The Unseen Letters of Love
To be opened by an unknown one day
It was one of those rainy nights where every gust of wind seeped into your bones. Walking back from the research lab, I felt like a rat that had been drowned. Wet skin clung to my clothes like a second skin, and fatigue weighed heavily on my eyelids. After struggling with my keys for a while, I managed to open the door and staggered inside, where I was met with the dim glow of the light. I let out a sigh and kicked off my sodden shoes, creating a reverberating sound throughout the otherwise quiet apartment. I shuffled towards the bedroom, leaving a soggy puddle on the floor and holding a towel tightly like a lifeline.
The worn handle of the old dresser seemed to beckon me as I passed it. I tentatively reached out, and the top drawer opened with a faint creak. Beneath a scattering of misplaced invoices and stale mementos, there was a secret world hidden away. I found my unpublished love letters neatly folded, like dreams long forgotten. Every clean page contained a tale, a confession spoken to the paper rather than to a loved one. I felt a twinge of bittersweet nostalgia as I studied the assortment. They held unspoken emotions and yearning, akin to unopened birthday presents.
I thought maybe these letters would end up in the hearts they were intended for someday. However, they remained in their drawer for the time being, a silent declaration of my love that awaited the appropriate moment to be heard. I let out another sigh and shut the drawer, letting the weight of words unsaid return to its comfortable spot. The knowledge that they existed and were a part of me, waiting for the day when their song could be heard, gave me comfort.
© Shuvranil Sanyal, 2024
