The Red Tulip...

She stood in her balcony looking at the stars above and feeling the frigid breeze on her face and arms. A soft romantic track played on her laptop which was kept beside a cup of hot coffee on the wooden table, which had now turned cold due to the complete ignorance that it had faced. Her mobile beeped with another Facebook notification as another best friend of her's added a couple selfie with a 'Happy Valentine's Day' post. The Facebook timeline was strewed with such updates. She locked her phone with mild irritation and got lost in her own thoughts again.

Oh! How she missed him! He was 1000 kilometres away, probably screwed up amidst thick files and huge scary numbers as usual. They loved each other more than the word 'love' could even epitomize. Her work had taken a back seat today, as the day got engulfed in the romantic arms of the darkness. She wanted to spend some time with him, in his memories. He had promised he would call as soon as he would get free from work. She waited with anticipation, and composure, as she had always been a type of partner who loved seeing her beau working like crazy. His being a workaholic was the biggest turn on for her.

They had never believed in the over hyped stereotype of Valentine's Day, and never had they exclusively celebrated it with cheesy red roses and white chocolates. Yet, seeing all the social media updates and couples thronging the hang out joints on her way back from work, she did miss him really hard. She missed being in his arms, losing herself to his strength, his soft kisses on her forehead and his poetic moods.

She checked her messages once again but there was nothing. She started to feel a little ignored but again she reminded herself of the fact that he was working. In last four years of relationship, she had never felt like this on a Valentine's day. She did not know why this year was any different. But it was... it had been six months since she had seen him last. Distances surely created a gap, a gap which was almost impossible to fill. But there was an unsaid, unspoken yet undeterred confidence in each other that kept them going. He had his dreams to chase and she had her's.

She was a strong, feminist, high-headed, "Valentine opposing" girl to the world, but inside she was a little kid who was craving to be with him at the moment and feel his breath on her neck. She texted him out of anxiety, and wrote to him about her dream last night where she had been in this very balcony, looking above at the same stars, with the same cup of coffee, but... with her head resting on his lap. The dream that she had been thinking about all day and that she felt was ironic to appear on Valentine's. She described it in details in her text hoping for a romantic reply soon.

She came out of her own fantasy slumber with the harsh door bell sound. She was suddenly reminded that she had to change the battery of the doorbell! She rushed to the door expecting her room mate and waiting to share her loneliness with her.

She opened the door and went numb for what seemed to be like a decade. He stood there, formally dressed, with a handsome black coat and a red tie. He clutched to the gift he had got, like a treasure he had found. The gift, she had been wanting since ages... a red tulip. He came close to her, looked deep into her eyes as she still could not muster the strength to say a 'Hi'.
He held her hand, winked at her and whispered in her ear, "It's no longer a dream!"