When I went for a walk…

 

It was the month of June!

A most hated month for children when the boring schools reopen, a most loved month for the farmers and the Water Department expecting the rains, an irritating month for all the adults who hate being disturbed by the dirty pot holes and splashing mud on their way to office, a month eagerly awaited by the drought hit people, a month which annoys mothers when they try hard to dry off their kid's clothes and a month being taken in hundreds of ways by hundreds of people. Whatever may be the hundred ways, this month is definitely loved to the top by two, noisily croaking frogs and silently romancing pairs!

All these years the rain for me meant playing rough football with my chuddi buddies in the field, spending time inside house with dad and copying his novel reading style, getting a warm head massage from my mom to dry my hairs followed by her special coffee, missing the games period in school and sitting in class trying to understand why the Moghuls ever invaded India.

But this year I had just passed out of my college. My final semester had completed just a week back and I was pretty sure of clearing my exams. So, in my mind I was an Engineer! But on Papers, I was still far from being Engineer by 35 marks in all the four subjects and then nothing in the world could stop me in joining the MNC I had already got offer from!

I had woken up late and was still lazily drinking my coffee sitting in the couch and blankly glancing the newspaper. Nothing special caught my eyes and I folded the newspaper and kept it back in its place. Thinking of watching something on the TV was a wrong idea as it would disturb Dad who was concentrating on some of his files sitting right in front me. I scratched my head thrice when I heard Mom calling in for breakfast. I ran in holding the coffee cup even before Dad could turn.

Spending two more hours with breakfast, bath, 46 channels in TV, and then 20 minutes of FB and then the lunch dint help me kill my boredom. I thought most of my friends were experiencing the same boredom just like me. If it was the same day two weeks back, the whole gang would be sitting on the stairs of the college cracking jokes on each other. I realized how much I missed my friends. If it was not them then I would be sitting silently in front of Tanu in the Library watching her cute fair face while she read sincerely.

I cursed VTU for finishing my college life just in 4 years! I was still in dilemma if I had to ask my friends to gather at the Mamu’s Restaurant for Mirchi Bhajji or to ask Tanu to meet up. Before I could put more pressure on my grey cells, my mobile alerted with its message tone. I unlocked it and read a forward message from one my friend. My thought was right, even he was hell bored and was sending some useless forwards. As I kept back my mobile and switched on the TV again, my mobile beeped again. My face turned all smiles when the name on the screen flashed Tanu.

 Shall we meet in eveng?

Wow! What better could I have asked for? I jumped on the bed carefully hiding from my Dad and replied

Yep!!! J

Within seconds I got her reply

Nice! J Had lunch?

Ys jst now.. U??

Hd Chapati and Aloo curry.. wht did u eat?

Veg Pulav :D

Oh.. ur fav.. so now u ll slp nicely

We continued chatting and by the time I released it was already evening. The day had turned hotter but it was still brighter with Sun’s sharp rays. We decided to stop chatting, get ready and meet at a nearby mall where she had to buy a new dress for her cousin’s marriage.

I jumped up from bed, ran in to get fresh. With a short shower as I walked out fresh, Mom was watching me in disbelief with her eyes wide open.

“Why did you take bath now?”

“Because, your Son is going out now” I said smiling at her

“Now????” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes. Why?”

“It’s about to rain. Stay at home”

“Mom, its fine. As soon as it starts I will come back”

“Let him go. He must be bored. He hasn’t even stepped out of that bed since last three days” Dad said as he walked into the kitchen to get some water.

“Ok. But take care. And return back as soon as it starts raining. And don’t ride in rain.”

“Anything you say Mom!” I said spraying deo all over my body.

One last look in mirror, I looked fine in that blue jeans and dark brown polo T-Shirt. I left the top button unbuttoned but sensing Mom would notice it, I buttoned it and walked out of the home yelling a loud bye to Mom and Dad. Wearing my helmet, I started my bike and sped out from home. It was really a hot evening and the roads were empty helping me ride faster.

