She looked again at the letter that had been read and re-read.
Her heart was a flutter. Every time she read it, she thought of the possibilities… the road not taken! Frost had captured it perfectly. What if she had accepted the love and the proposal?
Oh! The turbulence of first love!
The world is rosy, the heart is full and the feet never find solid ground. It was as clear as day to her even now.
He was the heart throb of the entire lot. His smile, his voice, the whiff of his deo… were what made their dreams. Yet, she was the eternal wall flower.
She mustered up courage and dialled the number, adjusting her spectacles, a new addition to her heart shaped faced that was round now, with the newly acquired double chin.
“Hello!” the deep voice was strange.
But her knees went weak. She looked for and sat on the antique chair upholstered in raw silk.
“Is this Ram?”
“No! Just as you are not Sita!” a deep laugh ensued.
“But, I am! I received your letter,” she said emphatically.
“Pardon me! I don’t know any Sita.”
“Preposterous, you have sent me a letter reminiscing about your love from school!”
Silence!
“Madam are you Sita Sethi? From Jhunjhunu?” asked the baritone with deep astonishment.
“Yes, of course. Do you send such letters to everyone?”
“My sincere apologies if I hurt your sentiments. But this is Deepak! Ram’s friend. I don’t know what letter you are talking about but hearing from you is a dream come true. Not in this lifetime did I dare to think we will get in touch.”
“Deepak? You were always there to help me and my friends. In fact everyone in my family knows about you and how you extricated me from my worst nightmare.”
“Really?”
“Please join us for tea this evening. I insist. We would love to meet you.”
***
Her eyes drank in the debonair man seated across her, while self-consciously sipping tea from her Dresden China. The twinkle in his eyes, the relaxed smile and the deep throaty laughter, filled the tasteful drawing room.
***
“Mom I am bowled over… just like you,” laughed Sheena making her mother blush. “Whatever are you implying, you imp?”
“Its been years since Dad passed away, and you have slogged to give us this life of comfort and luxury. Its high time you let some romance into your own life. I completely approve your choice,” she said hugging her mother.
“But was it not Ram, who was your crush in school?”
“Ufff! What all you say! Really cheeky! What will people say?” Sita batted her eyes with fake horror.
“True… but it was Deepak who came to my rescue every time… when other children made fun of me or even that dreadful day that the stray dog chased my cycle,” the admiration in her tone shone like a twinkling jewel, as she shivered reliving the horror.
“Wrong numbers sometimes are actually right!”
Written for #artoonsinn #Five00-26
Image courtesy Gemini for representation purpose only
