And she drenched me again.....
It was raining heavily accompanying thunder storm when I was on my way
back home from college around 8pm. It resembled a calamitous scene of a Hollywood
movie with wind blowing too fast to similitude tornado. As our college happened
to be on out-skirt, almost 20 kilometres away from Raipur city centre, the only
way to commute was local auto/taxi & city buses running only during the
usual working hours from 7am -6pm that too with less frequency. That night I
was to stay back late to finish of my practical work missing my regular college
bus at 5.30pm. My old Titan watch displayed 8pm when we were walking out from
our college campus. I always had wore the same watch for last five years which
was gifted to me by my Aunty i.e, Mausi. I’m already weak on relation
management & when it comes to English it becomes more difficult as you’ve
only uncle & aunt while Hindi is more specific. We ran towards the main
road but it took not more than seconds for us to be complete wet with that heavy Rain. Me
along with my friend were completely drenched, hopeless to get into any public
transport, were all desperately waiting for some benevolent to lift us till
city centre.
"Prateek, I think we are trapped here in this bull shit F**king
place, this is what I hate most about this college." Said Manish, too
annoyed after practical of the day which was actually very impractical due to
copy-paste from our senior’s notes.
"Calm down, we got to get out of here. Did you forget our
trick? " I said, with mischievous smile on my face.
Our college is very adjacent to NH-6 (National Highway 6). NH-6 is one
among the busiest highways running through states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,
Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal. You can always find trucks, semi-trucks and
trailers round the clock running at its full pace without brake on its speed. But they only always had helped us to be home when we were anytime late, penniless
or pretended to be loose pocket. Since most of them regular drivers were already familiar with our college students
begging for lift to reach town thus will never stop exceptions were few kind-hearted. So, I & our friends used to seek lift after around 1-2kms of
walk pretending not to be an engineering student. Manish after such a tiring
day was so reluctant to walk for around 2kms with storms adding to our difficulties
on roadside with no foot-path for pedestrians like every other Indian city. But we were left with no other go to do so.
"Shit, I can't take it any more" Raj murmured, before he joined us
in walk even though he didn't want to.
I in-spite of too tiring & busy day seemed to be so fresh. Yes,
something had happened to me which always made me feel alive. It was too cool
& I was enjoying the weather to its best. Suddenly, a thought of she being with me had strike my mind & I wanted her to be with me to
walk by my side. I'd developed a lot of respect & feelings for her in these
four months since when I first met her. I wished of her singing a romantic song
for me here. It was always a refreshing thought for me.
It was evening of 22nd September 2007 & I never did speak to her for
past three months after an action turned reaction out my curiosity or you must say a stupidity. I can never
forget that incident after which we never spoke till now for around three months
till day. Only Raj had known of all these & was easily able to make out
from my face while I was all ahead them in the dark road. I wanted to be sorry
for my act but I had no contact of her now in my mobile. She had may be dropped
her mobile or switched to a new operator with new number, I had no idea. Neither I
was able to contact Palak nor I had dare to speak to any of my/her friends
to inquire about her. However, she was always there in mind making me feel sad
& happy at times, I wanted to hear her at least if couldn't see being
located far away. Watching out my each & every steps along the muddy road I
imagined her trying to be in sync with my steps. I found It was so romantic but she
wasn't there by my side. I couldn't resist strong feelings for her beating
every now & then in my heart.
Raj had always suggested me & tonight also he has noticed something
running towards my mind through my heart. I literally had no idea that it had
been more than 20 minutes of walk & we were almost 2.5 km away from our our
campus with no lift yet.
"Hello...Hey...Please stop" Shouted Ashish with his hair
completely glued to head with water. We all had added weight to our body with
water flowing down the pants all the way via shirts. A befriend Truck driver
saw us four on the road & stopped to help us out. He seemed to be full of
enthusiasm towards his job & was too enjoying the weather like me along his
journey.
"Are..Jump in Paaji" said a traditional Punjabi, with a Pagadi
overhead along with dense widened moustache on his face. It's never easy
to get into a truck that too when you're almost dipped into water. We all
however easily managed to be inside considering it as our common act for last
one year. Clock displayed 9 O'clock pm on the truck replacing mirror at its place
with Lord Ganesha’s face embroidered within in background. I had a very good
feeling that night. Also, by now Raj, Ashish & Manish were too relaxed
& assured that we'll be all back in correct time.
"So , Why did you guys walk for around three kilometres in this
heavy rain, It would not have charged me extra fuel if I had stopped three kilometres
before." said he laughing loudly in Punjabi style revealing the fact that
he’s aware why did we managed to walk extra.
We had a nice conversation with Mr. Parmeet along the way.
“You look to be so smart, don’t you’ve a girlfriend Paaji” asked Manish
trying to be familiar with him.
“Ha..ha.. I too had” he said smiling.
