We celebrate 21st anniversary of proposing each other on Valentine’s day today. Its been two decades since we ended the ambiguity about our relationship and still the excitement is afresh in our memories.
But that confession never meant that we may not have anymore valentine’s in our lives. But this may not have been obvious/ desired twenty years back when we had fenced our world between two of us. No one mattered us more than each one of us. We had, even limited our parents involvement in our lives.
But with every passing year, as we grew being more confident about our relationship, we ventured to spread and add more of us- crazy lovers- but I added far less than what she did.
But the crux of every such engagement was to live and live fully this life of ours.
I won’t mind including individuals in my valentine who were of same gender as me.
Burhan Dalal- he completed my assignments submission at college when I dated her. He pure to heart and full of respect for us till date.
Malik- my junior as a cyclist who lied to his elder brother to let me date her.
Simran- my sister who did not ask me for a refund. She paid for her trip to Indore when we got married secretly.
Rahul- for all his subtle support except when he drove her to nearest bus stop to elope with me on his LML Vespa two-wheeler.
Debraj- his blunt advise of quality of our married life and having a kid so early. Debraj, pls do not mind, it was not as explicit as mentioned here by me. You blessed us by visting us last week.
Manik- for being our first family friends. Manik and Shalu shared a similar rebellion history as ours.
Shalu- you being so practical but never so when it came to welcoming us at your place and feeding us with hand-made delicacies.
Shivam- a toddler ( son of Manik and Shalu) who made me experience being an elder brother (Pal Bhaiyya).
Pushpal- a down-to-earth but highly sensitive professional at work who fell for me to let his subtle care fall on me.
Reeta- most trustworthy at work and went on to be a great family friend. Daughter to two twins, she carries an unique aura of selfless (coupled with cautious) care and attention, only for us. I cannot forget the first and only lunch at her place.
Anjali- how can she be so similar to my own sister who shares same day of birth? She has to be warned, alrerted, and cared for at times , but simply out of my insecurity/possessiveness about her.
I am in Chandigarh since I turned 40 and yet to have a valentine here. But both of us have found our parents as valentines’, caring and demanding and yet so subtly.
I am grateful to you all. Never is a valentine owned only for selfish purposes.