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by Sreelekha Chatterjee

ijetha surveys her reflection in the milky teak, engineered-wood dressing unit’s mirror neatly draped yellow saree, hair tied in a bun, deep-set eyes prominent with the use of eyeliner, crimson lips entertaininga broad smile. She gives an insouciant shrugwhile wondering whether she has failed to notice any barely perceptible flaw

“Hi! Oh, you look ravishing today!” Anita says, as she walks into the room

“Hi, aunty! How come you are here today?”

Vijetha has just joined college and will be an adult in a year’s time Anita is her father’s younger sister, probably in her early forties

“Our office has declared a holiday today on the occasion of Vasant Panchami ” Anita says while settling down on the bed “I will put my feet up today and sleep ” She continues

“I will be attending the Saraswati puja in our college, followed by a function celebrating Vasant Panchami ” Vijetha pauses as if cogitating about something There is sunshine dispersed in abundance outside, birds chirping to their hearts’ content, splendorous flowers starting to bloom in a blaze of glory nature bequeathed with unearthly glamour to the season of spring that has arrived after the painful, freezing winter But to her everything seems vacant, meaningless.

“What’s the matter, dear? You look so absentminded today. Are you engrossed in the thoughts of someone special?” Anita asks teasingly, unable to take her eyes off her beautiful niece.

“I was expecting a mail today.” Vijetha feels a little uncomfortable from her aunt’s stare, and avoids looking into her eyes

“A mail? You mean a postal mail ” Anita persists “No aunty, an email from Arham ” Vijetha confesses, giving in to her aunt’s pestering

“Who is this Arham? Your boyfriend?”

“Not really He is a classmate I have known for a couple of months now A few days ago, I sent him a Valentine’s Day e-card on his email He hasn’t responded yet I am hoping that he will send an email today, as it’s the Valentine’s Day ” Vijetha imagines the indolent wave gathering in the sea of her mind toward the festival that simply appears like a futile carnival unable to lift her spirits. In my hay days, I have received so many Valentine’s Day cards from my admirers, some being secret ones who were too shy to disclose their names. That was really something, I tell you. Receiving an e-card is so unromantic you see. The physical touch is missing ” Anita shares a part of her tender memories stashed in a seldom-visited corner of her mind with a touch of romantic sentiment

“Forget about all that, aunty! I am wondering whether Arham will turn up in our college puja ceremony His religion doesn’t allow him to believe in idol worship Am I expecting a bit too much from him?” Vijetha seems to hear a violin playing a melancholy tune in the background

“A flower will give you the answer The only way to find out about the boy’s feelings is to take a rose and remove the petals one by one saying ‘he loves me,’ for the first one and ‘he loves me not’ for the second, and so on When the last one remains, whatever phrase you have uttered while picking it will be your fate ”

“Oh no, aunty! These are all old-fashioned ideas

Nowadays people go to tarot readers to learn about their future I could have visited one had I known that I would face such anxiety over this ” Vijetha dismisses the idea as an absurd way of confirming affection

“Tarot card readers? In our times, our grandmothers were our fortune tellers I always consulted mine to get an answer to the riddles that hovered in my mind ” Anita says, seizing the point like a lawyer does in the court of law.

“My grandmother doesn’t stay with us. She lives in a distant city. I can call her. But I have to tell her the entire story from the beginning.” Vijetha mentions gently, missing her grandmother, turning and looking out of the window.

“Yes. People nowadays have nuclear families. When I was of your age, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and my parents all lived under the same roof. There was a lot of enjoyment and a number of options to consult anyone from the family whom you deemed appropriate The best part was after having a conversation our issues would get resolved ”

“Why don’t you come along with me to my college, aunty? You’ll have fun ”

“No, no! Saraswati puja is for youngsters who are still studying, and those interested in academic success I find myself more inclined toward goddess Laxmi ” Anita smiles, and winks at her niece, nodding her head in approval of her reverence toward the goddess of wealth

“Please, please, come with me ” Vijetha insists, pulling her aunt’s hand like a small child pleading to take her out After a few minutes of coaxing, Anita agrees to visit her college

As they step inside the hall where Saraswati puja is taking place, they find students have donned colorful traditional clothes girls in sarees and boys in kurta–pyjama adding vibrancy to the celebrations Mostly dressed in yellow, they are sitting in groups, regaling one another, mingling freely, chatting, joking around, and capturing moments with their mobile cameras Yellow is the color of the spring, associated with happiness and sunshine, symbolizing renewal and rejuvenation During this time, a trip to the outskirts harboring the picturesque view of miles and miles of blooming yellow flowers amid verdant fields enthralls, leaving all bewitched by the mesmerizing splendor of nature

Anita sees some of the young students participating in the puja preparations A heap of books is kept at the feet of the goddess seeking her magnanimity, benevolence, and blessings for knowledge, wisdom, enlightenment, and understanding Everyone takes a break from academic routines on this day. Elegantly dressed, young couples are found on the roads strolling together hand in hand, adding glamour of romance to the festivities.

After they settle down, the pandit (priest) performing the puja asks all to join him for a pushpanjali (offering of flowers).

Vijetha goes ahead and merges with the crowd ready tostarttheir prayers Anita chooses a corner and sits there cross-legged on the carpet

A little while after the puja starts, Anita finds a handsome teenage boy dressed in a white kurta–pyjama along with a nine- or ten-year-old girl in a yellow salwar–kameez walking in and standing behind the group offering pushpanjali He waits at the back with folded hands, eyes closed, as if in a meditation Once the prayer ceremonyends, he whispers something to the little girl’s ears, handing her a rose and a pink envelope Anita tries to decipher the silent pantomime of their seemingly insignificant gesticulations their nods, sighs, accompanied by excitement wavering on their faces

The small child then dissolves into the throngof boys and girls who were offering their prayers a while ago Anita can’t see them anymore from the place where she is seated A few minutes later, the small girl along with the handsome boy disappear around the corridor

After sometime, Vijetha comes running to Anita Her face lit up in an unearthly glow, eyes brimming with tears She hands Anita a rose and a pink envelope Swathed in a romantic ambience, Anita opens the envelope and finds a card of bright-colored flowersand a hand-written message “Proud to be your Valentine. Love, Arham.”

Anita lifts her head, smiling from ear to ear, and pecks Vijetha’s cheeks gently as a habitual gesture.

After all, love stories still blossom the way they used to be earlier, and affection and fondness remain inherent in the new-age lovers still continuing, evergrowing like the unfathomable great cycles of nature that keep booming endlessly Intrinsically, the physical expression of the lovers seldom changes Anita delves into the dreamy eyes of her niece which herald the arrival of a new season, the season of love

Sreelekha Chatterjee’s short stories have been published in various national, and international magazines and journals like Indian Periodical, Femina, Indian Short Fiction, eFiction India, The Criterion, The Literary Voyage, World of Words, Writer’s Ezine, and Estuary, and have been included in numerous print and online anthologies such as Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series (Westland Ltd, India), Wisdom of Our Mothers (Familia Books, USA), and several others She lives in New Delhi, India

You can connect with her on Facebook at facebook com/sreelekha chatterjee 1/, Twitter -@sreelekha001, and Instagram @sreelekha2023