with you forever

With you forever

It has come again after one long year. February 14 , the Valentine’s day , lover’s day ,the day that earned billions for  shopping websites and gift shops, the day on which chocolate ,roses and heart shaped balloons and pillows are sold a lot. In a nutshell today is the day many people madly in love become spendthrifts too. But I and Varun have a somewhat different a story. So here I am madly in love and waiting for my mad boyfriend who has made me wait all alone for more than ten minutes now in this coffee shop.

The minute hand of the clock keeps moving and I keep waiting but somehow I don’t seem to get angry. Something tells me all this wait is going to be worth it and that’s when my eyes fall on a teenage couple all lovey-dovey in the seat in front of me. An instant smile lights up my face when I remember my own love story that started when I was barely fifteen.

Our love journey started like most typical ones. We both met in an institution where I was attending classes for my ordinary level and Varun for his ACS. It took me two months to comprehend his love for me and he still tell me that that was the worst torment in his whole life. (Well not that I completely believe it. Yet as it’s cute I never argue.)

The path that we had to undertake in order to reach the destination of our journey was not at all easy. For as both our families were conservative, conversation about our affair was out of question. As to add to the bundle I being a minor was not helping either. So we kept our love journey as a secret from our families. But as always in all love stories, my family did get to know and I was grounded. It was a very hard situation but things were less heart breaking when I thought of my strong resolution to talk to Varun again. Thus with so many thorny bushes and bends in the path our journey continued again with much better understanding and more firm  decision to meet the end. Yet that was not again easy for life never gets easier. But my Varun and I somehow got together after the fights we had ,thanks to all our friends and teachers who were very caring that they adviced us even in our personal matters. So after seven years now here we are much more resolved about making it together forever.

Forever, that reminds me that I should ask about the delivery of the surprise gift I had ordered for my idiot who had now made me wait for thirty long minutes. Just when I am about take my mobile from my bag a hand touches my shoulder and I start and find my prince charming looking very charming and laughing his head off in front of me.

I could not help but smile looking at him so relaxed and fresh in his cool and crisp white cotton shirt, black denim trousers with matching black and white converse and his simple black strap watch. This is what attracted me when I first saw Varun. His simplicity was so modest yet breathtakingly handsome and rich looking.

“You make me wait for thirty minutes, come late, start me and even have the nerve to laugh at me. What could possibly be the punishment you deserve Mr.Varun? ” I tease him with a mock angry face. He did not get the point and all of a sudden became nervous and started fidgeting with his fingers. Now as this was my cue to laugh I did and saw him relax. But the moment he brought forward the beautiful bunch of smiling yellow daffodils I stopped breathing. “I’m sorry Shalini I couldn’t get any roses so I brought you…” “You idiot I love daffodil and do you think I’ll send you off even if you come empty handed?” I ask him snatching the beautiful flowers from his hands. I was too busy sniffing the flowers so I did not notice that Varun had become silent too but when I felt it I raised my eyes to see a tear falling from his eyes that were watching me “You are beautiful.”, he said. I did not know where to look to hide my rising blush. But before I could say anything he took my hand and started “I don’t know what you expected or did not expect my dear but right now all I could give you is this and my promise that I will work hard and do all that is there in my power to keep you happy and contended. Do you wish to continue this journey with me for another few years?”.  I was very much overwhelmed to speak that I broke our eye contact and hugged him tight.

I was about to weep with happiness for getting such a loving and caring boyfriend but the waiter disturbed us both with an “Excuse me sir, are you Mr.Varun?”.  Varun answered in affirmative and the waiter brought in a medium sized parcel to our table. Varun saw me and that was when I remembered my gift. So I shook my head and watched a very surprised, happy and enthusiastic Varun opening the wrapper. The moment the gift popped up Varun was really surprised. For co-incidentally I had planned to buy a T-shirt that read “WITH YOU FOREVER” which was exactly the answer that I had intended to give him when I hugged him.

“Tell me Shalu did I call you in the middle of the night and mumble any of the thoughts that had plagued me?” . I only laughed and gave our orders for our plans for the day still awaited.

After tea we planned to stroll the Galle Face walk. The evening sun was very beautiful as always but today there were fluffy clouds that was bathed in pinkish blue hue, different birds flying home and best of all the beach itself was colourful with many couples buying ice-creams, strolling on the walk hand in hand just like us, watching the sun from the bridge, eating from the street vendors and sitting on the steps. Everyone seemed to feel the love in the air and everyone had a smile plastered to their face.

A little off from the flag pole there were young married couples expecting baby or with one or two babies. The picture was so beautiful I just stopped. Varun stopped too and seeing what I was seeing he smiled knowingly. I don’t know from where I got the words but I started uttering,

“Sleeping on your shoulder

Holding your hand in mine

Feeling your head on mine

Glowing moonlight

Chilling wind and

The coolness of your love

Our child in my arms

Feeling blessed, watching our world

Still locked with love.

Where I’m in between your legs

Down on the dune           

Your head on mine.

Our world locks us even more closer,

after playing in the waves.

We laugh, after bathing in

the sand filled love our

world brought for us,

feeling blessed.”

 Varun had been seeing me when I recited the poem that came to my mind when I was looking at the cute families and when I had stopped, he turned me to make me look at his eyes and smiled at me which was so promising as the words he uttered in the café. When I smiled back at him he hugged me tight and said, “Feeling blessed I am with you now and I will WITH YOU FOREVER.”

I could not have asked for a better day and that reminded me that the wait had been completely worth it.

Author :- Badurdeen Fathima Ayesha