A valentines day untold!


14th of February. Michael realized the world of youth is celebrating the love day. A day with their soul mates. And for Michael this day is special. He is meeting his love at the cathedral for the first time. All these 75 years of his life here he never wanted to celebrate a single Valentine day. But now he wants to. It seems sarcastic when Michael says he is in love now with somebody at this age. He threw the blanket and woke up from the bed. Took his diary and made a quick note, looking at the photograph of the young lady stuck in front of the diary he said: “I love you, I’ll be soon there”. He ran to the washroom to have a hot shower. This was his first meeting with the lady.
He stepped out from the washroom spreading the water droplets on the tiled floor. It was 5:00 in the morning. The dawn was still not ready for a warm kiss from its lover the rays of the sun. He got ready soon, started walking. The streets were empty. The park looked withered in emptiness. But still, Michael could see the Bougainville were waiting to shed their joy over the couples who visit the park today. The roads were clean. Another big day of love has come. Michael was sure that how much ever late he is, the lady in the photograph will wait for him at the St Mathews cathedral. This was their first meeting at the cathedral. The lady with golden hair and brown eyes. She resembled a Ravi Varma portrait, said Michael to himself all the time.
Michael stopped at the small girl who was selling red roses at the roadside. He looked at her, she smiled back and showed the bunch of roses to him. He bought two red roses. He understood the meaning of the smile the girl gave. It was nothing but “what is this old man going to do with these roses?”.
St. Mathews cathedral at the queen’s road is famous for Valentine’s day meet. Couples from different hearts come there to draw a kiss on their soul mate’s lips. The cathedral is believed to be the best place to start a love life. The first kiss you give there was believed to be imprinted on your soul mate’s heart forever.
Michael reached the church gate. Unlike the park and roads, the church gate was almost filled with couples in a new dress. Some of them gave a confused look towards Michael. Some of them told themselves that there is no age limit for romance. They even looked for the lady whom Michael had come to meet. They couldn’t see anybody with him. But Michael walked towards the other side of the cathedral, walked a little more, and stood there where his lady love was. He kneeled down before her, took the red roses in his right hand, and kept on the new grave was written, ‘Lara Michael: born 1940:died 2015″.
The two roses were fresh like Michael’s and Lara’s love. All these years Lara was with Michael. He never missed her love when she was with him. He never wanted to celebrate Valentine’s day to make their love remember. Every day in their life was a love day. But now when she left Michael in solitude, he understands he is missing her. Love ran down from Michael’s eyes as droplets. The teardrops fell on the grave when Michael kissed on the cenotaph. Keeping the roses, a word of prayer, and the two drops of tears on the grave, Michael said to his love “I love you! I’ll be soon there”!