The Best Valentine Gift Ever!

Topic: LOVE #lovelanguage

A fictional short story by Ms Madhavi Deshpande.

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and unintentional.

“That’s too outdated” called out a voice from behind, rather gravely “Guys just don’t use it anymore” it added hurriedly.

I looked back and saw a serious-looking man, his eyes hidden behind large, black square-framed spectacles, and wondered if anyone had ever told him that his eyewear too was outdated.

I must have given him my typical annoying look (which usually scares aware people for I look extremely stern and unforgiving) because, he looked almost sheepish and fumbled “Sorry………just trying to help” and shrugged his shoulders, in an attempt to shrug away the incident.

His tone had softened and his smile was genuine and I realized that I was looking at the gifts on display for such a long time and that too undecidedly, maybe he did want to help.

So I too shrugged.

Almost everyone can be excused for being confused or wavering in their thoughts while shopping today.

For today was Valentine’s Day!

Needless to say, the city was blooming with gift shops that were overflowing with infinite choices….both unique and weird.

The shop where I was, too was loaded with sparkling gifts of all kinds.

Balloons and chocolates, gift hampers with love notes, soft toys and huge Valentine cards, sovereigns and picture frames were seen in almost all the shops………..which I had quickly classified as the ‘usual stuff’ in my mind and was predictably searching for ‘something unique……….something special’. It was with this thought in mind, that I was handling the gift box which contained a leather wallet on one side and premium chocolates on the other.

"Most guys no longer carry wallets……they just pay through their smartphones" added the man quickly.

“I know…” I replied hastily, wondering why the hell was I entertaining this weird guy in the first place “I ….just liked the ……….chocolates and the...err……..packaging” I tried to cover up.

The man in the heavy, black square eyewear smiled and said smugly “Yeah……..chocolates……..everyone’s favourites” winking and pointing out to a pretty large chocolate box that he had just bought.

“Buying chocolates is the easiest part” he added quickly as if summing up the entire episode “the hardest part is selecting the appropriate and unique gift” and I wondered why was he telling me all these things in the first place when there were so many other people in the shop.

I merely nodded and said much out of courtesy “Is your special Valentine too choosy?”

To which the man suddenly laughed, almost shyly, revealing a neat set of teeth, and said “Err….not much………..it’s just that I wanted to buy something special”

After a moment's pause, he said "Maybe you can suggest something…………for I am at wit's end trying to understand what women want"

I stopped browsing the racks full of gift items and looked at him as if looking at him for the first time……….did he want my help or was this an excuse to spend more time with me?

“Karan………..Karan Mehta” he smiled by way of introduction, extending his hand for a handshake.

“Shweta……….Shweta Nayar” I replied, shaking his hand, rather coldly. For I was always distant and mistrusting of people who try too hard to make friends with me in the first meeting.

“Karan…bye” shouted a young man, who had finished shopping for his girlfriend for Valentine and could not wait to rush out of the shop for his romantic date.

“Bye……..” answered Karan, waving with his hand full of chocolates. “My colleague……wanted to see the special Valentine gift that I bought………but I guess, he just could not control himself any longer……and has rushed out”

I smiled understandingly.

For I too knew of colleagues who were super-excited during this time of the year……planning for that special day, thinking about that perfect gift, visualizing their romantic date, looking their very best……….they were bundles of excitement coupled with nervousness.

All these years, I had never been exuberant about Valentine celebrations, but this year, it was different.

This year, I was determined to shop and splurge ……………..for that perfect Valentine gift.

For my Valentine!

Valentine…….Valentine………Valentine………I said to myself many times and that itself was enough to fill my heart with romance and love………….for my special one!

“A ring perhaps….with her name engraved on it” I suggested to Karan, who was still looking at me intensely, with that boyish smile on his face.

“Her name……..engraved on it” Karan repeated and I could almost feel that he was visualizing her name on it, but he shook his head brusquely and decided “No………I don’t think she will like that”

Both of us were silent for a long time as we continued looking around the heaps of Valentine gifts pilled around. “What gift can you suggest for me?” I asked him hopefully, wondering why was I trusting this fellow, who was a total stranger just a few minutes ago………..but now seemed as if I had always known him for eons.

“A strong perfume” he replied instantaneously and I knew that this must be the exact Valentine gift that he is expecting from his girlfriend.

I nodded and turned my eyes towards the Perfumes section and noted that there were so many perfumes on display that I could easily get lost there for an entire day without deciding on the purchase.

“The perfume ‘Scents of Romance' is wild and romantic" he suggested and for once I was happy that he had chosen for me. In an instant, I added 'Scents of Romance' to my shopping chart, satisfied with a job well done.

“I am sure he will love it!” Karan added, glad that I had taken his suggestion very seriously and glad that he could help me.

I smiled dreamily and Karan knew that I was dreaming of my boyfriend’s reaction when he opens this Valentine gift!

