It was past midnight. Most parts of the the city were sleeping. It had rained throughout the day and there was a sublime coolth in the air. The birds had withdrawn into their cozy nests. Dogs had curled up below parked vehicles. A few, weary cars were zooming past the erstwhile busy roads. Almost every person in the city was in the realms of his/her dreams. And there were these two souls, wide awake.
His phone beeped with a message "Awake?".
"Yes", he answered promptly.
"I know this is an odd time but…do you maybe want to meet?". It was an assertion more than a question.
"Sure, I’ll pick you up in 10".
The cold wind was biting at her through her linen kurta. She never cared much about the weather, but hated the rains. For the mucky, mushy, wet feeling that followed you everywhere you went that season. Unless you were sitting at home and sipping a cup of hot filter coffee, reading your favorite book. That was her utopian setting for the monsoons. In her anxiety of meeting him, she’d forgotten her warm woolen scarf back home today. His terrace was a quiet, spacious place with a lot of room to walk and artificial grass turfs along the perimter to relax your feet on. An eerie silence loomed over the high rise tonight, the floor and the surroundings misty and cold from the downpour earlier in the day. They were meeting after what seemed like months. They had not spoken at length for a while.
He beckoned her to sit on a bench by the protected ledge. They had a full view of the neighborhood and the intersecting roads. The sky was immaculate with not a single star in sight. It was as if it had conspired to be a blank slate tonight. Although still dark, the sky had turned a slight hue of orange at places giving it a unique shade, as if for the occasion of their meeting. They sat inches away from each other and stared into oblivion. Hundreds of thoughts running in each of their minds, waiting to be translated into words; Emotions waiting to be manifested in the form of a smile, a frown or a tear. But neither of them uttered a word. Today, the silence between them spoke volumes.
He looked at her with eager eyes. "Say something. Anything!", he thought in his head. She looked right back at him, as if she’d heard him and said "Thanks, for doing this. And for everything. Sometimes all you need is a person you can just sit with, not having to talk anything to, not having to explain anything to and not having to worry about being judged for anything you do or say. I.. Just, thanks for being there for me". She smiled nervously, awaiting a response. His face broke into a warm reassuring smile. He was yearning to hear her voice. These words were like music to his hears. He held her hand and said “I’ll always be there for you. And no matter what happens, I’ll always have your back”. She didn’t know how to react. It was an inexplicable feeling of comfort, of happiness, of a confused state of emotions.
Just moments later, they felt tiny droplets of water on their faces. It had started drizzling. The heavens had opened their gates to yet another shower upon the earthlings. The wind was blowing a gale. It was freezing cold up there. But this time, she didn’t need a scarf. She stood right on the edge of the terrace, feeling secure, her arms wide open, she embraced the rains. A feeling of freedom, of happiness, of sheer joy encapsulated her. She was one with the wind and sky. She looked back. His beaming countenance was overjoyed to see her smiling after what seemed like eons. And then he hugged her; a warm, tight, buoyant hug that said more than words could.
Bittersweet symphony ringing in her ears, she didn’t hate the rains anymore!
Bittersweet symphony ringing in her ears, she didn’t hate the rains anymore!
