25 Comments

Such a lovely story, and the happy twist in the ending was very well-crafted. A rare V-Day win!

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Thank you, Rohan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the piece. Funny enough, the twist was unintended, but I’m happy it landed that way!

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What a beautiful way to celebrate the day! Ironically, of course. 😅

Words are what connect us beyond the distance and late stage capitalism. I am extremely lucky to have written to you. I believe in coincidences and the serendipity of life in this case.

Your Valentine. 💝

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Thank you, muse-for-this-piece! I’m glad it all worked out the way it did, despite my tardy response time! Here’s to many more ironically beautiful celebrations <3

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This is one of the Valentine’s story that I have come across. Wish I could read more about it.

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Thank you, Abhishek! I imagine that the missing adjective in your sentence is a nice one. :)

Perhaps one day I’ll write a more detailed version of the story, though I suspect it might lose some of its charm with all the details revealed!

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or may be not :)

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Perhaps for some, but for others, it would probably gain charm beyond belief.

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I loved your piece Richa. The unstated made the piece powerful and what you said about how love makes you feel however long it last, said it all.

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Thank you, Madhu! I remember our early conversations about love, back in 2019. I had always been sceptical, but you had gently assured me that one day my cynicism would soften. Perhaps this piece is an instance of that. :)

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I felt a prickle of salt in my tears and a lump in my throat. How sweet it is to witness love between two other people. Also, you left out just enough detail in the piece for it to work!

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Thank you, Venkatesh! I'm moved by your response to the piece. Thank you, also, for your appreciation of the craft. :)

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Absolutely loved this write up, especially the plot twist at the end!! The cherry on the cake has to be the comment from your forever valentine in the replies to the post!!

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Thank you for the lovely comment, Reshma! I’m glad you enjoyed the piece. ☺️

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So beautifully and thoughtfully written as always.

And thank you for the mention :)

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Thank you, Arpita, in more ways than one. :)

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Such a lovely, heartwarming true story. I wish I could know more. But it's ok, thank you for sharing this with us.

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Thank you, Rakhi. I’m glad you liked the piece. Some stories read better with a little mystery, but I’d love to share more someday. :)

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A lovely story that only brought me more questions : what did the handwritten letter contain?! Thanks for this enjoyable read :)

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Thank you, Win! Good question—I’ll have to revisit the note to refresh my memory! I had to do the same with the email from 2010, but that was easy enough—the handwritten note resides somewhere in Bangalore, while I’m in Delhi for now. :)

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I didn't see it coming, Richa! What an amazing story you have. Somehow email holds a dear place in my heart because especially in these times, an email feels much more personal than a text or an Instagram dm as if somebody took time to write it. Thanks for sharing it here!

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Thank you, Isha! I agree that there’s something so intimate about taking the time to write someone an email. A well-written one can stay with you for years.

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Lovely how you created a dear and delightful foundation for a future of love and connection with the day you doubt is anything more than capitalism. I appreciate the idea of Valentine's if not the marketing. I think the deep loves and passions are what make life worth living; not money, success, popularity, or seeing others envy your accomplishments. I'm tired of the excuse people use putting down the day instead of allowing themselves the opportunity to re-examine exactly what their heart is most grateful for that took place in the last 365 days.

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Thank you, Lisa! Perhaps I need to be less cynical of the occasions that seem to matter only once a year. Perhaps there’s something truly remarkable about an anniversary of any kind.

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Absolutely. If fortunate enough to find it, why not delight in celebrating it?

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