Its Valentines Day!
"Give me one rose, please?" An old man said to the flower vendor who was selling flowers at a bus stop. His day was quite busy today as usual but with Valentine's Day round the corner, the business was on a high. All the hype created by the so-called moral police for going Anti-Valentine had in fact boosted the people to greet their respective valentines, and this in turn was beneficial for the flower vendors around Delhi.
He called again to the flower vendor as he was quite busy listening to the huge crowd that has gathered in his shop. He shouted to him, "Give me just one flower, dammit!"
Every one stopped doing whatever they were doing, and turned around, only to see an old man asking for just one rose. Some of them laughed at hearing this and some of them were surprised at this. At this, the flower vendor smiled and asked, "Who is it you want to give this rose to at this age, Uncleji? Are you thinking to marry again or what?"
"That's none of your business. You just take the money and give me the damn rose quickly." replied the old man. The flower vendor wrapped the rose in a lovely cellophane paper, and handed it over to the old man. He took the rose, and set off to the nearby bus stand. He kept on watching his watch as if he was in a hurry. He took out his handkerchief as he realized that he was perspiring and that too in this cold winter. He was wearing a 2-piece coat, and his shoes looked a little shabby. He was returning from his office and was going home to his beloved wife, he was holding the rose on his one hand and lunch-bag on his other. He wanted to reach as quickly as possible, and give this rose to her, as today was the "Valentine's Day". He had been giving it to her on every valentine's day. But this year was special, it had to be special. He looked tense too because his wife had not been keeping well for past few days. She had been bed ridden for many days. The doctor has advised him to stay with her always as she needed care much than the medicines. But, today, he had to get out of the house to bring the rose for her. Actually, it was her idea. She had wanted it. He still remembers the day when he had first proposed her, and it happened to be Valentines Day; though, valentines day was not known in their days. And, since then, he had been giving a rose to her on this day, bringing fresh memories of that day. It has been 45 glorious years of their marriage, and still counting. Well, you never know whether how much more it would last because of his wife's health. It was deteriorating day-by-day, and was become worse. She had become very weak on each passing day.
The old man was engrossed in his thoughts, and it was just then, the bus no 454 arrived. He quickly climbed the stairs, and stepped inside the bus. He took the ticket from the bus conductor, and looked for an empty seat. There was none available, and then he saw a young couple sitting together. The boy was embracing her, and cuddled her like a baby. It looked a little embarrassing for everyone while watching this whole scene. But, for them, they were just not worried about the whole world because they were in love. The old man smiled while watching them from a distance. The girl shied away from the boy when she saw that the old man was watching them. At this, the boy turned around and asked politely, "Oh! Namaste Uncleji! Do you want to sit her?" The old man just ignored him, and said, "Keep sitting", and then whispered in his ear, "Enjoy, young man but don't cross your limit!" The old man moved forward, and came across an empty seat. He sat down, and put the lunch-bag on his lap and the rose on the lunch bag. He kept on looking at his watch. It was pretty long since he had stepped out of his house. He left his wife in the morning, as he had to go to his office to get the pension cheque. He had promised her that he will bring the rose like every year. He looked at his watch each time, and then looked at the rose. He again remembered the day when he got married to his wife, and one could have felt a sudden fear in his eyes that no sooner his wife will not be there with him. The conductor's voice made him wake up from his dreams to the harsh reality that he has to go home, to his ailing wife. He got down to his destination. The boy whom he has whispered, smiled and waved at him to bid him good-bye. The old man too waved at him in return, and thought about his own days when he was young. He hurriedly rushed towards his house only to stop at the nearby grocery store to buy his wife's favorite "Black Forest" pastries. The grocery vendor, Ram pal, was a friend of him, and they met regularly at the nearby park in the mornings, and called the old man with Col as if the old man was in the army. The old man had many times interrupted him not to call him a Col but Ram pal just couldn't understand. Maybe, it was because of the old man's physique. Ram pal asked the old man, "Col saheb, how is bhabhiji, today?"
"She's fine!" was his reply to him only to think that she will be fine in few days. He thought that she cant leave him like that, and then he can feel tears in his eyes.
He suddenly remembered that he had to go home quickly because it was time for his wife's medicine. He came to his house, which was a single storey, enough for a couple to live in and had three rooms with a balcony and a gallery. He rang the door bell. No one answered. He rang again. He thought where the maid had gone. He cursed himself that why did he leave his wife at this state. He cursed him that he shouldn't have listened to his wife to go out to buy a rose. But, then he realized that he had asked the maid to stay back a little late until he arrives. He thought where that maid has gone. He rang the door bell again. The maid came, and opened the door. "Were you sleeping? Where is my wife?" asked the old man in a angry voice.
