Queenie..!!

As she parked her car along the usual slot, Shruti could hear her phone ringing from inside her purse.

“That must be Ravi...”

Her husband had flown to Bangalore the previous day to attend a meeting and hadn’t telephoned yet. She was asked not to call on his cell till 7 in the evening. And he had promised he would call her once the meeting got over.
It was dark already and her sleek black mobile phone had apparently hidden itself under the piles of papers and sundry she usually stuffed her bag with.

“Damn…”

After a few more seconds, the ring tone died down and all she could hear was the humming of the car engine.
She knew he’ll try again. Probably after a few minutes. He would know she missed the call searching frantically for the phone inside her bag. That was how it always had been. Shruti smiled to herself.

She got out of the car grabbing the bag of grocery she had picked up on her way back. As she walked towards her home, she eyes fell on the letter box hanging on the wall right next to the door. It was there on that wall ever since they had shifted to their independent villa. Seven years, two kids and two dogs after their marriage, the wooden box had shriveled and given up on the moist laden Augusts . This would perhaps be the last monsoon it would witness.

It was then that something caught her attention. She could see the corner of a paper from the gap which was left for letter to be put into. Perhaps as invitation, or some notice… or just an ad. showcasing a sale in some random store. She would never be interested. Forget it. Nevertheless, she walked towards the letter box and opened the small window and took it out.

It was a letter. From the stamp she could make out it travelled over seas to reach her. On the cover was written in cursive writing…

To,
Shruti Sharma
C-9/13
Behind Chopra Palace
North Extension
Pune

Shruti frowned. Who would send a her letter in the age of E mails? She flipped it and read what was written at its back.

I found you, Queenie….. with a familiar inverted curve under the phrase and two dots under that. Her heart missed a beat as she blinked in disbelief. “Emily!!!!”
She almost shrieked. After eleven years, Emily had ultimately found her Queenie.. as she lovingly called her.


To be continued...