Sweet Romantic Short Story – The Strawberry Box
Photo credit: mconnors from morguefile.com
I banged the bedroom door shut. My clothes were scattered on the bed. The flame of anger was already ignited in me. It was almost noon and not a single message or call did I receive from him till then.
‘We are married for three years now and every single time he has forgotten our anniversary and this time too it is no different’, I said to myself, ‘Every month he goes abroad for his work leaving me with very little time to spend with him. But never did I complain to him and today also he is not here and to add to it he has forgotten about our anniversary totally’.
I was finding it really difficult to bring my mind at ease. I looked at my bed which was a total mess. I started folding the clothes and stacking them on top of each other. My mind was drifting back into the past as a yarn stuck the engagement ring. Seeing the ring I could not help but let loose my mind to flow back to the time when it all started.
It was the month of December and Dehradun recorded its least temperature. We were in eleventh standard then and our Christmas vacation was to start the next week. We all were excited apart from the couples who were glued to each other sitting near the windows, sharing some lovely moments. I was sitting with Apurv, fighting with him for not bringing me strawberries as he promised. We were the best of friends since I joined the school in fourth standard. I always used to put on lots of fight with him but this was one of the things that we both loved and enjoyed. That day he insisted on walking me up to my home and all throughout he was giggling like a fool. I could not figure out what was wrong with him until I reached my home. There on my study table lay a strawberry box. I loved strawberries so much that I ate all of them at once. But inside it was a surprise unlike other days. There was a letter at its bottom. I unfolded the paper carefully and read,
‘ To my strawberry,
Its been seven years since we are best friends and today I want you to know something. Just the way you love strawberry that very way I love you. Just the way your face light up at the first sight of them the same way your sight light up mine. Behind all the cat fights, jealousy when I get busy with someone else and the tears that show up in your pretty eyes at the thought of how we will manage staying apart after passing out, lays something more than just friendship. And don’t deny me this fact because a person always know his best friend’ heart.
Apurv’
I caught my reflection on the mirror and knew that it was my turn to look fool. My cheeks flushed red and my lips stretched wide into a smile.
My cell phone beeped and I was back to present. It was a message from my colleague with best wishes on my anniversary. I stole a glance at the mirror and felt happy to see my smiling face. I knew what I exactly wanted to do that very moment. I opened my cupboard. I had preserved every gift he had given me including the strawberry box. I took out each one of them but to my shame the strawberry box was not there. I cursed myself for not being able to find it anywhere. I called up Apurve and to top it all his cell phone was switched off.
Shattered, i went out in the garden. Dejectedly I was looking at the rose buds when my eyes caught something on the swing. I ran to it and to my surprise it was that very strawberry box with strawberries in it. Before I could pick it up I felt an arm wrapped around my waist and a soft kiss on my neck. Without giving me the time to avert my eyes and turn back I heard him whisper ‘Happy Anniversary my strawberry’.
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