Menkhu, my sweetheart, I received your cute rose kissed with love and tenderness!
I rushed to open the gates when the doorbell rang. Your ‘10 petal rose’ was gracefully sitting upright, flashing a smile and waiting for my hug. As I took it in my hands, the fluffy pink flower went near to my heart and I watched every petal getting visibly excited as my chest rhythmically moved up and down. Every beat saw one petal curling up and emitting its unique fragrance, all of them resembling your fingers. You know that I love your little fingers the most; they are so sweet and small. One kiss for them, Muaah! Ummmm! One more, with a black-forest pastry topping to make them as sweet as I love them to be. As I slipped my lips over the petals the rosebud jostled for my attention and I could hear it scream with joy. With an enigmatic smile, it said, “Shivendra, give me a kiss on my 10th petal. Today, I carry something special from her luscious lips”. As these words entered my ears, I had joy and emotions running inside me and I kissed you umpteen times. With my eyes down, I lifted my head and the petals stood up and formed a rosette. Responding to a call from my heart, the rosette knew I wanted to see you and they did a ‘Menkhu’ for me. As I was enjoying your presence, a thin blanket of air wafted through me and the petals touched my heart again. I felt your palm was resting on my heart and enjoying the rhythmic ride and the little finger was upright waiting for its special kiss loaded with love.
I was emotionally driven by nostalgia and I back-peddled to the day when we first met at MaitiDevi temple in Kathmandu. I was kneeling at the entrance when the rose that you were carrying the goddess fell into my cupped hands and I unknowingly thanked god, “ I hope I will be married soon”. And then how embarrassed you appeared when I opened my eyes, looked up and saw your cute face. You looked graceful in that absolute stillness. Do you remember those ‘so true words’ of the little boy who joyfully raised his hands and expressed innocently, “Tapai maro bisistha byakti hunu huncha?” Though I didn’t understand anything, still, I smiled at the sweetness of his voice and even today his words are etched at the bottom of my heart. While I was gathering positivity from you, the priest raised his hands and looking at us said, “Ma sarahai nai khushi chu. Sometimes you find your life in unusual circumstances and both of you seem to be so special in this meet”. I remember, we just stared at each other and walked on the streets of Kathmandu and the romantic weather compelled me to ask you everything that originated in the firmament of my heart. Hey! You remember, my absurd sentences, “Can you give me your email, your phone number and can we walk 10 more minutes please?” When you paused, I looked at you from the corner of my eyes and closed them and I was confident that if you weren’t there when I opened them, then you liked me! And it happened.
Back home, I laughed at the way I approached you directly and then the silly way I clicked on your profile a hundred times daily ’til I mustered enough strength on my birthday and expressed my feelings for you. Looking into your blue-almond eyes and with a wide open mouth I simply uttered, “Today is my birthday and the only gift I request from the goddess in this lifetime is you as my life partner”. And how can I forget the very next moment when you went offline. It made my heart skip beats. Then suddenly, you were online again and with a flirtatious glance and sparkling eyes you paused, came close to the screen and blithely said, “Shivendra, wish you a very happy birthday and bring your heart close to the screen and I will bring my 10 fingers on the other side. I have seduced just one of them with true love and that only my better half would be able to pick the correct one. If you happen to be my true love, you will be correct with both the touch and the feel and I will be your love ’til eternity”. I still recollect the silence that was stationed inside me and with divine intervention I wriggled my fingers and my heart guided me to touch your little fingers and say, “You haven’t kissed these little ones as yet, as you believe your true love would be the first one to kiss and seduce them as well”. I could read your face revealing the shock of your life and then the most awaited moment arrived when I heard you saying, “I love you too”. Something happened to me under the covers then and I was toneless and just nodded my head—I don’t know why, maybe, I was having a catnap? Ha ha ha… Recollect the day when we casually decided to walk (virtually, though) hand-in-hand with each other and then how I stumbled upon a pillow and you were in bursts of laughter. I was happy that you enjoyed the moment so much and as my head had a sinusoid, I felt that you ruffled my hair. That touch of yours let my heart meltdown, it was awesome.
My brain thinks of your presence every moment. We have met just once and it was three months ago and I wonder how close we are to each other now. A daily chat, a 10 petal rose a month with a unique kiss is all we need to be happy. Our religions are different, we are miles apart, but love burns off everything that is different and brings us so close every day.
Menkhu, you know I share with you everything. Yesterday night I had a difficult dream. Somewhere deep within I felt that we may miss our marriage and I will not get to hold you in my arms and love you endlessly. When are we tying the knot? I want to get married tomorrow—be it virtually. I know as I write this, you may be fast asleep, but I have commanded my wheezing heart to keep a watch on my brain ’til you get up and gift this most precious day in my life. We don’t need anyone to join our wedding. It would be just you and me and the touch of our little fingers would do the priest’s job. We will clap for ourselves and celebrate our union the way we want. I would give your little fingers the ‘oh-so-good kiss’ and say, “I accept you as my bride”. Menkhu, this wait is like a century for me, I want to be yours forever now. My heart is beating fast and sending messages to you. Wake up and respond to them. I am eagerly waiting… I have something to say and I want to say just that again and again, “K tapai ma sanga biwaha garnu huncha?”
Shivendra Kapoor is based in Mumbai, India. He has previously been published in The Times of India and a non-fiction story published in an international novel by Strategic Publishing House (New York).
