Love Short Story – One unread message!
Photo credit: rachjose from morguefile.com
What happens when a message is left unread, not for days , months but years! Will it make a difference reading the message after a decade? Can a message reunite two people who really loved one another?
A raining day in March is unusual. And Shalini was losing her patience with every raindrop. Afterall, it was the day she has waited for a long time. And the rain, which is otherwise a romantic element, was blowing away her hopes. Her hopes to hear it finally. It is every girl’s dream to get the man of her dreams propose her. And Shalini was confident that the feelings were mutual. There was no way Sanjeev would remain silent today. Today, they will part ways and wouldn’t meet ever if Sanjeev did not confess his love. So there she was, dressed in an orange salwar kameez, the one she got stitched form her tailor in hometown. She had given a Kareena Kapoor poster to him and warned him of the consequences if she looked anything less than Kareena on her Farewell.
It was first day of the college and Shalini was already late. The only seat vacant was beside Sanjeev in the front row. After that day Shalini made sure she reached late everyday, to find a seat beside her knight in shining armor. 3 years passed like a morning breeze. The thought of never seeing Sanjeev again was killing. And Shalini hoped he would let his feelings out. He would bend on his knees and ask her to be his forever. After all that is what happens when you are about to separate ways.
Shalini reached the party venue by 8pm. She could see Sanjeev, dressed in a blue shirt and cream pant with a brown waistcoat. She greeted every one including Sanjeev who had already started staring at her. There was something different about today. But there was nothing more than stares that was waiting for Shalini that evening. She woke up next day with red eyes and a wet pillow. Exams were round the corner and she cannot disappoint her parents for a guy who maybe didn’t even think about her. Shalini’s hard work got her a place in top 5 university students with Sanjeev heading the list. She thought of calling him to congratulate but did not , thinking that her call would be nothing more than a stalking for him.
After 7 great years with her first company, Shalini moved to Delhi with a new project. She was amidst a meeting one afternoon, when when her mom called to say that this is the 10th guy she is setting a meet with and Shalini better be easy going. Every marriage call from her mom took Shalini years back to the time when all she wanted to do was marry Sanjeev and live happily ever after. But things have changed today. All she wishes to do now is be engrossed in work so that her parents don’t get an opportunity to strike the marriage talks again.
“Do you ever check your emails ?????” Someone broke her chain of thoughts. She turned around and it was Vrinda.
“Oh my God, Vrinda. I didn’t recognize you. Wow, you have become more beautiful. Is this your kid? Very cute.”
Vrinda was Shalini’s college mate and a good friend. She said she sent her an email 3 days back to inform her she was coming. Shalini has long back stopped checking that email account. After Vrinda left, Shalini logged in and saw Vrinda’s email in between the spams. As she was clearing her inbox, something caught her eyes. Sanjeev****@yahoo.com ! Oh God, how did she miss this! It was an email dated 24/03/2002 from the person who has been a part of her since college.
“Dear Shalini,
I know you must be surprised to see my email, as we will be meeting in a few hours for our farewell party. But I had to let some things, some words, some feelings out before I face you and bid you goodbye. I love you. Infact love was all I felt for you. But considering the shy soul that I am, confessing my love was the toughest exam I can face, tougher than Physics numericals. So, today I want to give my life to you, so that you can take care of it and we can together cherish it with the right bling of your life.
But, I am not sure if you feel the same way. Hence, I am writing this to you. If you love me too, just let me know by saying yes . That is it. I would be in the party , always around, looking at you and you can just say yes. If you don’t feel anything more than a friendly liking, just let things be. My world would be upside down in either case.
Waiting for you
Too shy to write my name”
” Oh My God! What did I do? Let me reply now. But this email is 10 years old. Doesn’t matter.”
With a pounding heart and crying eyes, Shalini wrote back.
“Dear Sanjeev,
I am not even sure if you are reading this. But, look at what has destiny brought me to. I waited for you all these years and your “Yes” was lying unread in the stupid inbox of my email address! Please revert if you are around somewhere, equally waiting equally in love.”
Forever Yours’
Shalini”
AUTOSIGNED
Months passed by and all Shalini did was refresh her inbox. Nothing even rhyming to ‘Sanjeev’ dropped in!
There was everything, from beauty creams claiming to make her 10 years younger to Lotteries claiming to make her 10 times richer. But nothing even hinting to bring her love of 10 years back.
This was the 11th time Shalini’s mom called with a match. “Shalu, just come over and if you don’t like the guy, you can mess it up as every time”
Shalini was too heartbroken and a guilt of making parents suffer took away her remaining Sanity. She booked herself on the next flight available and reached Patna the same evening. Something not even her parents expected. She said that she is ready to marry any guy they choose for her. The day of meeting arrived and there was Shalini, dressed in a salwar kameez, which had no claims of making her look like Kareena.
The boy sat looking towards the swimming pool of the hotel, Shalini greeted him coldly “I loved someone and wanted to marry him, but God had different plans for me. So here I am, meeting you. If you think you can marry someone with a rubbed out heart you can let my parents know. Bye!”
” Don’t you want to know the state of my heart?”
Shalini froze, the moment froze, and the man moved towards her only to turn her around. It was Sanjeev. Her email was read and also her autosign. So, Finding her home address was easier than physics numericals. They held each other and amidst all the tears was a story that had just begun, to linger around forever.
–END–
