Stolen Sweetheart

Clearing Love

November 2008
It's been eight years now since I opened this old trunk. While clearing it up today I found an old card. A Valentine's Day Card. I had managed to pen down something on the card, but didn't have the nerve to give it to the person it was bought for.

October 1999
I was practising for the annual day function when I heard my favourite track by the Backstreet Boys being played in the adjoining room. I peeped through a hole in the partition but the singer's back was turned towards me, and the only thing I could see was a wonderful head of bouncy erect hair shaking to the rhythm of Shape of My heart.

Finally I succeeded in seeing the singer in the assembly hall next morning. For some strange reason, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

During English class one day, I saw him pass by my classroom. Though I love Shakespeare, that day I couldn't concentrate on the sonnet Miss Kaya was teaching. I kept on gazing out of the window, waiting for him to pass by my class again. I really liked looking at him.

I even waited at the bus stop and let a number of buses pass by just to be with him for some more time. I don't know why, but even he waited at the bus stop till I got onto a bus.
'He is two years older than you, lives in Tollygung, his name is Vansh and yes, he sings quite well.'

'Vansh...' I whispered his melodious name, but then I realised and came back to the reality from my LaLa land.

'Why the hell are you telling me all this?' I was shocked when Armaan gave me the information.

'Ah! As if I hadn't noticed you looking at him. Anyway, the least you can do is buy me a choco bar for this data.' He winked with a smirk.

'Push off', I replied, exasperated at being so obvious. But I still kept on gaping at him when he wasn't looking and I would still wait to catch a glimpse of him when he went by my class. Though I don't think he ever caught me staring at him, some of my friends did. On being questioned, I confessed,

'I think I am in love with him'. They felt he was aware of that fact that I looked at him; that he always stood in a position that made it easier for me to look at him!

Comes March, we were writing our respective exams. On the second day, Vansh's seat was next to mine.

'Hey, can you lend me a pen?' It was the first time he had spoken to me. I was jubilant and the incident kept replaying in my mind.

'Who's that boy Riddhima, staring at you?' My mother asked me at the bus stop that day. During exams she would always come to pick me up from school.

'Who?'

'That tall boy. He seems older, which class is he in?'

'Oh him? I don't know. Some senior, may be in the eleventh.'

But I couldn't study that evening.

'Mom, are you sure he was staring at me?' She looked at me from the kitchen and smiled.

'What happened?' I asked.

'Nothing.'

Time passed; the new semester began. There were new classes, a new curriculum and new students. Among them was Aaleya. She was everything I was not, and maybe that's why within a month she has befriended Vansh. Some said they were going around, but a few also said that she made advances towards him but he ignored them. I didn't know what to believe.

When the rumours became rampant, I stopped looking in his direction. In due course of time a year flew by and it was time to bid goodbye to our friends at school.

It was the last day of school and my only chance to let him know how I felt. I gathered all the courage I could summon and went to school with a Valentine's card.

'You wanted to talk?' he asked.

'Yes, I did.' I paused. 'I wanted to say that ... that .....'

'Say what?'

'Say that ... that you still have the pen you borrowed last year.'

'That's it?'

Did he seem disappointed?

'Riddhima.....' he stopped for few seconds and stared at me, then continued,

'that pen is very lucky for me. I want to write all my papers with it.'

'Okay then. All the best for the exams, do well!'

'You too.'

I didn't say anything more. I don't know why. I just ran from there leaving him behind and didn't even looked back once for the last time. I could sense and make out, him still standing on the same spot and staring at me and disappointment was clearly visible on his face. I came back home and buried the card in this old trunk.

I have to clear the thoughts in my mind which have gathered dust like the childhood memorabilia contained in this trunk. Just like I need to make space in the house to accommodate guests who are attending my wedding next month, I have to make a space in my heart for my fiance. I have wondered a million times what would have been my fate had I confessed that day. He indeed was my first love and that too love at first sight type. I wasn't completely a grown up, nor was I a child. I was mature enough to be in love, but too immature to reveal it. After all, I was just sixteen.

The time for closure has come. I close my eyes, erase the past, put my mind to rest, no questions, just one simple answer. I love my fiance and look forward to a new life with him.

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A very happy Valentine's day to all my lovely readers. This is my first short story on RiAnsh and I hope you liked the first story. I'm really glad to publish my first book on such a beautiful day. Pls do like and comment if you are impressed by my work. Stay tuned for further one shots on RiAnsh🌼🌷🌹