A Unique Gift

FOUR

Glimpses in past

Dear Rudra,

Perhaps you would not trust me or the circumstances that I have written this letter to you. But it is a reality and takes it as a reality.

I do not know whether you will relish or not. The fact which I want to reveal upon you is that my heart leaps to you. I am an introvert girl. I did not find a way out to express my inner feelings about you. I like you the most. With great difficulty, I could reveal this fact upon you. I expect that you would not take this otherwise. My intention is not malafide. You are a mellifluent and mellow boy. Your melodious song sung on college annual day has caught my attention and attracted me towards you.

Your whole of the personality bewitches me. Your curly hair, broad forehead and big sharp eyes fascinate me. I feel as if you are made for me only. In solitude, I think about your hours together. Your handsome face and especially your heart piercing glance wander in front of my eyes. It is said that the heart goes to the heart. Don’t you think about me? Does your heart not leap for me? But my heart does. I pine for your company. I want to sit beside you and share my heart's content with you. I want to hold your hands and stare in your eyes until our souls meet.

Please, spare a little time for me on the evening of Sunday the next. I want to see you in Taj Gardens. That is the place where we can sit and talk for a while in solitude. My love for you is like a red rose. And two blooming hearts are longing to embrace each other. Let them do so.

It is my first letter for first love. I am aware of the fact that we are living in the era of phone, texts, social media and technology and I have written this love letter to you. But then it wouldn't have created much difference if I have just sent you a text message inviting you for a Rendezvous, yes a Rendezvous!

About you; everything feels special, so I wanted to make this first interaction special too. I am not aware of the result. But I’m on fire constantly with one ambition and that is to meet you. Religion is no bar in love; it is a matter of hearts.

I can wait for you for ages.

Yours only,

Veronica

Vihaan read the love letter and passed a lopsided grin to Rudra who was parking the car in the parking lot of his restaurant. He, intentionally, avoided looking at Vihaan. The drive from the park to his place wasn’t long, mere ten minutes had passed by for they had started for the restaurant. But the drive was surely interesting.

The guys had explored one another during the drive and Vihaan felt as if he had met a soul similar to his. The same grieving soul filled with apathy. It had been a long time he had had fun genuinely with someone.

Apart from Viraj, he wasn't interested in talking with anyone that amiably, but Rudra seemed to be the guy who broke his walls without even trying too.

Maybe they were two lost souls paving the same path.

In the past ten minutes, the guys had talked about everything to nothing. They had started the conversation with more mature topics which turned into amiable talks between friends and then the teasing when Vihaan accidentally found a love letter kept in the dashboard in Rudra’s car.

The love letter was handwritten in beautiful cursive handwriting by a girl named Veronica. The paper had floral design at two corners diagonally and the red ink engraved on the white handmade sheet was giving it an exquisite look.

“What man? Don’t give me that look! We are young guys. We are ought to get love letters from girls. You must have had your share too. I won’t deny I had my fair share of flings and one night stands in college days, but nothing serious though. Well, not present at least!” Rudra shrugged as he led the way till the main entrance while Vihaan followed him plastering a goofy grin on his face.

“Yes! You are a young handsome man and you are ought to get exquisite handwritten love letters filled with romance and love. I don’t know about one night stands, but the letter is beautiful. I mean both by appearance and words. It looks like the girl has put a lot of efforts to make it. It’s fascinating!” Vihaan commented rather nonchalantly, not mentioning the part where he saw the couple breaking up a few days back. He wanted to ask a lot of things, dig into the mysteries of Rudra's love life, and the explicit reasons they had ended up breaking apart but avoided mentioning anything, for they had just become friends. And it would look highly inappropriate on his part.

“I can only wish she would have put the same efforts in keeping the relationship too. Without emotions, they are only words engraved on a blank sheet, but with emotions, they become much more.” Rudra taunted back, opening the door for Vihaan who stood there dumbfounded, unable to form any suitable sentence.

He understood what Rudra had replied was a rather impulsive statement, but Vihaan could not think of any suitable reply.

It wasn’t the statement he was expecting.

“Relax man! I know you know everything about my break up with Veronica. I saw you sitting in the hotel the other day. I know you were watching everything, so did other people sitting there, but at that time I wasn't in the state to give a fuck.” Rudra said, bluntly. He was staring far at the statue standing in the middle of the lobby as he further added.

“You don't have to play dumb anymore. I'm an open book for you. You can read freely as much as you want to. In fact, I need someone to talk about it too. Also as our spellbinder has suggested; maybe we can find answers to our questions together.” Rudra smiled, tilting his head in a suggestive manner.

Vihaan could only smile at the confidence of the young man. Shrugging off the terrible feeling off his heart which he had felt a while ago. He entered the restaurant and found the place loaded with people.