I could see Karan’s eyes darting around the racks of gifts, looking like a child mesmerized in a toy shop or worse, a child lost in a huge colorful carnival………..One who gets so overwhelmed by the colors and the sheer abundance and extravagance on display…………that he gets drawn inside the show, forgets himself, and his way out of it.

I knew that I had to help him navigate through all this, so I picked up a coffee mug which had a heart-shaped frame on its one side, which opened and could contain a small photograph………..of your Valentine.

“Does she drink coffee?” I asked him suddenly.

Karan looked at the mug that I was handling and exclaimed “Every day……….ten times a day” and took the coffee mug that I handed him.

“So do I," I said and added "She will think of you every time she drinks coffee”.

And I could see Karan smile dreamily, as he felt the mug in his hands and turned it around appreciatively. And I knew that he was dreaming of his girlfriend drinking cups and cups of coffee, and every time thinking about him as she drank…………and he instantaneously added the mug to his chart.

Our shopping over, we paid at the counter and walked out of the shop.

Surprisingly, both noticed that we were perhaps the only two people who were walking slowly……….while the world around us was rushing, running to reach their special friends for their special date.

Both looked at each other and a strange common feeling bound us together in its invisible wraps.

And we continued treading slowly, very slowly on the footpath……..aimlessly……..contrary to the people around who bustled around with a fixed target, a fixed deadline.

Neither of us understood for how long we had been walking in total silence, compared to the crowd around us, which was screaming in excitement and purpose, but it must have been more than ten-fifteen minutes, for when we reached the city’s only playground……….which today wore a deserted look……….for its usual occupants, the young teenagers were all out with their Valentines, in better places like malls or pubs or restaurants.

Without a word, both of us sat down on one of the many empty benches and sat for a long time looking ahead at the empty ground.

Whether the emptiness of the ground in front of me created a sense of emptiness inside me, I could not be certain, but I was feeling a vacuum inside me.

“I never knew that this playground could be so lonely” Karan muttered and I understood that he too was experiencing a similar void of loneliness in his heart, for his voice certainly sounded lonely.

“It never is” I added quickly “But today is Valentine’s Day remember!”

As if anyone had forgotten!

"Yeah, right! The day when everyone is with their loved ones" he muttered and I could detect a sense of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"Or wants to be seen with their loved one" I muttered and I could detect a sense of bitterness creeping into my voice.

Both were silent for a long time….as if silence could fill our emptiness!

I usually like to be alone……….but today when I saw almost everyone walking together as a couple, hands entwined, sticking together, laughing together, sharing lovely moments together, I once again felt alone and even started pitying myself.

"You should have put your Valentine's photo in the mug's frame," I said to him impulsively, since I knew many guys used to carry pint-size photos of their loved ones in their wallets. That was before the advent of smartphones, of course! And now I wondered whether guys even had hard copies of their girlfriend’s photos.

Karan, with his old fashioned eyewear, and dated hairstyle, gave the feel of those old type of guys who still carried photos of their girlfriend in their wallets, hence I had blurted out, I guess.

Karan was silent for a long time.

"I will…………." he paused and then looking at me, he added, "When I get one!"

“You don’t have a girlfriend!” I almost exclaimed.

“No’” he nodded his head and averted my gaze.

There was an even longer silence between us and then he added “Not everyone is as lucky as you are!” looking at the perfume that I had bought for my boyfriend.

I saw his look and said slowly “Even I am not lucky…yet……..I too do not have a boyfriend”.

“But then the gifts?” he asked bewildered.

“I had to shop to show off to my friends that I too have a boyfriend…………" I answered and fell silent, letting the uneasy silence do the rest of the talking and explaining.

"Same here!" Karan exclaimed "This year I was hell-bent on shopping as my colleagues do for Valentine”

“FOMO Fear of missing out!” I exclaimed.

“Rather, it was FOBLA Fear of being left alone!” he seconded.

And both of us burst into a spontaneous rapture of laughter.

“Strangely, I don’t feel alone like I used to during the previous Valentine years!” I remarked, pouring my heart out.

“Me too……….Maybe because………. we have each other today!” Karan said in words what I was feeling in emotions.

“Maybe, we are each other’s Valentines” Karan suggested, looking hopefully in my eyes.

“We have to be Karan, remember, we found each other on Valentine’s Day!” I exclaimed with exuberance, hugging him affectionately.

Before any of us realized it, we had even exchanged our Valentine's gifts!

Karan had already opened the gift and smelled the perfume, which I suspected was his favorite for a smile of contentment and bliss spread so quickly on his face.

While I had removed my small photo from my locket and was sticking it in the frame of the coffee mug.

When I saw the perfume in Karan’s hand, I felt that the perfume always belonged there.

When I saw my photo in the mug’s frame, I felt that the photo always belonged there.

When Karan took a selfie of us seated together on the bench, I felt as if we were almost meant to be together as a Couple!

Then I knew that Karan was the best Valentine gift that I could ever get!

While Karan knew that I was the best Valentine gift that he could ever get!