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Srishti-2022   >>  Short Story - English   >>  Down Memory Lane

Suresh Sreedharan

Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd

Down Memory Lane

Destined to the office job, he felt the need to retrospect his yesteryears. One day, on reaching home
early enough to gather some moments of solitude, he beckoned his memory cells to travel against
time hoping to uncover some golden moments in his otherwise uneventful journey.
For all his efforts, his thoughts stuck on those letters which were so close to his heart. After so many
year’s past, those letters have not lost its magic. He sensed his heart rise and fall heavily. How much
she meant to him. She had those beautiful way with words, he fell for them. He believed every word
it said. He treasured them more than his life. In return, he managed to write his heart out like never
before. Oh, how much he loved those days of passion and romance.
He never felt the need to see her, lest she rejected him on the first look. He felt he survived as a man
of letters. He was more an introvert; writing was his foray. He had multiple worries at that time, is
she the same person she expresses herself to be in those letters or she has a different approach to
life? Does she have an inclination of writing to multiple people like him to direct their full attention?
Thoughts which brought fire in his belly.
He came out of his memory lane abruptly and looked about; his wife has not yet reached home. It is
just one month into their marriage. He reached out to his old wooden box from under the bed and
underneath all his old clothes wrapped in a rich golden silk cloth rested his richest treasure. He
opened the file pulled out the letters and went through them one by one. Tears started flowing from
his eyes, his emotions found no solace. Did he hear the doorbell? He strained his ears once more,
yes, he is sure. That is his wife at the door. He cannot come clean now. The door opened and his wife
entered the room. Her eyes locked with his for a split of a second as she vanished to her bedroom.
Did she see the letters? He hurriedly put them back and sat on the couch waiting for her.
She sat next to him with cup of coffee in her hand, pleasantries exchanged. He tried not show face as
he feared of saying the truth. Later dinner served, he sat for the prayer. Soon she came close to him
and whispered in his ear.” Look beneath the plate, you will find what you longed for”. He got a shiver
through his spine. She never spoke to him like this. He slowly opened the lid. There was a letter for
him. It had the identical handwriting which he was so fond of. He looked at his wife. Tears were
flowing through her eyes. She sobbingly said,” I didn’t know you loved those letters so much. I had
written them to my pen pal whom I never knew”. When my father died, I felt lonely and that
unknown friend kept me happy and alive. So, it was you whom I shared my three years of my life.”
Hearing this, he jumped out of his chair and hugged his wife.

Their love had found a new meaning!!