A Valentine Love Story :Ashlok OS

Today is Valentine's day.The day of love.I will shower my love on my Sojal.I went to a textile shop.

I wanted to gift her the prettiest dress available in the shop.

My eyes went through the clothes there.I picked up the gown i liked the most.The person who was standing next to me chose a glittering red saree.
"Is it for your wife?"I asked.
"Yes.Today is very special for us.It was on a Valentine's day that we met each other for the first time.We both fell for each other at the first sight itself ",he replied.
I was surprised.

"Wow!You both fell in love on the day of love itself?"

"Yes.But we were so shy to confess our love that we took one year to confess our love to each other.And guess what?It was on the next Valentine's day that we confessed our love to each other".

"Really?That's great yaar"I was surprised.

"It is not over yet.We dated for one year and got married on the next Valentine's day".

I was truly surprised.

"You both are made for each other.Now I feel that actually Valentine's day is meant for both of you ".

He smiled sweetly.

"Nice to meet you.What is your good name?"I asked.
"Shlok",he replied.

"Your good name?"He asked.
"Varad".

"Nice to meet you".He shook my hands.
"Today is a day of celebration for us.Today is our love day,confession day and the wedding anniversary.More than all this today is Valentine's day too.So my wife must be waiting for me.I have to leave now.",he said.
"Carry on.Even I need to leave now.Otherwise i will not get bus.My wife will be waiting for me".
"You have to wait for the bus?I will drop you by car".He offered me a lift.
"No thanks",I refused his offer politely.
"Come on", he forced me.

Again I refused politely,"No thanks.I don't want to trouble you".

But he did not leave me.

"You are not at all troubling me.And on the way you can come to my house too. You can meet my wife too",
I could not refuse.I had started feeling that they were a unique couple after hearing their cute Valentine's day related love story.So I was curious to see him with his wife.They will be an awesome couple for sure. We went to his house.The front door was locked.
"Your wife is not here?"I asked.
"She is here".
"Then why is the front door locked from outside?"
He did'nt reply.He opened the door.We got inside.There was a heart shaped cake on the table.
"Where is your wife?"I asked.
He took me to a room.There was a beautiful lady's framed photograph on the table.It was decorated with flowers.I was shocked.

I sweated.
He kept the saree near the photograph.
"Aastha..this is my gift for you.Happy anniversary...Happy Valentine's day Aastha".Shlok talked to the lady in the photograph.

Shlok kissed the photograph.

"I love you Aastha".
"Your wife is no more?"My lips shivered.
Shlok became emotional.Suddenly tears dwelled in his eyes.
"Four years back I lost Aastha physically in an accident".

I could feel my heart being torn by the shock he gave me.My eyes fell on the news paper cutting near by.I took it in my hands and read the news.

Business Tycoon Shlok Agnihotri's wife Aastha passes away'.

The photograph of her corpse gave me a strange feeling.Because her face was disfigured and it looked scary.In the accident her face had got crushed.I could feel Shlok's pain seeing his wife's pathetic lifeless body.

Tear drops made Shlok's eyes red.

"But still my Aastha is here with me.I can feel her presence.She can never leave me and go.She had promised me to be with me always.I always celebrate Valentine's day with her. For her,the most beautiful day of our love is Valentine's day.All the memorable moments of our love are associated with Valentine's day".

He was very emotional.

Shlok imagined Aastha coming in the red saree he bought for her.

He looked at her deeply.

She blushed.He caressed her face.

"Aastha...as years pass you are becoming more and more beautiful"

Yes,his love for her is making her more beautiful than anything else though in reality her face was disfigured at the time of death.

Shlok cut the cake imagining Aastha standing close to him.She took a heart shaped cake piece.

"Shlok,once again I am giving my heart to you".

She fed him the cake in his imagination.He looked very happy.

He shared the cake with me.Though the cake tasted sweet,i felt the bitter taste of Shlok's tears.

Shlok kept chatting with his Aastha.

It started raining.

He was excited like a mad man.

"Rainy Valentine's night".

He talked to his imaginary Aastha,

"Aastha...you love rain dance.Right?It was raining on the Valentine's day we met each for the first time.Remember the rain dance we had on our first wedding anniversary.That was a passionate Valentine's night.You always wished for rain on Valentine's nights.Unfortunately last four years Valentine's nights were dry.But tonight is very special.It is raining as per your wish.Let us dance".

Yaariyan ve... Yaariyan
Yaariyan ve... yaariyan ve..
Yaariyaan... yaa...

He ran out forgetting everything else.He felt that he was holding Aastha's hand.He stretched out his hands to feel rain.He was not alone there.There was his Aastha's soul catching his arms.He swayed to the rhythm of rain imagining himself dancing with Aastha.

I was numb for a moment.

Though my eyes saw only Shlok dancing alone in the rain,my heart saw Shlok being happy with his Aastha as my heart had already accepted them as a classic couple.

Unknowingly my eyes got teary. That moment I felt that I had witnessed the most beautiful and the most tragic love story.

I did not want to distract his imaginary rain dance with his lady love.Because these were the rare beautiful moments of his life.I walked out silently without biding him Good bye'.

Something stopped me there and made me turn back to look at Shlok again.I turned back.

Shlok's imagination was moving to the next level.

Shlok embraced his lady love passionately.

But within a few moments he felt his shirt being wet with her tears.He looked at her face.

Shlok could see tears flowing down from his Aastha's eyes.

"Aastha...why your eyes are hurt with tears?"

She sobbed,

"Shlok,it's time for me to go back".

He was shocked.

Is dard-e-dil ki sifarish
Ab kar de koi yahaan
Ki mill jaaye isey woh baarish
Jo bhigaa de poori tarah

"How can you go back Aastha?This is Valentine's night.And we have always spent Valentine's days together".

"But the fact is that we got separated to be not together on any Valentine's day".

His heart was pricked by the truth she spoke.

"No Aastha...you can't go".

"Sorry Shlok.I could'nt keep my promise to be with you on all Valentine's days.I need to go back".

"Don't go Aastha.Pleaseee".He pleaded crying.

Is dard-e-dil ki sifarish
Ab kar de koi yahaan
Ki mill jaaye isey woh baarish
Jo bhigaa de poori tarah

My heart wept seeing his condition.

Aastha's image got vanished.Shlok could feel emptiness everywhere.The rain drops poured upon us seemed to her tears shed from heaven.He could feel pain everywhere.The pain he could bear all these years were unbearable for him that moment.He cried out of pain.

He screamed in pain uttering only his lady love's name,

"Aasthaaa..."

Yaariyan ve... Yaariyan...

I had always seen happiness on Valentine's day.But seeing Shlok's painful love,Valentine's day had turned out to a be tragic day for me...it pointed out the pain of love...It reminded me of only the tragic love story of Shlok and Aastha.Whether it is tragic or not, Valentine's day is closest to Shlok and Aastha as even the smallest moments of their love shone on Valentine's day.

The end