Arjun started his car at the parking lot of his office. Today is Teddy Day. This was Arjun’s favourite day of the whole valentine week. 9 years ago, it was on this same day that he proposed to his girlfriend. It was kind of odd too, given the fact that he didn’t propose to her on the official Propose Day.
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Actually they were in their 2nd year of engineering that time. They went out with their friends on that day. They had a fun time playing games on consoles, eating pizza and walking around doing window shopping. Arjun really liked Sanchita and felt that somehow Sanchita likes him too. He wanted to conjure up all his courage and propose her on Propose Day, but he never got the chance. So he decided that come what may, today he will propose to Sanchita in any case.
He shared his thoughts with his friends. Just like any other love story, his friends knew more about his love life than the girl he loved!! After the lunch they conveniently made themselves scarce leaving just the two of them. They were lazily walking around the mall. All around the mall many couples could be seen. All young people, living the best years of their lives, sharing these precious moments with a person they love. They came to the Archies section. Sanchita insisted on going in. She went straight to the stuffed toys section. Sanchita really liked Teddy bears. She posed for a picture in front of the rack, she picked up a giant white teddy bear with a red bow-tie and hugged him. Giggling all the while. Arjun was finding it difficult to take a good picture amidst the sweet sound of her laughter. Everything about her was so beautiful. Her smile, her voice while laughing, the way her eyebrows arranged themselves when she laughed, her dimples, that slight mischief in her eyes, that crease at the corner of her eyes, her swinging ear rings, her hair falling on her forehead. Arjun wanted to freeze the moment. He somehow took the picture.
The girls of the group decided to check out some suits collection (on sale) in a boutique. The guys excused themselves, no one was willing to wait till the ladies finalised on suit. They decided to meet at the parking lot after 1 hour and leave from there.
One hour later Sanchita and the other girls came to the parking lot. The guys were there talking amongst themselves standing around Vikky’s car. They came and asked them to open the dikki.
Vikky said, “But first Sanchita will keep her things in the dikki”.
“Why! What’s going on?” Sanchita was confused.
“Mah’ car mah’ rules” Vikky teased.
“Whatever” Sanchita shrugged.
Arjun came forward and opened the dikki.
That giant white teddy bear was sitting in the dikki holding a placard which read
“Sanchita. I love you. Will you be my Valentine”
Sanchita dropped the packets and clasped her hands on her mouth in excitement. Arjun was standing holding the dikki in one hand.
“Well?” he asked with a smile.
She nodded her head in affirmation, with her hands still clasped and disbelief in her eyes. Arjun came forward with his arms slightly open and then they hugged each other. Their friends cheered in the parking lot. They literally hooted and clapped prompting the security guards to come down to see what happened. Everything was planned by Vikky and his girlfriend Nikita. Nikita suggested that she will take Sanchita and the other girls to the boutique asking the guys to leave them alone. In the meantime the guys will arrange the set up. Adding the teddy bear was Arjun’s last moment decision.
They hugged for a solid minute or two.
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Arjun stopped his car in front of an Archies outlet. Giving her a teddy bear every 10th February was kind of a tradition in their relationship. It was the only gift she seemed to like. It’s no wonder that Arjun used two teddy bears in wedding attire for the marriage proposal to Sanchita.
It was crowded inside Archies. He went to the soft toys section. A girl was posing for a picture to her boyfriend in front of the shelves. Arjun waited till the picture was taken.
“Excuse me. Sorry. Are you going to take this teddy?” Arjun asked the couple pointing to a giant teddy bear. They declined.
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Arjun rang the bell. Almost simultaneously his dog Sandy started barking. Their maid came and opened the door. Sandy was eagerly waiting for Arjun to enter and immediately he leaped up on him. His tail wagging profusely. Arjun held the teddy bear up above his head so that Sandy doesn’t jump on it. He gave his bag and the teddy bear to the maid.
“Good boy. Gooood boy. Down boy. Let me enter first” He was asking Sandy to contain his excitement.
“Yaaayyy. Daddy has come home.”
His 5 year old daughter Sanchari came running and tried hugging him but Sandy was all too excited to see Arjun back. Sanchari gently held Sandy’s collar.
“Come now. Let him sit down at least. He will play later”. She talked to Sandy in a bossy voice.
Sandy obliged and went inside. As soon as Sandy left she hugged her father. Arjun carried her inside his flat.
The teddy bear was kept on the table.
“Look what daddy got for you today” Arjun unwrapped the teddy bear.
Sanchari jumped in excitement. “Wow. A teddy bear. Thank you so much daddy. What’s his name?”
“We will call him Mr. Snuggles”
“Ok. I will take Mr. Snuggles and show him around the house.” She picked up Mr. Snuggles and took her inside. Sandy walked behind her wagging his tail.
Arjun let out a breath and leaned back on the sofa.
“She is just like you. She only likes teddy bears and has to have a name for each one of them”. He smiled.
Sanchita was smiling in the photograph. It was a collage of different snaps taken at different points of time. Sanchita and Arjun on their graduation day, their first day the job, the day they got married, Sanchita’s first picture in saree and sindoor, the time when they held Sanchari for the first time, Sanchari’s first b’day celebration. In the centre of the collage was the pic taken by Arjun 9 years ago on this very day.
After Sanchita died in a freak car accident last year many of his relatives suggested Arjun to get married once again. But for Arjun, Sanchita’s memories were more than enough to last one life time. He missed her terribly at times. Times when he takes Sanchari to park or mall and sees other couples playing with their kids. Or at school functions when all the other kids go with both their parents. At such times he thinks whether he is being unfair to Sanchari by not getting married once again. But somehow he can never agree to the idea of having another women in his life.
He was lost in his thoughts when his maid put a glass of water and a cup of tea on the table.
Sanchari came running to the drawing room, followed by Sandy.
“Daddy! Come and see the seat which I have given to Mr. Snuggles. It is just perfect for him”
Arjun got up. Sanchari held him by his hand and led him to her room.
Arjun glanced a look at the big collage. Sanchita was smiling at them holding a giant white teddy in her hands.
