A lost letter's journey

The lost art of letter writing: In a world increasingly dominated by digital communication, handwritten letters and postcards offer a unique and personal way to connect with others. These series explore the nostalgic charm and enduring value of letter writing, from heartfelt family correspondences to forgotten love letters.

Writing personal letters, whether handwritten or emails, has always been a challenge for me. Much of this stems from sheer laziness, as letter writing is often associated with the laborious English compositions of my school days. (I had a similar aversion to crossword puzzles, even though I admire those who can breeze through them daily.)

However, there was one memorable moment in 1979 when I made a concerted effort to write a letter. It was a fan letter addressed to Sikandar Bakht, a former Pakistani fast medium bowler, after his remarkable 8 for 69 in a test match in Delhi. To me, this remains an unparalleled performance by a visiting bowler in India, especially considering he was a fast medium bowler. (He could have even taken a ninth wicket if he hadn't dropped a catch off his own bowling.)

I carefully crafted the letter, hoping it would impress Mr Bakht enough to warrant a reply. (I got the idea from a popular sports magazine of the time, which suggested simply addressing the letter and sending it to Mr Bakht, c/o Pakistan Cricket Board, Lahore.)

I waited eagerly, but months turned into a year and a half before I finally received a response. The very envelope I had mailed the fan letter in was returned to me, covered in multiple rejection stamps from various postal departments. The ink was smudged, and the envelope bore little resemblance to its original state.

While I was disappointed that Mr Bakht never received the fan letter, I still considered the returned envelope a treasure and held onto it for years.

However, I never attempted to write another personal letter.

Tomorrow: Unpacking the past: A forgotten love story discovered in my father’s wardrobe