitation.

BALA IYER                                                VENUE: CFSFDSFDS

WEDS                                                        DATE: 14.02.2012

NAGARAJ GURU MURTHI

The letter came two weeks later than intended and I gave the postman gift for getting me a gal’s letter in valentine day. I didn’t know what to do cry laugh sing become mad. All I had in my heart was I wish I could be NAGARAJ GURU MURTHI.