As I walked out from the parking of the mall, I saw Tanu sitting on the bench outside the mall waiting for me. She looked gorgeous in her cream colored Kurti over blue jeans. She was sitting in the shade of tree but few naughty rays passing in between the leaves were disturbing her striking her face. She had held her wallet against those rays and was trying to save her little eyes from them. As I walked near her, she brought down her wallet and her bright fair face glowed like glittering gold. She turned at me blinking her eyes trying to escape those naughty rays and smiled. Her smile! What a cute little smile was that. The perfect smile with both lips making a design of an overturned rainbow with little dimples on both ends.

As she stood up, still smiling, I couldn’t help not noticing the design of maroon colored flowers neatly printed all over her cream colored Kurti. Each one of the flower had five petals that twisted at their end to their right and it seemed like the flower had been captured when someone holding it was swirling it. The curve of the petal was exactly similar to the little curve created on her cheeks by her sweet little dimples.

As I stood in front of her, she frowned and said, “Late by 8 minutes”

I smiled silently and said, “Can’t escape the traffic these days” and raised my shoulders carelessly.

She hit me hard in my stomach and held my left arm and started walking into the mall saying, “Liar!”

“So you have come out for shopping with a liar?” I asked as we stepped into the AC Mall from the hot environment. It felt nice as the cool wind blew on my face and Tanu’s grip on my arm tightened.

“Yes. A Sweet Liar. Any problem?” she asked turning at my face and again turning back at the shops.

Sun was about to set as we walked out of the Mall completing her shopping and a glance at my Casio displayed 6:40 PM.

“How about taking a walk in the park? I have one more hour” she said.

“Anything is fine with me. I have the whole evening”

“But it might rain anytime” she said

“Yes, let’s take a short walk and then return home”

We then walked to the parking lot where she kept her shopping bags in her Activa and turned back towards the exit. Crossing the road we entered the park and I saw many other people ranging over all the ages were present, many of them walking, few of them just enjoying the comparatively cooler park, reading books, and busy chatting.

The sky now looked dark with few silver colored clouds lazily sitting at their places looking at the other dark clouds planning the most awaited rains. The Sun had almost reached the horizon and was about turn off his light any moment, while few his brightest rays were still lighting up the sky at west and it seemed some huge red fire was burning somewhere far and the flames rising up made the western part of the sky turn red while the eastern part looked cooler and darker with the sky still trying its best to look cool blue.

As we took few more steps, holding each other’s hands, a cool breeze blew suddenly. A sudden relief seemed kissing my face freshening me up. I noticed the leaves on each of the tree and plant dance joyously along with the breeze. Silently I turned to my left and looked at Tanu. She was busy noticing a small kid who was quarreling with his mom who was persuading him to stop playing. Tanu had let her hair loose and few of them suddenly broke the line and moved out freely along with the wind. They raised and moved in front of her face and covered her cheeks from me. A few even managed to go till her little sharp nose and then raised till her eyes, blocking her view and then suddenly fell down on her nose and cheeks as the wind stopped. She then neatly, still looking at the kid, raised her left hand and slowly took all those hairs and neatly placed them back behind her ear and moved her hand again, combing her hair. It was then that her hand hit her earring and that, shaped like a chandelier, oscillated twice and stopped back at its place.

Suddenly I felt a drop of water on my cheek. It was the most expected time, I guessed. The first rain of the year! And I was out to enjoy it with the most beautiful girl in the world! As I was thinking how romantic the evening turned with the colored sky, dancing trees, cool breeze kicking away the dryness and the heat and cold drops of water touching my face now and then; upon this, cutest girl holding my hand; few more drops fell down on my face, shoulders and head.

I turned at Tanu and she too turned at me the same time. I noticed two drops of water on her nose shining like a pearls. She blinked her eyes and smiled at me. I too smiled back at her. She loosed her hand and raising her hand to her nose to wipe those two drops that were tickling her and then childishly smiled at me narrowing her small dark eyes. I was still smiling noticing her childishness. She then held my arm tightly and said “It’s gonna rain. Wow!”

