Happy Valentine’s Day – Episode I

February 14

“It all began with a friend request. A girl, indifferent of strangeness, call it destiny or whatever, clicked the ‘Add Friend’ button on Facebook. She had no idea how her life is gonna change,” I typed.

“Done with your eulogy?” Her message popped in messenger.

“Just started,” I replied.

“Been like an hour, know that?”

“I need to think, idiot!”

“C’mon why do you need to think”

“It’s a eulogy to you.”

“Hehe! Go on. But, trust me, that won’t be a eulogy.”

“I hope so.”

“Hey, can I call you?”

My mobile rang before I could reply “Yes”. It was 2 am. We rarely called each other, all we did was chatting. But yeah, that day could be an exception.

“Hello!” I whispered, trying not to wake up my roommate.

“Sorry, I just wanted to talk. I am scared.”

“Don’t be, everything’s gonna be alright”

“Things are gonna change from tomorrow. Before, I gave a damn, but I am scared now.”

*************************************************************************************

(7 days earlier)

Sometimes it makes me wonder, why do I even stay in class. I look at my classmates, they are
just glued to the whiteboard, nodding to teacher’s every word and copying all those scribbled black marks. I always stay there clueless. I was bored. So, I opened Viber. I went through messages of
Sukirti. Chat with her was always fun and reading those chats always gave smiles.

“U there?”

Her message popped as if she was waiting for me.

“Yessss!”

“No clz?”

“In clz. I thnk I missed u”

“Hehe, Suvam Pradhan missed me? Joke of the day!”

“Y? can’t I?”

“I wish u did.”

“No, seriously.”

“Okay, I believe u. 😉 “

“Seriously, I miss you.”

“Then where is my rose?”

We’ve been friends for 3 years now. I was in grade 8 when I first met her. “Hi” she greeted. I looked at her and smiled. And I went my own way. I don’t know what she thought of me. But I was shy. I couldn’t greet a new girl and smile was the best I could offer.

“So, how long are you visiting?” My best-friend Ankit asked her.

“2-3 days only”

“You became kind of celebrity, you know?”

Actually yes, all the students just stared at her be it senior or junior or teacher. NO, not because she was beautiful, but she merely was a guest in our school. We all were in school uniform, and she was in her jeans and t-shirt. Who wouldn’t notice the difference?

“Hehe, I am just here to meet my friends.”

And yeah, she happened to be our old friend already erased from my memory.

“And you don’t remember me?” Ankit asked.

“No! I just remember Iksha, Nilu, and Suvam and that imp, sorry I forgot his name.”

We all laughed. Bishal seemed furious. Then I knew, she tried to talk with me because she remembered me. I hate my memory. I didn’t even have the faintest image of her in it.

“But, you don’t talk to him,” Ankit pointed to me.

And there’s it. He had to say it. Bastard!!  I glanced at her, she glanced back. Our eyes met. And I looked away. She just smiled.

“Does he speak??” She asked.

Oh no!! Awkward!! Oh, you should have seen my face.

After 2 years, when I had just started to use Facebook, I got a friend request from Sukirti Dahal. Back then we were in grade 10. She was in Kathmandu and I was in Jhapa. But we became friends, thanks to Facebook.

*************************************************************************************

“Here it is!” I sent her the picture of a rose.

“No, I need a real one!”

“Thn cme to my clz.”

“Ha! u can’t evn give rose n u say u missed me.”

“Am I supposed to?”

“Of course, it’s rose day right??”

“Now, when did you start noticing?”

Love and relation was never her subject of interest. She always appeared unaffected by any emotions. She was indifferent to the world around her. Partly I always thought, I would understand her. I never did. But I learned to accept the way she was.

“U said that ystrdy! Why should I evn care? N u cnt evn ROSE me. 😉 ”

“ROSE!!! Wat if I did?”

“U cnt!”

“Hell, I cn. I m cmng to ur house after clz.”

And comes the male ego. Why did I even say that?

“I bet u can’t!”

“Challenge accepted.”

“Hehe, Barney Stinson’s fan. let’s see.”

“wait for it. 😀 ”

I made a mental map to her house. It could take around 1 hour or less only if I could remember those confusing gallies of Putalisadak. And as I said I hate my memory.

“Hey, I don’t remember the way”

“Not my problem. Find ur way! 😀 ” She replied instantly.

I always rejected the idea to visit her home. I was afraid to face her parents. I have done no wrongs, but it’s just me. Strange people scare me. Though, I had been there 1-2 times. And never had to face them. I remember entering the galli opposite to the Tarkaari Bazaar and that’s it, several turns and her house. Yet I wanted to take my chances, though chances are I may get stranded somewhere in between those untrodden gullies. Also, I had to buy a rose.

It was 5. Class ended. I calculated time. 1 hour to reach her house, 15-20 minutes’ max with her and next hour to reach the hostel. It would get dark by then, but I had a challenge. So, I rushed. I didn’t take a bus. I just walked, rather ran with my other friends heading to Bus Park along the same way. They insisted. I looked throughout the highway for a gift shop and No luck. We reached Bus Park. I bid them adieu and ran towards Tarkari Bazaar.

By Prajwal Pradhan

The writer is currently pursuing Bachelor degree in Computer Engineering at IOE, Pulchowk. An English-language enthusiast, he has a keen interest in writing. He is eager to learn new skills and is trying to keep busy with his hobbies.

(Note: This is the part I of the 4-episodes-long story this Valentine’s season. Part II of the series will be published tomorrow morning. Keep posted till then. 😉 )