Any dream will do

N was one of them - my college crush. I had a boyfriend, but that's another day, another story. (He never did become my Valentine.) Cut to the chase - I remember college board elections in my final year was when I developed this huge crush on N. N was a junior, N had a gorgeous gaunt face with pronounced cheekbones and oceanic eyes. I say oceanic because I don’t remember if his eyes were blue or green or grey or brown – just that they were limpid. Yes, because I don’t often get those kind of compliments about my own eyes, I use the adjective to describe a boy’s :P.

Note to self:

Usage of word ‘limpid’ in connection with me in this lifetime – check.

Valentine's Day, 1997

Anyway, coming back to N, he was running for college president. He happened to be in my secondary group of friends at college – the music and fine arts group. There were a couple of friends from my primary gang mentioned in my previous post, but it was an eclectic mix of people from various classes and departments. Back then, I was riding on an Atlas Shrugged high, and was looking for a Galtesque face to colour my dreams – the face that knew no pain, fear or guilt. N fit the bill to a T. And I harboured a crush on him from June through next Feb, which is when I decided to do something about it.

I even remember the day – I had my Chemistry practical exams in the morning (freedom in a couple of months!) and the afternoon was dedicated to time with the lovebirds in Group B. Everyone was busy thinking of what to get their Valentines and what they could expect in return from them. I was busy preparing for the proposal of my life. Back then, pocket money did not exceed 50 rupees a week (and I had to earn it by washing Dad’s clothes and ironing them) and even then, it was a lot. (How times change. 50 rupees isn't even tuppence today.) I hadn’t allowed myself any masala dosa sessions in the college canteen all week because I needed to buy a gift for him. What did I buy? A long stemmed red rose, a super mushy Valentine’s card and a couple of BIG chocolate bars. N is one of the very few men in my life who've got chocolates from me. I walked up to him just as he came out of the canteen eating something and went down on my knees with the rose clenched between my teeth and the card and chocolates in my hand and asked him if he would be my Valentine. (An act such as this would be considered butch nowadays - chalk one more up for my generation!) He stopped mid-bite and stared at me for a full minute before he accepted my gifts of love. Which is when I told him that it was merely a confession and not a proposal :-). He and I would have never worked and we both knew it. But that is one of the best memories of my college days.

Ten years ago, on my birthday, N made a pendant of a gaunt face with pronounced cheekbones and deep-set eyes from clay and M-seal for me. I still wear it sometimes.

Valentine's Day, 2007

My Valentine for the last three years has been my one true love. He never ceases to make me feel like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. All because I gave him a bar of Diary Milk the first time we met. And as with every Valentine’s Day since then, there was something waiting for me this year, too.  Among the many tokens of love that he sent my way was this little white teddy bear that holds a red heart in its hands with “I love you” inscribed on it in gold and silver :P.

It has its pride of place on my desk at work :-). 

Morals of the story:

Only men who deserve it get chocolates from me.

Those who get chocolates leave lasting impressions.

Funny Valentines make the best Valentines.

Because they're funny Valentines, I will love them all my life. 

xoxox