“Yes. It’s already started. First rain of the year…”

“…And we are together” she continued resting her head on my shoulder slowly.

It then thundered in the sky and made a quick shape of a randomly twisted line and lighting up the sky for a second and then disappeared without even leaving its trace. As Tanu heard the sound she tightened her grip and raised her head looking at me.

“You know Vish, I always wondered what design the lines made and how it looked in the sky. But I was always afraid of thunders and closed my eyes and missed noticing the design every time” she said and giggled a little over her own fear.

I joined in her giggle and said, “Watch it today, I am with you”

She turned at me and smiled. Suddenly there was another thunder and she quickly closed her eyes. Before I could say anything, the frequency of water drops increased and yes, it was the first rain of the year!

Water drops fell all over her forehead and in within minutes, it started raining. Everyone including every leaf on every tree was drenched in water. Mother Earth who had dried up and waited patiently for water finally got the rain. Every falling drop of water drenched her thirst and the wetting soil sent up a dull dust into the air with a signal carrying the message of thanks to the sky for the rains. Within seconds the earth's smell of first rain surrounded us. It seemed the whole world danced rejoicing the rain. As the pace of rain increased, every person in the park started running towards the best available shelter. But every tree and plant in the park stayed at their place enjoying the rain.

I turned at Tanu and noticed her smiling like a kid with her eyes still closed and enjoying the rain. Her wet hairs now sat back in their place but her cheeks still glowed as the water drops flowed down to her little round chin. She looked gorgeous than ever. The happiness inside her out beat the tress plants earth and just everything. When she opened her eyes she noticed me looking at her and raised her eyebrows questioning me. I raised my hand and pointed at her and then made a signal of super. She blushed and turned at sky again. I too looked up at the sky which was showering the much needed rain. My eyes fought hard to escape the water drops and kept blinking every second.

Tanu loosed let my arm loose and raised both her arms. Holding up her hands freely, she swirled slowly just like the flowers on her Kurti. As she swirled, her hair too tried breaking loose and the drops waiting to fall down at the end of them splashed onto my face. I was busy falling deeper in love with her while watching her enjoy the rain like a kid who has nothing else to care about in the world. Her face reflected the joy in her heart and was glowing brightly. I was standing enjoy the most romantic scene of my life.

Finishing her round, she opened her eyes and looked at me. I was still enjoying watching her.

“Enjoy the rain Vishhhhh. It’s the first rain. Ahhhh. I soo much love this smell”

I did not want to break my smile and open my mouth in replying her. I held her both hands and pulled her closer to me. She was now smiling blankly at me. I held her hands and bent down my head. My forehead touched her head.

“A small dance?” I asked her

She just smiled and we stepped our legs together in sync holding each other’s hands. The water drops falling down on the leaves provided the most romantic music for our dance. The sky was now darker but it seemed the Sun was still peeping very very far away and was watching our dance. The silver clouds now seemed being burnt with red border from the dying rays.

When I opened my eyes after four steps, I saw her and was completely lost in her face brightly shining with the bright street lights inside the park. Her eyes were still closed but a drop of water on her eyes lids fell down as she opened her eyes.

She looked right into my eyes and locked my eyes when we heard another thunder and a moment of bright light in the sky appeared like a flash light from God’s camera capturing the most romantic scene of my life. She smiled as the thunder disappeared and said, “My eyes dint close. This is all sooo romantic Vishhh”

“And you are sooooo beautiful Tanu” I replied still looking into her eyes as she blushed bending down her head.

We both smiled at each other and walked back towards the mall, holding each other’s hands and enjoying the fresh air with the smell of first rain, cool breeze with a mix of the cold rainfall, dancing leaves and the singing earth with a chorus of different creatures out of their home enjoying the rain!

Welcoming the monsoon,

Vishal…

Tweet