Those Clouds and that Rainy day

                I am sitting here at my desk sipping coffee and outside rains are playing havoc on my window pane. The smell of wet soil is reminding me of a time which had changed two lives. This is neither about some different story nor a different lifetime. This is still the same story and the same lifetime, where rain Gods play cupid and completely throws you off-balance.

                Monsoon clouds were glooming over the horizon when a phone beeps. A text message asks, “Do you like surprises?” and reply comes “Depends upon the surprise”. Another beep sound and it says “In that case, guess”. In reply, new message asks “Are you coming here?” and the answer was “YES”.

                After a few days on a clear sunny day, two people meet for the first time in their life for lunch. The setting was a posh restaurant in an upmarket area of an Indian Metropolitan city offering a delectable menu. Over that mouth-watering and appetizing meal, they found out that both of them are great foodies. That discovery about each other instantly bonded the two souls. After the heavy meal, they decided to go for a stroll so as to find out more about each other. Destiny had something else also written for these two individual souls. Monsoon clouds roared and it started pouring suddenly and they had only one umbrella to share.  The street which was dry a few minutes ago became slippery now and these two people holding their hands together started crossing the street slowly and steadily. Who knows, maybe this marked their journey of life together.

                Another evening they were strolling beside each other on the soft sands near the sea shore. The waves and tides were making noise and both of them were walking without any words spoken between them. There was this sense of easy comradery between them. They stopped at some point to enjoy the view. The daylight was diminishing and dusk was coming to an end. Her untied hairs were flying wild. He held her hairs with his hands and an electric sensation ran through both of them. They stood there standstill, without moving, without speaking. She wanted that moment not to end anytime.

                Then there was a soft moo sound from the nearby cow shed, which jolted them back to reality. Without any words spoken, they walked back to the narrow street near the beach. The street lights had come alive now and above there was the pitch black sky. The fresh aroma of spicy cooked seafood filled the air. They spotted one big toad jumping from one end of the street to another. They started chasing the animal to take some snaps. Their laughter was childlike that brought them more close to each other. And at that point of time, it started drizzling again. They smiled at each other; it was time to head back home.

                And then during those formative years of life, when they had started their life together, they were collecting the building blocks of their home. One fine day they bought one folding table and they were carrying that table in between them on a two-wheeler. She was unable to see anything and holding tight to the table and he was slowly riding the bike. And suddenly the clouds broke their fury and a heavy downpour started. They were getting drenched so they had to take shelter in a roadside battered tea shop. Rain Gods were furious that day. Sipping that sugary hot cup of tea, they waited for those heavy showers to stop. When it reduced a little, they started their journey again, treading slowly, steadily and carefully. Doesn’t that mark the beginning of a married life?

                They were going on a long drive that day in their new car. They were crossing a mountain peak with all those crazy twists and turns. Rain drops were making noise and the car windshield wipers were busy fighting the waters. The drive was slow as they had to be extremely careful. They finally reached the peak after a difficult drive and were overjoyed to see the landscape. They could see clouds all around moving from one end to another. Slowly and gradually clouds started clearing and sunny golden rays filtered through them. It was magical. Life is surely magical when you know you are sharing it with someone you love and care for.

                Sitting on their verandah, both of them were sipping coffee and enjoying monsoon rains on a lazy Sunday afternoon, when she told him, “You know one day I had understood what you mean by your heart doing a somersault. Even today, it misses a beat whenever I remember that gesture that had taken my heart away. We were going for a ride in your two-wheeler that day when you adjusted the side mirror just to look at me and pretended as if it was just to check upon other vehicles. Well I had understood your move that day but didn’t want to spoil that moment by letting you know.”

A sweet song played on ‘Chhoti See Kahani Se, Baarishon ke Paani Se’ and the story goes on.