My Valentine Forever And Beyond..
Prerna sipped on her green tea, her hand shook as she held onto the porcelain cup. Looking through the mist of the tea that created halo blurring her morning vision, she saw her grandchildren playing in their garden. She smiled thinking how far she and her husband Anurag have come. Through their thick and thins they stood like a pillar for each other. Their journey of 40 years was not a cakewalk, yet they were together, living their dream in a cozy house with white picket fence.
Her wrinkly hand was about to touch the cookie jar when her daughter came and took that away, “Mom, you need to control. I know, your diabetes is under control right now, but you have to control your diet.” Sneha gave her mother the morning medicines. Prerna fondly smiled at her younger one. Sneha came all the way from US, just to celebrate her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary on Valentines Day. She was surprised to receive a call from her father one morning, asking how he needed her presence to plan the anniversary. Even though Anurag Basu loved his wife a lot, and was a family-oriented man, but when it came to romance he was a big failure. On the other hand Prerna was hopelessly romantic.
“Good morning sweetheart”, Anurag hugged Sneha and kissed her on her head. “All your love just for me? Nothing for my darling Mom” Sneha secretly winked at her father.
“Let it be dear, he never loved me enough”, Prerna complained earning an amused gaze from Anurag.
“If I didn’t love you, then who the hell did make such lovely babies”, he kissed Prerna’s wrinkly cheeks.
“Stop talking like a besharam in front of your kids. Don’t forget, you are a grand father now”. Prerna tried to get up, while Sneha and Anurag help her to get into the wheelchair.
“Look Sneha, I am trying to be romantic and your mother is behaving like a spoilt sport”, Anurag faked a pout.
“Romantic and you? Last time I remember you tried to take me out on a date, we ended up in a client meeting” to which he immediately replied “After which you never went out with me, because I was so pathetic in romancing and that reminds me of something”. Anurag handed over a rolled paper with a red ribbon tied on it.
She looked at him in dismay as he signaled her to have a look. She managed to open it with her trembling hands and she brought it close to her eyes to read. Those were the ownership papers of the orphanage where she had grown up. Emotions blurred her vision as she tried to regain her composure. He had renamed that orphanage to “Prerona’' which meant inspiration in Bengali.
She had always been a very protective mother to Prem and Sneha because she knew what it is to grow up without parents. She had always wanted to give a home to those orphan kids and seeing her dream coming true, she couldn’t control her excitement. Before she could ask her husband whether he would take her to the orphanage, Anurag took her hand asked her, “Would you like to go on a date with me my dearest wife”.
Sneha chirped, “Oh my God Dad, I think it is the most romantic way of asking someone out. Haina Maa? And you call him unromantic.”
“Finally he has learnt something good from me.” Prerna sassed.
On their way to the orphanage Anurag asked Sneha to stop the car at the flower shop. “You remember Prerna how you wanted a yellow rose when we were in college and I made fun of you for being such a hopeless romantic?” The flower boy came near the car and delivered a bunch of yellow roses that Anurag had ordered. “I was a fool for not understanding your feelings towards me then.”
Further they stopped at the pan shop and Prerna immediately giggled remembering the moment when she realized her feelings for Anurag, her best childhood buddy. “You were such a bore Anu, you couldn’t enjoy the rain because you thought you will fall sick. You refused to get out of the car to have pan with me.” Anurag smiled when Sneha handed over a gift to Prerna. She unwrapped the purple gift wrapper and found her picture framed. She was enjoying the rain that day and he probably took her photo while sitting in the car.
“Now can this get mushier?” Sneha nudged her mother. Prerna looked at Anurag and silently appreciated his efforts. He still managed to make her blush by his small sloppy loving gestures. Their car stopped at the destination and he opened the door for his wife. When Sneha brought the wheelchair, Prerna looked at her husband and demanded, “I would like to walk with my husband today no matter how hard it is for me.”
