[Short Story Love – The Rain smiled at Me… so did She]
Short Story Love - The Rain smiled at Me... so did She
“She was indeed beautiful, but the rain made her more beautiful”
I love the rains, there are the real gift of God. Rain is described as the ornaments to nature, the water droplets descending from the clouds and falling on mother Earth and beautifying it is even more than beautiful to watch than the rain itself. Rain can be compared to any emotion, Love, Passion, Pain, Loss, Hatred and so on.
The emotion which I am going to talk about is Love. The most precious of them all. Many poets and writers have not expressed their thoughts on love without emphasizing on the beauty of rain. Rain is everything to people with deep thoughts. It is a feeling that cannot be expressed in a number of words. Something that existed since time immemorial. Something takes the world forward and yet never stops or fades. It can be either understandable or intriguing. But it really is fascinating. It attracts you like a magnet that you never want to detach yourself from its clasp. That is Love. Only Love.
So, coming to Me. I am just an average next door boy. A pair spectacles decorates my pimpled face. I am lucky for that, it gives me an intelligent look, something which I have been searching for long but cannot find it. My intelligence. I am still searching for it. I am only child of my loving parents. I am enough spoiled to the core. Not with money but with love.
My story is not a huge thing, its not about am everlasting love or lost love or just a passing infatuation. My experiences with love are short, sweet and memorable. Otherwise I won’t be writing about those here I’ll be running behind my girlfriend. If I ever had one that is.
Let me begin, it was a day, I don’t exactly which but all I know that it was a holiday. Thank God for my sharp memory.
“One never forgets unforgettable days”.
My very own theory, such as Birthdays, Anniversaries and the day or when somebody meets his or her special someone. If you ask me, I would never forget the former two and the third, well that is yet to be fixed and about this story, Its just a memorabilia of what I experienced on that ‘special’ day. I am calling that day special because it is special. So what would an average next door boy do on a holiday – Enjoy!!
I was in the mood to do just that. I was up by 10:00 am, a very usual time for a lazy bone like me. Perhaps God made me to do that because he had a surprise for me later that day, which I was totally unaware of. (who is aware of surprises!!, I am such a fool.) .
I was in a mood to go for a movie. I love movies. I decided to go the 2 pm show. I was too late to run for morning one. I planned this idea on the previous day itself. After going through the daily morning chores (read: brushing & bathing) followed by a tasty breakfast. When I was done with all this an good hour and a half had passed. The clock struck 11:30. If I correctly follow the following things accordingly there would no reasonable flaws.
1) Catch the bus by 12:00 pm.
2) Reach the city by 1:00 pm
3) Arrive at the theater by 1:30 pm
4) Stand in queue with patience to buy the ticket.
5) Enjoy the movie
6) And get back home.
Even if you arrive late for your Board Exams, never reach late for a movie, because we know at 1/4 of the contents in an exam but you never know what a movie has in store for you even it ends up been too much predictable. Self experience.
I got dressed in my best attire, I looked like as if I was going to attend a marriage function. I was clad in black jeans and dark blue shirt. I loved dressing up, I don’t care if everyone fails to notice me it is just a customary action of self satisfaction. That was just of me, by me and for me. (No one would have given the Great Abraham Lincoln’s words another dimension like this !!!). After a final check up of myself in the mirror, I took my purse and bag, I am not an employee but these things sometimes highlight the way public look at you and with my spectacles on, I looked exactly like a medical representative, a tie would have made the attire look even better.
My purse, of course consisted money for the bus-fare and ticket and my favourite part, the canteen at the theatre. My parents always used to tell me “It is more expensive to fill your stomach than buying tickets for the movie”.
Oh well, you find strange people everywhere and I was one of them. And the bag, well that’s for carrying a book for me to read to and fro. Books and movies are my best friends. You just stare at them and they wouldn’t mind. I am lucky to have them in my life. One is mute and the other has dialogues, songs and background score. That’s the only difference. I always took a book on a travel even if it’s of very short distance. I told you I was strange.So after telling my mother a goodbye, I set off towards the bus stop. It was close by, walk-able distance from my house.
I reached the bus stop. I loved to travel in A/C low-floor buses. They are the best ever. I waited for one to arrive so that I could just hop in and grab a window seat and snuggle up in the warmth of my book. As if God had heard my prayer, a low floor A/C bus was coming my way and to my destination. I was extremely happy. A broad smile showed up on my face. No one noticed it, thankfully. The bus came came to a non – screeching halt beside me. The doors opened before me.
I jumped in. A few people followed me in. It was a holiday. The bus was almost empty, the people who belonged to the working are probably cuddled up in their beds right now. So it was not hard for me to snatch a window seat for myself, that to among the last row of seats, on the right end. I liked privacy. No one would fly to the last row soon. Luckily nobody followed me there. I understood that they were to get off before me, since my destination was the last and final. It’ll take an hour as per my above time schedule. Or otherwise I hope it does.
The bus started to move after all the passengers are entered. It picked up speed soon. The A/C was doing its work wonderfully. I was cool inside and outside. The conductor approached me to take my ticket.. ‘One for Trivadrum’ I told him. The ticket charge Rs.30 but who cares about money when you can get a flight like travel on road. I payed him and he handed over my ticket. I was done with that formality.
