Romancing the rain

There was a nip in the air last night and i could feel a slight wetness in breeze. Couldn't help being reminded of this year's rains.....

She was upset that that the National Park was shut. This is supposed to be their rekindling-the-lost-passion-day. ‘Heavy Rains’ had been announced across television channels and the Park didn’t want to risk its unblemished record to the havocking monsoon by risking our entry. “This just had to happen to us,” she moaned. He didn’t care. He just wanted to greet the rains and it didn’t matter where. He decided to park the car below their concrete dwelling and signalled her to move out. But it was pouring outside and the thought of ‘welcoming’ the rains on the cemented express highway wasn’t just blasphemous to her but also as dissonant a thought as that of relishing melted ice cream.

But she complied with the request and they stepped on the concrete road, potholed already. The rain was particularly chilled, or was it the warmth of the previous night that was still playing up. She continued to march along with him. He seemed to like the drops rush on his face while she was busy sharing embarrassed glances with people around who were either under an umbrella or were trying to get some shelter. “We appear so foolish,” she thought aloud. The walk continued, her eyes were fixed on her feet on the road. He coaxed her to shed her inhibitions, but she felt it was foolish to have fun at a time when the people around were either stranded away from home or cursing the downpour.

The showers got stronger. She looked ahead to see a battery of people wading through knee deep water. She huffed at the city’s plight and then she looked up, as if to curse the rain god. The water droplets had meanwhile, begun slipping from her t-shirt on to her hitherto dry back. The tingling sensation of the cold droplets rubbing on her warm back were creating a symphony of expressions within her.

Soon her bare back was completed smothered with water balm from the rain gods. She glanced at him and he seemed to be enjoying his wet hair swinging with each step further. She looked around again. Now that she was drenched, everything around her blended into her own state of mind. What was she saw, was what she felt on her- the water. She let loose and let the weather take over her senses. The smell of wet earth and the near by vada pav stall serving garam garam bhajiyas, made the atmosphere so contrasting- so cold yet so warm.

She found her hand slipping into the crevice of his elbow. He smiled at her, dropped her hand so he could hold it by her fingers. They walked along the same potholed concrete road, smiling at stranded people, as if to comfort them in their moment of discomfort. She popped in a few bhajiyas, while he held on to the hot cutting chai. She was still looking at him, she loved the way he enjoyed his tea, so he doesn't compromise on its flavour. He returned her glances and they knew they were together.

It was a momentous day, they walked around one of the city's worst nightmares, with a passion that seemed to have evaporated a while ago. The rains brought it right back.