Rains

1:30pm.I was driving through Akbar Road.It started raining all of a sudden.I parked my bike beside the road and rushed towards a Peepal tree for shelter.I could smell the wet mud’s effuvium.The City witnessed its first heavy downpour.

Alas!a girl clad in white salwaar kameez carrying a black purse was hurrying towards me.She stood beside me.I made my mind,I should start. “Baarish Tez hai !” ,I remarked.She smiled back(I bet that smile would make hundreds ‘go bananas’). “Whats the time “? I asked .She showed a “V” sign made out of her index and middle finger meaning 2PM.My cellphone rang.I was in no mood to attend it for two reasons:

(1)My cellphone wasn’t water resistant.

(2)The girl.

“Kaise main kahoon tujhse..Rehna hai tere dil mein..” was my ringtone which kept on ringing.I imagined both of us amidst a movie/song sequence of RHTDM.Her hair was drenched with water.I loved it when she fondled them and turned them backwards.She looked like an enchantress in white and the transparency(thanks to the rain) added to the increasing glitz.Heavy winds accompanied rain,water started pouring towards us.She took a step back,slipped and was in my arms.Cellphone rang again “Kaise main kahoon tujhse..Rehna hai tere dil mein..“.The scene lasted 5 seconds until i whispered “Sorry”.

We were silent for the next 10 minutes.I spotted her purse which accidently fell before the “arms-scene”.As soon as the pouring ceased,she glimpsed at me and pointed towards her purse.This implied that i should pick it up and hand it over to her.I turned back,leaped a few steps and heard the dark clouds roar.I rotated back to see if she was alright.She was gone.I hurried back to the place where we stood.I was astounded.I turned around for the purse.It was gone.

7PM.I was surfing the news channels.A newsreader said “The state experienced its first downpour.Finally good news for farmers.Everyone seems to enjoy the season.Meanwhile Villagers have their superstitions flowing.One of them remarked ‘Beware of Peepal trees,spirits are often predicted during rains’”.

I checked my cellphone’s “Missed Calls” record.There wasn’t a single call since morning.