I quickly took the book from my bag which was titled ‘You were My Crush….’by Durjoy Datta & Orvana Ghai. I really love Durjoy’s novels and I have read all his books. This was his 5th book. I am already done with a few chapters. I started reading from where I ended last time. An air-conditioned bus, going for a movie, a good book in hand. The day was perfect. Perfect ambiance. Life rocks.
Suddenly I saw the clouds turning dark, the atmosphere was completely turning dark, the brightness of the sun was beginning to disappear. Since the bus had see immovable see through glass windows, I could see every visible change in the weather outside. Just as I thought. It started. The DOWNPOUR !!!!.
It began to rain heavily and within minutes the city was wet. Completely. I was sad. First, I did not possess an umbrella and second, my clothes will get wet the moment I get out of this bus. I hoped for a slowdown in the shower, but this time my prayers went in vain. But I had a ray of hope and continued with my reading. The rain continued pouring. It would have been a pleasant sight; if I was sitting idle in the sit-out of my house. But this is horrible. I thought. As the bus halted to the next stop. I gave a casual glance out the window. I saw people getting into the bus in a hurry, the unexpected rain was really causing a trouble to people. There in a queue to get inside the bus. But I noticed a pink umbrella among the new passengers. I have never seen an umbrella in such a colour before. I smiled at it. I was sure it a girl or a woman. Pink is a feminine colour,; it is considered to be.
As the umbrella moved into the bus. And what happened next??. I am still to snap out f it. I am unable to decipher whether it was a dream or solid reality. I would have cursed myself if I had not decided not travel in this bus. I would have missed this moment.
The umbrella was folded.
My eyes (spectacles included) met the most wonderfully magnificent beauty in the entire Universe. I blinked my eyes thrice to confirm the truth!. Oh My God, is this princess for real ?. I thought. There was a girl that emerged right from every boy’s heart, a perfect female descended from the Heavens sent by God Almighty himself. I was ultimately dazzled by her beautiful beauty. She undoubtedly stunning without a match !!.
I am taking this golden opportunity to describe her aesthetically pleasing features. She was well dressed in crystal white salwar khameez decorated with pearls and beads, it was partially wet from the rain. I studied her face. Her radiant white face. It was like God has chiseled it himself. It had well defined features, gorgeous eyes lined by kajal; Her eyes were deep black and expressive. She looked like a renowned classical dancer. She rapidly made a search for a seat, and she was not alone, a friend was also with her. Finally they found a seat in the long bus. Near me. I mean not next to me, 2 seats ahead. I was on cloud nine or seventh sky or….whatever. I felt jumping inside the bus. Limitations, they do have a strong hold on you. Just like mine. Every gesture of hers as had its own beauty. The way she walked, sat down, carried herself. Everything was like perfection personified. My admiration for her grew each second. She seemed my age. Maybe a year or two junior. But she was really an attention seeker. For others.
I sent occassional glances at her. I couldn’t keep my eyes glue to the book. I understood that there are better things then Durjoy Datta’s novels. I closed the book and slid it into my bag. I listened to their conversation. I couldn’t get all the words. But I deciphered that they were on their way to some kind of class. Might be a girl thing. That did not interest me. I confined to myself again. She was always smiling, her smile was brighter than a 110 watt CFL bulb. (Her parents must be maintaining a low electricity bill, since her smile is enough to lighten up an entire household!) I thought. As their talking & giggling were progressing, the conductor approached them for ticket. It was her who told their destination, SAME AS MINE !!!.
The bus moved on with regular halts.The rain was not in a mood to stop.
At some point, she noticed me staring at her. My mind went blank, my heartbeat stopped, I got butterflies inside my stomach. I swallowed a gulp. Girls, they make you both happy and scared at the same time. I was going through both simultaneously. First, we are unknown to each other and second, you’ll never know how a girl will react when she see a guy staring at her in public. I was doomed. I managed to put a ‘no-harm’ smile. To my utter surprise, she smiled back at me and her friend too. Both of them smiled at each other and carried on with their giggling chats.
I felt relaxed. I did not to take up Durjoy’s book again. Because I was just a few metres from being “crushed” by my latest crush. I looked out the window, the rain was still pouring in, people were seeking shelters under the roofs of different shops and other stuff. Most of them were devoid of raincoats, sulking while walking the rain, thinking what did they do to deserve this. Therefore I considered myself lucky. I am yet to get wet.
The bus reached our destination and we got down. In the rain. she had an umbrella while I did not. We were to move in opposite directions. I soon found myself getting devoured by rain. She turned to me with a sympathetic smile. I passed her a happy smile and we parted ways.
I never saw her again. I don’t know who she is, what she is or where she is. I am devoid of her whereabouts. But I still cherish that moment. I don’t know exactly which day it was, all I know is that it was a holiday. I began walking in the rain I could see the rain smiling at me. I smiled back. Because if it wasn’t for the rain, I would have not received her smile. Love you dear rain. You are a Godsend miracle to beautify the earth.
‘Mostly we don’t remember the days. We remember only the moments’
__END__