Anurag held her hand and whispered, “If we were 10 years younger I would have picked you up in my arms the way you always liked, but if I do now we would definitely end up in the hospital, which you will definitely not want. This time I am not going to spoil our date.”
“I don’t mind helping you with that dad.” Prem chimed and picked up Prerna as Anurag held her hand.
All the orphanage kids gathered near the ribbon cutting area. Prem steadied his mother upon reaching for doing the honors. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Prem and Sneha busied themselves with gift distribution while Anurag took that opportunity and wheeled Prerna towards the courtyard.
“I never thought I would live to see this day.” Prerna’s whispered
“I know what this means to you sweetheart.” He replied.
He wheeled her towards the table where he had instructed Prem to arrange dinner for two. Prerna was stunned to see a life size poster of Anurag and Prerna that they clicked on their first Valentine’s Day. It captured the moment when he had said “I want your heart because you stole mine.”
“How do you do this?” she asked and gave her a knowing smile. “I never got to see this side of yours, mister”.
Suddenly the whole ground lit up with fairy lights as the waxing moon set the mood.
“I know I have made mistakes, I am not perfect, thank you for accepting me the way I am.” Anurag gets emotional as he pulled a chair to sit beside her “Prerna, you changed my life completely, been the pillar of support for my family, you brought up our kids to be amazing human beings. I accept I didn’t give you sufficient time but I know.”
Prerna shushed him by putting her finger on his lips. “I am glad that our love didn’t fade away, instead, it has grown deeper, with passing years. And it will always be there. Right?” He tightened his arm around her shoulder.
Both of them became silent reminiscing their times together. They admired the moon partly covered by the whiffs of tiny clouds with lighting brushing their tangled fingers. “This might look cheesy Mrs. Basu but I want to do this”. Anurag pulled out a glass jar full of fireflies that was kept under the table and Prerna squealed with unbridled excitement. He knew exactly what made her happy. She opened the jar and hundreds of fireflies surrounded them.
She peeped inside the jar and her smile disappeared as she notices 3-4 glowing bits lying at the bottom of the jar. "Are they dead?” she asked.
Anurag smiled and asked her to re-check. To her surprise they were not fireflies but glowing solitaires.
“They will shine brighter if you wear them.” He said caressing her cheek.
“Would my husband help me put them on?” she looked deep into his eyes
Anurag helped her with them and softly kissed her trembling hand.
“Just a minute.” Anurag said and got up while Prerna tried to suppress her smile.
Anurag pulled out a trolley and happily watched her unfettered joy at the sight of her favourite, Rasgullas. They lovingly fed each other as their favourite song “lag jaa gale” started playing in the background. He slowly moved around the wheelchair never leaving her hand as he danced with her and her face glowing with her bright smile and her eyes beaming with tears. He bent down and came close to her and kissed saying “I can’t see tears in your eyes not even tears of happiness”.
“Thanks for coming into my life Anurag. I wish every girl is lucky to have Anurag for herself to make her life worth living”. Prerna couldn’t stop herself for saying this to Anurag.
I know I’m yours and you are mine
You make me feel special and divine
With you I’m forever on cloud nine
My Darling, my love, will you be my valentine?
-A Fiction by Team Anurag
This made me so emotional that i can't control 😭. As it is sure that we are not going to get this part in the show.
👏👏👏 to all who have contributed to make this so beautiful. ♥️
We may get parts of it if they show leaps n granny AnuPre ..❤️
This made me so emotional that i can't control 😭. As it is sure that we are not going to get this part in the show.
👏👏👏 to all who have contributed to make this so beautiful. ♥️
Thanks a lot Grace 🤗
In the show really don't know what we'll get
But its ok we tried to present it to the best of our abilities 😊
Thanks for the compliment 🤗
And here it is 😍
I just love what we have created with the whole team's effort. 👏
I have the most rocking team 🤗
Yeah Shiri proud of everyone 👍🏼🤗
Tbh, I don't want it in the show. Because EK will just spoil the beauty & simplicity of this whole plot with her OTT imaginations.
