It's all on the cards-Part II

I asked Sourav, "Have you ever sent a e-Card to anyone?"

"Well yes, it only takes a minute or so to send and it reaches on the specified time and date, no hassles what so ever!"

"Should I send one to her?"

"Well depends, on how you want to profess your love to her!" replied Sourav.

"Well, I am terribly finicky regarding these issues you know!" I replied.

"Don't quit man! Don't you quit! You love her, don't you!", spat came the answer from Sourav.

I said, "I am so dejected man! Last Time I made a mess of it, if you remember!"

"Don't worry, not everything is in your hands! Last time circumstances were against you! You don't have to visit a card shop again. All you need to do is to log in at a e-card website and send the card from your home, using your own computer or laptop, at your leisure!"

"I don't know, what if something goes wrong!"

"Well, nothing can go wrong this time! Be positive man! You can do it!"

"I am too touchy on this issue and don't want to force things! After all you can't force someone to fall in love with yourself, can you!"

"You are not forcing anything! It is just a proposal! I think she likes you! She now knows the fact!", replied Sourav.

I answered, "You have to cajole women, into feeling that they are important! And I am terrible in that you know!"

Sourav interjected, "All you need to do is to make them feel that you are in love and you are the 'Mr. Right' for her!" Sourav continued, "You have to make them feel special! Shower them with mushy cards and mushy love messages! Splash them with teddies and chocolates!"

I said, "Dreams are good but actually reality is very different! When I first sent her a Card, things had gone terribly wrong! That's why I am so apprehensive!"

Sourav replied, "You are a man, so act like one!"

I scratched my head and then thought to give this another try.

I said, "All right, let me give another try at this!"

It was 13th February. In the evening I called up Sourav and asked him to come over to my place. We sat in front of my laptop and opened the 123greetings.com website. It was a good website, sleek and to the point. In no time, much to my surprise I zeroed down upon a specific E-card, that appeared to be perfect for her. I asked Sourav to customize the e-Card using some mushy sentimental music, he did it diligently. I supplied him with her email address and he filled up the sender's email and the receivers email address in the place holders of the website. I then sent it across hoping for the best.

It was next morning around half past ten, when our door-bell rang. I was alone in the house as my mom had gone to fetch some groceries. I found her standing at the door. I was initially taken aback, to find her there. She was immaculately dressed and gave one of her ravishing smiles.

I asked, "Would you like to come in?"

She politely said, "No! Let's go out somewhere!"

I gulped and replied, "Let me dress up then!"

I could see my mom returning and she smiled at her. She smiled back as mom came in. My mom ask her to come in too. I was still day dreaming possibly when she brushed inside our house, as her intoxicating perfume unnerved me. I collected myself and went in after her. I dressed myself and was ready to go out, when I found that she had cuddly occupied the sofa and was talking to my mom. It didn't take me more than a minute, before I had dressed myself up. Then I went to meet her in the drawing room. She said to my mom, "I am taking our son out! I hope you will give your permission to do so!"

My mom replied, "Days are changing fast, since women are becoming fast and asking men out!"

We laughed at her comment. Then we went out, but not before my mom handed me a packet of tissues.

So we went for a stroll. It was she who brought the issue up.

She said, "Last time I was pretty rude! I didn't expect Happy Birthday Mom from you!"

I scratched my head and replied, "It was by sheer accident!"

Then what she said sent shivers down my spine.

She said, "What about this time, Shamik?"

"This time? Did I again make a mistake, this time too?", I asked terrified.

She smiled and said, "Well, check your email!"

I was soaking wet, and my ears became red when I checked my email on my phone. When I opened my inbox, I found a card waiting for me. It was the same card that I had sent to her. Then she showed me the email that she had received, it was as if she had sent a card and she had received the confirmation of the card being open by me. I said, "Sourav had filled up the placeholders of the sender’s email address and the receivers email address. Well frankly speaking, I was at my wits end trying to configure what had gone wrong."

She said, "Well your friend Sourav seems to have been too very over confident of his computing skills. As he seems to have mixed up the sender's email with the receiver’s email address!"

I was too embarrassed to even speak after that.

She then continued, "Well, well its ok! Let’s have an Ice-cream should we!"

A thousand thoughts were raining down my head. My worst fears had come true.

She continued, "Well don't worry. It’s not the end of the world!"

I was too devastated.

She then asked me, "Well, what goes wrong Shamik? Last time, you sent a card addressed to me as your mom! And this time you sent a card to yourself!"

I spoke slowly, "Well I don't know what to say. I am always weak kneed when I see you! I feel butterflies flying in my stomach when things go wrong, this is not easy!"

She replied, "I know you are the Senior Champion in sports of your school. I have seen you play football, you were an excellent athlete. There are many who would love to go around with you! But when you come to owe me, you appear to be someone quite different. You are no longer your confident self! Why? Why is that?"

I simply replied, "Well, Love is a different ball game than that of football!"

We took the ice cream cones and went towards the park. I paid for it and then we slowly trudged towards the park.

She then sat on one of the benches. She licked her ice cream, and I was standing in front of her. All my hopes where drying up fast. I didn't know what to say.

She asked again, "But you didn't answer me, why?"

I was thinking she would be comprehending me as the nerdiest nerd possibly alive.

I simply didn't know what to say. But I noticed that her ice cream was melting, and it was dropping from the cone. So, I quickly handed her a tissue. She wiped it. She was waiting for an answer that simply refused to come out of my mouth.

I handed her another tissue but didn't reply. This went on for some time, as she went on wiping more dripping ice cream than she ate. Then she said something that had me confused.

She smiled and said "Well, wait for my answer till evening! And you will surely get something out of this meeting!". Then she left. I didn't follow her for an answer. I went home dejected as usual.

That evening she called up and said, "Well, for me it is the little things that matter. You may not be as romantic as I wish. You may not be the man that I conjure to be my future husband. But, I feel you make me feel special. But you have to tell me why?"

I now was at my wits end again as to what to say. I replied, "Well, I don't know! Why?"

She replied, "You may not be the actual Virat Kohli, or Tom Cruise, but actually you're possibly the one to take care of me till the end of my lifetime. Since you made me special by the way you handed me the tissues when the ice cream was dripping. Few men would even notice that, let alone help with a tissue. That showed how fondly you care for me."

This was the start of the tissue affair. It is all about caring and sharing I guess. You never know what’s on a woman’s mind do you?