With love to my forever perfect Valentine

Dear T,

We are already into February – the month of love. Do you remember the first February that we spent together after years of not being in touch with each other . The year was 2010 – you loathed traveling then. Yet you took a flight from Kolkata to Bangalore and then a bus to Mysore for a non-stop journey of ten hours only because you wanted to surprise me. You ended up proposing me for marriage as well. More than the beautiful orchids, chocolates and books that you got me as gifts, I remember you drinking cups of coffee just to give me company during those five hours that we spent talking to each other. I was a caffeine junkie while you were coffee intolerant. Yet you didn’t let your discomfort take precedence over my happiness.

I can vividly recollect the first Valentine’s Day post wedding. It was just three months after Ma passed away. I was still living in denial. It was another day of skipping office for me. You came back from the Hospital with bunch of orchids, Bournville and P G Wodehouse books. Our late night conversations and Lord Emsworth made my days bearable that year. Knowing my obsession with books, every year you tried to stealthily figure out items added to my Flipkart cart to understand what books I would be ordering next. Magically those arrived on the Valentine’s Day. Over the years,  we moved cities. But the V day celebrations stayed intact with gifts that we loved, dinners at places we enjoyed and time that we spent together.

I wondered if there would be anything special after our son was born. The February of 2016 looked like it was going to be just another month with a five month infant. We were in your home town staying with your parents. Imagine my surprise when you sneaked in a huge chocolate truffle cake and the Amazon package into our room when the household was sleeping. Unfolding the package gave away the topmost item on my wish list – the complete collection of Asterix. I am still awestruck by the fact that a generally absent minded person like you remembered my long forgotten wish. Last year, you took me by surprise again when the complete set of Tintin arrived in Kolkata. I am yet to figure out how you end up knowing my wishes and desires much before I even utter a word about it.

I’ve always had a knack of figuring out surprises much before the actual events. Yet I have no shame in admitting I have failed in both these occasions. On our first Valentine together, you had told me quite dramatically that my smile is your life’s biggest priority and responsibility and there’s nothing that makes you happier than seeing me smile. I thought that was the hangover of a budding romance then. As we near Valentine’s day this year, I know that it is our togetherness and understanding that makes you my perfect Valentine forever.

Love,

S

Author: Sonia Chatterjee

Who am I? An erstwhile banker turned blogger/writer/author. Any qualifications? A Post-Graduate degree in Chemistry followed by a second Post-Graduate Diploma in Management. I completed a one-year MFA in creative writing course from the Writer's Village University, U.S. in Dec 2020. Though I must admit that I am still trying to figure out how and when I can connect all these dots. Have I done any real work? If two years in market research, six years in banking as a branch head, three-plus years of blogging, writing, and publishing a book can be considered as real work, then yes! Where do I live? After spending life like a nomad for sixteen years in Delhi, Bangalore & Mysore, I am back to where it all started from - Kolkata. My favorite things - Books, coffee, travel, food, and my five-year-old son. What is this blog about? Through Sonia's musings, I intend to explore writing in various genres, create social awareness, spread laughter, and give words to emotions. Anything for readers? You can check out my book 'Deal of Death' on Amazon Kindle. If you like fast-paced thrillers, this Detective fiction introducing the woman sleuth, Raya Ray could turn out to be your perfect weekend read. View all posts by Sonia Chatterjee