He quickly ignored the maid, and ran to the room where his wife laid. He entered inside, and called upon her. "Sugatha! Sugatha!" He called upon a several times. But, she did not say anything because she was no more to listen to his voices. He kept the rose besides her, and sat there, and hid his face from his both faces, trying to prevent anyone from seeing him crying.
To be contd...
He called again to the flower vendor as he was quite busy listening to the huge crowd that has gathered in his shop. He shouted to him, "Give me just one flower, dammit!"
Every one stopped doing whatever they were doing, and turned around, only to see an old man asking for just one rose. Some of them laughed at hearing this and some of them were surprised at this. At this, the flower vendor smiled and asked, "Who is it you want to give this rose to at this age, Uncleji? Are you thinking to marry again or what?"
"That's none of your business. You just take the money and give me the damn rose quickly." replied the old man. The flower vendor wrapped the rose in a lovely cellophane paper, and handed it over to the old man. He took the rose, and set off to the nearby bus stand. He kept on watching his watch as if he was in a hurry. He took out his handkerchief as he realized that he was perspiring and that too in this cold winter. He was wearing a 2-piece coat, and his shoes looked a little shabby. He was returning from his office and was going home to his beloved wife, he was holding the rose on his one hand and lunch-bag on his other. He wanted to reach as quickly as possible, and give this rose to her, as today was the "Valentine's Day". He had been giving it to her on every valentine's day. But this year was special, it had to be special. He looked tense too because his wife had not been keeping well for past few days. She had been bed ridden for many days. The doctor has advised him to stay with her always as she needed care much than the medicines. But, today, he had to get out of the house to bring the rose for her. Actually, it was her idea. She had wanted it. He still remembers the day when he had first proposed her, and it happened to be Valentines Day; though, valentines day was not known in their days. And, since then, he had been giving a rose to her on this day, bringing fresh memories of that day. It has been 45 glorious years of their marriage, and still counting. Well, you never know whether how much more it would last because of his wife's health. It was deteriorating day-by-day, and was become worse. She had become very weak on each passing day.
The old man was engrossed in his thoughts, and it was just then, the bus no 454 arrived. He quickly climbed the stairs, and stepped inside the bus. He took the ticket from the bus conductor, and looked for an empty seat. There was none available, and then he saw a young couple sitting together. The boy was embracing her, and cuddled her like a baby. It looked a little embarrassing for everyone while watching this whole scene. But, for them, they were just not worried about the whole world because they were in love. The old man smiled while watching them from a distance. The girl shied away from the boy when she saw that the old man was watching them. At this, the boy turned around and asked politely, "Oh! Namaste Uncleji! Do you want to sit her?" The old man just ignored him, and said, "Keep sitting", and then whispered in his ear, "Enjoy, young man but don't cross your limit!" The old man moved forward, and came across an empty seat. He sat down, and put the lunch-bag on his lap and the rose on the lunch bag. He kept on looking at his watch. It was pretty long since he had stepped out of his house. He left his wife in the morning, as he had to go to his office to get the pension cheque. He had promised her that he will bring the rose like every year. He looked at his watch each time, and then looked at the rose. He again remembered the day when he got married to his wife, and one could have felt a sudden fear in his eyes that no sooner his wife will not be there with him. The conductor's voice made him wake up from his dreams to the harsh reality that he has to go home, to his ailing wife. He got down to his destination. The boy whom he has whispered, smiled and waved at him to bid him good-bye. The old man too waved at him in return, and thought about his own days when he was young. He hurriedly rushed towards his house only to stop at the nearby grocery store to buy his wife's favorite "Black Forest" pastries. The grocery vendor, Ram pal, was a friend of him, and they met regularly at the nearby park in the mornings, and called the old man with Col as if the old man was in the army. The old man had many times interrupted him not to call him a Col but Ram pal just couldn't understand. Maybe, it was because of the old man's physique. Ram pal asked the old man, "Col saheb, how is bhabhiji, today?"
"She's fine!" was his reply to him only to think that she will be fine in few days. He thought that she cant leave him like that, and then he can feel tears in his eyes.
He suddenly remembered that he had to go home quickly because it was time for his wife's medicine. He came to his house, which was a single storey, enough for a couple to live in and had three rooms with a balcony and a gallery. He rang the door bell. No one answered. He rang again. He thought where the maid had gone. He cursed himself that why did he leave his wife at this state. He cursed him that he shouldn't have listened to his wife to go out to buy a rose. But, then he realized that he had asked the maid to stay back a little late until he arrives. He thought where that maid has gone. He rang the door bell again. The maid came, and opened the door. "Were you sleeping? Where is my wife?" asked the old man in a angry voice.
He quickly ignored the maid, and ran to the room where his wife laid. He entered inside, and called upon her. "Sugatha! Sugatha!" He called upon a several times. But, she did not say anything because she was no more to listen to his voices. He kept the rose besides her, and sat there, and hid his face from his both faces, trying to prevent anyone from seeing him crying.
To be contd...
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