Since last four years, on the eve of our
anniversary, we have been dining out in our favorite restaurant. Exquisite
diner, with such a romantic ambience, and that dim yellow light filling in the
room would make you fall in love, again and again, with the place. I’ve loved
this place always. A five year old relation indeed, akin to our marriage.
Exactly at 20:45, he was outside the house and rang
the bell once. I can vouch anytime any day for my man and his patience. When I
opened the door, he eyed me inanely from my auburn hair to my coral blue heels,
from my mascara to my nail polish, but didn’t say a word. He as usual ambled
towards our bedroom, grabbed his towel and walked into the bathroom to take his
regular shower. He was tired, I knew. I could read his face easily and those
tension lines on his cringed forehead would always narrate the story of his
stressed day in a telltale voice. They did whisper to me today also, though in
a bit louder tone.
Everything seemed normal; nothing offbeat; nothing
special as from erstwhile.
Meal wasn’t cooked as instructed by him, and we
would be skipping our dinner tonight it seemed. He was lying in bed, clothed in
his Night Pajama and cotton tee. Neither having chutzpah, nor intention of
inquiring about the dinner, I too slipped into my sleek pajama and loose
T-shirt, and crawled into the bed, beside my kid. I’ve a four year old kid from
my five years of marriage.
I slept, not out of choice but of my dire
requirement to curb my heart wrench and surfacing tears.
At midnight, when clock arms were nevertheless romancing
each other physically for the second time in a day, my cell phone beeped with a
whatsapp ping. Reaching out for my phone, I tried to stare on its screen with
my half opened eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness piercing the blinding darkness
around. It was from him, and it read, ‘Happy Anniversary, my angry bird…oops,
wifey.’
I turned around to look for him and there he was
sitting at the edge of our bed smiling, with a perfect heart shaped cake
resting in his place of sleeping.
‘Happy fifth anniversary,’ He mouthed the words,
not willing to stir the tranquility blooming in the
moment.
I emulated his gesture flawlessly.
Cake
was a mere trailer of what was yet to come or I’d have rather termed it as Love Ascending. Thereafter, I smelled nature's
freshness in my room, and a bouquet of red and white roses and
Ferrero Rocher chocolates appeared from nowhere, like he had conjured the art
of whooshing his magic wand and making the empty dry AC air transform into some
desired object, sitting atop his palm or on bed.
Then followed one Alpino pack consisting
of two golden wrapped wafer chocolate balls.Unwrapping those enveloped balls, individually,
revealed us two enclosed secret love messages.
‘I’d like to be with you during a moment called
Forever...’
‘Smile, if you have big nostrils. Because love is in
the air...’
And we smiled to each other and to this beautiful
moment. I was entirely basking in the cozy warmth of love. And, as if my heart
wasn’t enough overwhelmed, he told me to get ready for another and the final
surprise. My heart started racing not sure of what the next moment had in store
for me. Pleasant for sure, but ‘what’ kept getting on my nerves till he elbowed
and mimed making me look
towards the big wall clock as its pendulum swayed in
rhythm with my heartbeats, or a tad slower. It was 00:40.
It
was on October 11, 2008 that our Nika’h took place, at 00:40.
This was the time we
were waiting for us to cut our Anniversary cake.
He held my right hand and guided the knife into the
heart of the heart shaped cake. And the sharp edge of knife hit something. I
was yet to know.
A Platinum Ring. If you could imagine my ecstasy.
I shrieked. I yelled. I cried. I threw myself in his
arms and hugged him tightly. And he said lovingly stroking my tousled tresses.
‘Platinum ring for the Platinum of my life. You did bear
with me in my worst, endured every brusqueness our marriage offered you at
times. Kept holding my finger when I
felt alone. Gave me needed sense of warmth and confidence. And made me feel most
loved and precious.’
And I was already crying. But he continued. His
words oozing like warm honey from the depths of his manly heart.
‘You’re as precious as any precious metal or gem in
this world, and Platinum reminded me of you. Precious. Beautiful. A Lifelong
partner. Rare and Eternal.’
I could only manage to say, ‘I love you’ and tears
sopped my words. He held me tight in his strong embrace and rocked me till I could
feel serenity dawning on me and my soul.
Love is as timeless as Platinum. I’d
cherish both till I breathe.
I found my unique and perfect Platinum Day of Love.
And, we as soul-mates found our Love moment together.
For now, and forever.
