By chimbu
Date: 1 July 2000

Valentines day card

Valentine's Day card
                                          

"Hey! Ritu, How are you now?" asked Smitha.
"Its ok now. But I still have the sick feeling of typhoid ", replied Ritu.
"I missed you a lot."
"I have to rush to the class. Are you coming?"
"No, I will come for the afternoon session. Let me just settle down."
"Ritu, your mail is on my table, take them. That guy Arun has written three letters since you left. He seems to be awfully worried."
"Yeah! I should have written to him that I 'm ill. He would have become very desperate because of not receiving any letters from me."
"Bye. I can't be late for the first hour HOD will kill me. It is his period. See you during lunch."

                                Ritu then searched for Arun's letters in her mail, lying on Smitha's table. She had gone home from the medical college hostel, infected with typhoid six weeks back. There were two letters and what seemed like a greeting card. She fancied it to be a Valentine Day Card. But she knew that Arun would never send her a Valentine Day Card even in his wildest dreams. Because she knew Arun looked towards her as a friend. But still she couldn't stop wishing.

                               She had started loving him lately. He was her classmate in school. They had been sort of pen-friends after school as his father had got transferred to Hyderabad and it was not easy for him to come to Bangalore just to see his friends.  At least Arun was very serious about letters. He usually wrote two or three letters every month. In school he was just like any other classmate to her. But as his letters increased she began to know him more closely. They began to share their worries and miseries. Finally what had started of as a simple friendship was slowly nurturing into love.

                               She took the cover and opened it. She couldn't believe her eyes. There in her hands was a Valentine Day Card with a bright red heart on a black background. She didn't have courage to declare her love for him. So she had prayed for him to declare his love. Now it was really happening. She opened the card.


           You are in my thoughts,
You are in my dreams.
Even when I close my eyes
You are still there.
I think... I am in love.
I love you.

         These were written on one side of the card in red letters. On the other side in Arun's hand writing this was written.

     "I hope this does not go to your head. I love you. I have been thinking of saying this since last Christmas.
      love,
Arun.  "

              After reading that she was on the top of the world. Who wouldn't be! The guy whom she secretly loved was declaring his love for her. She sat like that for a few minutes in ecstasy. She then remembered she had two more letters to read. She began to fantasize about the things written in the letter. She took the letter, opened it. She read the letter twice, as she couldn't believe what she had just read. She couldn't stop crying after seeing the irony of the situation.

Hyderabad,
28/3/97.
Dear Ritu,
I am very ashamed of what I did. I know you consider me only as a close friend. I know I can never be your lover. But still I couldn't resist myself. I don't know what happened to me that day. I have hurt you. I know that this is the reason for your silence after I sent you the card.
All I can do now is to say sorry. I hope you will understand me and continue our friendship. I hope at least now you will break your silence and write to me. I have none to confide my worries in. I will be totally shattered if I lose such a friend like you. I again ask you to forget about the card.

Your friend,
    Arun.
Back to the Heart-on-Sleeve Corner