It was the first time in four years he had visited a place which was not famous internationally for its seven or five star rating and a brand sponsoring its ownership. His business had made him explore the world an ordinary man of his age could only dream of, but Vihaan was not the kind of guy who would find the pleasure in luxuries, rather, he was a simple man who seeks pleasure in ordinary things like that restaurant.

“Book two months in advance, not the kind of place you get a table on impulse!” He heard Rudra boosting about his place, making him chuckle as he took in the interior design and architecture.

Large mullioned windows at each wall, ventilating the place bright with natural lights. Long embroidered curtains, waving slowly with slow morning breeze of the capital city. Dark walnut tables, flowers on each table, delicate live piano music, flagstone tile floor, lounge area with embroidered couches, oval coffee tables with splendidly proportioned cabriole legs, tea served from silver trays in white teapots. The restaurant had nothing luxurious; instead, it was giving an inviting feeling. There was a special warmness in the ambiance that was relaxing his nerves.

After years Vihaan had felt that feeling, feeling of arriving at home.

The restaurant was full. Vihaan looked around at the busy tables, observing the activities. An old couple eating side by side, one glass of wine each, studiously bent over their meals. A group of young women in their thirties collapsing with helpless giggles as a stern woman dining alone nearby looked on and frowned.

Businessmen in their grey suits lighting up cigars. American, French and Russian tourists, trying to decipher the menu. A family and their teenage children. The noise level was high. The smoke level, too. But it didn’t bother him. He was used to it. It was the capital city he was standing in. Nothing there was normal or casual. People there had abnormal habits and weird schedules. It was the peculiar routines that made living there more exciting.

“Come!” Rudra ushered and Vihaan tailed after him, still thinking about the reply he had heard moments back. All of sudden, he felt happy and relaxed for no reason. He felt as if he was reliving his teenage period.

The same delight, the same joy, and the very same excitement.

——————

His callused skin was oddly juxtaposed to the crispness of his suit, tailored to perfection, likely in a high-end London Taylor’s shop. His eyes had a look of long yearned for mischief beneath heavily wrinkled lids, tired due to lack of sleep. He walked with a slight stoop, yet moved swiftly on the marble floor of his room, tiptoeing from here to there, alert as to not make any noise and wake his wife and the baby girl and boy sleeping in the crib up, but then he failed as the comb slipped off his hands and fell on the floor, making noise that broke Katina’s slumber.

“You going somewhere?” Kratika asked in a whisper, letting out a lazy yawn and glancing back and forth between watch and her husband, already in a three-piece business suit.

“Yeah received a call from Mr. Jain. We have an emergency meeting to attend.” Viraj replied, picking up the comb from the ground and placing it back on the table.

“Anything serious?” Kratika asked, locking her hairs up in a messy bun as she stood up and secured her rob on her body, tying the knot tightly.

“Nothing you should be worried about! Just take care of yourself and the kids. I’ll be back within a blink.” Viraj cooed, stealing a kiss from Kratika who pushed Viraj away nevertheless giggled when he pulled her again by her waist.

“Umm, I’ve morning breath Viraj! How many times have I to tell you to not do this in the morning.” Kratika whined, partially scolding her husband as she tried to hide her crimson face from him.

“Morning, evening or night! Nothing matters at all! What matters is you Jaan and When it comes to you. I can never be tired. I would always want more and more.”

“You and you’re flirting. Mr. Malhotra, you have just become the father of two kids. Don’t you think you should behave a bit more mature? Shouldn’t you be a bit more sensible?”

“What do you mean by more sensible? More mature? Isn’t I mature already? What are you trying to say?” Viraj demanded, pulling Kratika more to himself.

“Okay! Okay! You are, now leave me. I’ve to go get ready before this devil wakes up.” Kratika stepped back, untangling herself from Viraj’s muscular arms that pouted and gave a longing look to Kratika for whom the drama wasn’t new.

“Who would say you are the father of two children? Look at yourself Mr. Malhotra, pouting like a baby. This will lead you nowhere.” Kratika giggled, taking out her clothes from the cupboard.

“Oh please Jaan! I miss making love to you. These days the kids have stolen all your attention. You don’t even look at me properly. Always feeding the two, changing nappies and singing lullaby. You don’t even give me a good night kiss like you used to give.” Viraj argued and Kratika only shrugged in reply.

“I’m a responsible mother now! What can I say!” Kratika commented, nonchalantly as she walked passed Viraj to the bathroom while she heard a faint ‘be ready by seven’ in the background, followed by the sound of doors being shut.

Shaking her head at her husband's childishness, she started her morning routine by brushing her teeth while thinking about Omar's engagement coming by next week.