“You had, what does that mean? “ I asked showing my interest.
“No, we’re no more into any such relationship” his face was expression
less when he spoke that.
“Whose mistake was that?” I asked, with an intension to know reason
behind that. I was quite interested into love stories after I thought I had my own.
undefined
“It neither was I nor she but it was both of us who did end this
relationship because we couldn’t have carried out like that anymore. We were to
go far away in life & you just can’t keep up with such a relationship which
exists only in heart & nowhere in society.” he sounded little confusing to
me.
“Where is she now then?” Ashish expressed his involvement too with a
concluding question.
He looked at all of us & laughed loudly again in his Punjabi style
reminding me of one of the comedy serial where judge was a Punjabi with an
excessive laughter even to a joke where a normal person would like to throw egg
& cry.
“chalo, Kids….Jump Out.”He said, applying sudden brakes indicating that
we had reached our destinations.
We all jumped out & Said thanks to him. I was still waiting for an
answer of Ashish’s question to Mr Parmeet. Before he could have shifted the gear
from neutral to one, I interrupted him with my question, “Paaji, you didn’t answer our last question?”
“We’re married now & she might be cooking my favourites tonight” he
said shifting the gears applying acceleration.
I was surprised while all others smiled & waved their hands giving a final look to Parmeet.
He had dropped us near the ring road from where we could have easily
managed to our room. We got into a public auto-rickshaw with low cost which
could have taken us to city-centre. When
we were inside the Auto-rickshaw, I was so happy & was smiling within,
since after the Parmeet’s story, I too had now realized my love for her Sowmya. Raj
saw me smiling silently & also smiled in response to mine as if he had read what’s running through my
mind.
Auto wala had dropped us to Ghadi- Chowk, clock house forming a square to four different routes, known as
city-centre. We all were to be on our own way now.
"Bye..See you Guys on Monday" Said I, turning back &
running towards city bus which was about to leave. Manish & Ashsih resided
with their Brother's Family while I & Raj shared a common room. Next day
was a Sunday & we were thus to see each other only on coming Monday.
Me, Raj, Aashish & Manish were all involved with the practical
assignment together in college. Raj & I used to be a roommate since my
college days. Raj's father was a professor in girl’s government college in Jharkhand
but was soon to be transferred to Raipur then Raj had plans to move to his parent’s
house. Raj has happened to be a very good roommate & friend of mine. We
shared all our activities with each other; rarely did we have small disputes as
expected among every good friend & most of the room mates. Thus, knew
almost everything about each other. That night too, I never realized when it
was 3 am of morning while we were speaking over the terrace enjoying the cool
weather actually it was only me narrating
“my would be love story” to him. He too also was trying to be a good
listener when I saw him taking silent nap.
Aashish too was very special friend to me during my college days not
only because of his peace loving nature but there was another reason why he was
one among my special friends. I'd met Ashish fortunately again during my
college days. I first met Ashish in Year 2000 when we studied 7th standard
together in a Hindi medium school "Saraswati Sishu Mandir". After a
year, my father got transferred in Bhilai a
city near to Raipur also known as "City
of steel" because of the presence
of one of the biggest steel Plant of SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited). I was then put into an
English Medium school from 8th standard. Thus, I had lost all my contacts of Ashsih
for next five years & surprisingly met him in the same college as one of my
classmate. Manish had also become very good friend of mine within a year. We
all had a wonderful time together Partying outside till last four months when I
wasn't in love with Sowmya. She had completely changed me, which I felt was
discovering a inner self of mine making me avoid drinks, smoke which we would
have commonly done while out along with chasing the girls down the streets for
fun. This was completely reverse feeling for my friends who felt that I’m
becoming more Dumbo day-by-day.
After we were down the terrace around 3am, I could see her & only
her face revolving all around me. I couldn’t wait any more to speak to her
again. It was my mistake & because of my immaturity I came to a conclusion.
I decided to find her contact all over again. I was so inquisitive to listen
her saying “hello” to me. I was only waiting for the clock to make an angle of
90 degree again at 9 o’clock in the morning. Raj had slept after listening to
my complete story may be a sheer nonsense to him but I was too influenced by today’s
rainy experience. I had realised what I have been missing for last
three months. I never wanted it to be like a stupid Hindi Bollywood movie,
where hero-heroine will dump either because of their egos.
Raj was in so deep sleep after last night’s walk & was snoring annoyingly
adding to my restlessness. I also was to sleep now but I put an alarm at 8:30am
decided to call someone to inquire about Sowmya, I don’t know to whom. This night
her thought has drenched me all over again after three months of aridity.
“Yes, She’s the only one for You Prateek” I said to myself loudly before
I could sleep.
However, Raj was already sleeping without any distractions out of my
words. I put switches off, pulled over my blanket & closed my eyes to relax
myself after so much of thoughts flowing throughout my mind via heart the whole last
night.
