One Shots #VariaSquad

Be My Valentine...Again?

Alia P.O.V.

Valentine's day, the most loved up day of the year, a day for couples, a day for romance, a day that, until recently, I found puke worthy and annoying. It's not that my thoughts of the day had changed, I still thought it to be a commercial holiday made by greeting card companies, but I had a different reason to like it. I could no longer deny that it was one of the most romantic days of the year, it's kind of impossible to say your anniversary isn't a romantic day.

This year, we were promoting for Badrinath Ki Dulhunia which meant we had the perfect excuse to spend the day together without letting anything on. Of course, that also meant that we weren't spending the day alone in the way I'd probably have preferred but promotions always have to be done. Still, Varun would never let something like promotions come in the way of his plans.

When we met on Tuesday morning, he handed me a box shaped parcel without a word. 'Varun, we said no presents.' I whined, secretly glad that I wasn't the only one who'd gone back on our deal.

'We say that for every occasion and neither of us have ever stuck to it.' he pointed out.

'Okay, point. I didn't exactly stick to it either.' I admitted, handing over the gift bag that contained his present. 'It's not much but you're hard to shop for.' He rolled his eyes and took the bag from me.

'Whatever it is, I'm sure it's amazing.'

'Well open it and see then.' I urged, bouncing slightly.

'Okay, okay, you open yours first.' he said, laughing at my excitement.

'Nooo, you open yours. Pleeeeeease.'

'How about we both open them together then?' he offered.

'I guess that works.' I agreed, already pulling at the wrapping paper. He watched me for a minute, chuckling at my enthusiasm as he slowly unwrapped his present. When the wrapping paper was gone, I saw that I'd uncovered a plain cardboard box. Curiously, I took the lid off the box, only to find another wrapped box.  'Varun, what is this?' I asked, taking the smaller box out.

'Open it and see.' he told me, taking the larger box from my hand and setting it aside. Forgetting that I'd wanted him to open his present first, I tore the metallic blue paper off the box and opened it up to find a flatish, much thinner rectangular package. Removing the small package, I dropped the now empty box inside the other one and unwrapped the final parcel. This last box was clearly a jewellery box; a small gasp escaped as I opened it to find a bracelet with several delicate looking charms. 'Do you like it?' he questioned nervously.

'It's beyond amazing. Help me put it on?' He nodded and took the box from me, picking the bracelet out of it and looping it around my wrist. 'What're all the charms for?'

'Well, that one's for Student.' He pointed to a stack of three books with 19-10-12 printed on the spines. 'That's for Highway because I know how important it is for you, and, well for me as well.' he said, showing me an almost perfect miniature copy of the truck. 'That's for Humpty.' Two pairs of shades crossed over each other. 'That's for all the long phone calls.' A tiny replica of a phone. 'That's for last year in Goa.' A picture of a beach landscape. 'That's because you've got my heart.' He pointed to a heart with the letters VD etched into it, going faintly pink as he did. 'And that,' he pointed to the last charm, which I now realised was in fact not a charm at all, 'that, is for Badri.'

'How did you persuade Karan to let you have that?' I asked, looking at the ring that was extremely familiar to me, Vaedhi's ring.

'I didn't. I asked Shashank and he let me keep it.' he explained.