One Rain, Many Faces..!!



(I had written this for Writer's Lounge. The challenge here is a 400 word limit and the theme being 'Rain'....)




On a lovely wet evening with my car’s wipers dancing in unison, I along with Anjali were speeding along a deserted road. I wondered if God had lost patience with me and had gifted me this free car wash. Anyway, as I steered along I managed a few glances towards her sitting next to me. As usually, she was lost. It was on one such rainy evening that we had hugged each other an ‘I-Love-You’. Since then, every spell of rain made me nostalgic and it gave me goosebumps. I loved rain.

It was only a while ago that she had called me and said- “ Can you pick me n take me home now?” As always, here I was, by her side. Anyway, I thought I should remind her of my existence and so said- “Hello madam! Lost into wonderland?” No reply. It wasn’t her birthday nor were we married to remember the anniversary date and all that. Anyway, she would tell me if there was something.

Also I had my own problems. Me and nature shared close associations, in the sense that every time it rains, I get a ‘Nature Call’. I spotted a public rest room, parked the car, informed her- “ I need to visit the White-House” and ran to finish my duties. I came back, pulled out my blazer from the rear seat, put it on, hit the accelerator and said- “From the White-House to Your House” and left. I felt like James Bond, with a sulky Bond girl on board.

After the ride of about an hour, which included few more of my featherbrained jokes greeted with ‘no reactions’, we reached the end of her street where I usually drop her off. In an attempt to cheer her up, I pretended to call up someone on my phone and announced- “ Hello. See, in 5 seconds Anjali is going to laugh….. 5,4,3,2,1” and I looked at her in anticipation. She pulled me over by my blazer, rested her forehead on my chest and started crying. She said - “Please drop me off at the gate.”

Something was seriously wrong. As we approached I saw people and an ambulance outside the gate. She held my hand tight with her forehead still resting on my chest- “ My mom. 2 hours ago. Heart Attack.”

Now, every time it rains, memories kill me.

16 comments:

  VagaBond

December 24, 2008 at 4:34 PM

Luvd it....man hw do u come up with such ideas....?? waiting for more of these!!!

  яノςんム

December 24, 2008 at 7:10 PM

OMG!!!!

with a start like tht, a climax lyk tht...
guy seriously, i have started responding to emotions..

  Kaber Vasuki

December 24, 2008 at 7:30 PM

Really nice. You're good at twists in the end. I liked your other story where the girl you like is with your friend at the coffee place. and the super raman twist was also great..

cheers
kaber

  saif

December 24, 2008 at 8:11 PM

great post..very well written..

  sunny_raju

December 24, 2008 at 9:56 PM

yeah many faces, whn i read the title, i expected your usual humour, u have done justice to the title. very moving :)

  ~ Dip ~

December 24, 2008 at 11:41 PM

ohGod...it was so sad...

  Misty Rhythm

December 25, 2008 at 4:08 AM

woah! goose bumps...goose bumps!

  Arjun

December 25, 2008 at 11:25 AM

Thank u guys... All of u.. :)

Just the fact that the day I update my blog, u ppl drop in and leave comments.... Am like on cloud nice... Thank you so much...!!

I'll try my best to keep visiting ur blogs as well...

Cheers..!!
Arjun

  priya

December 25, 2008 at 12:05 PM

it was all "aww!"..
:(
very nice.
loved it!!

  Akansha Agrawal

December 28, 2008 at 12:20 PM

I read this at the WL too.

And I don't have any words for this, coz every single story that you write has some kind of a trigger that just turns the tap on, for the right emotion. When you intend to make people laugh, you do exactly that, and when you want them to go all soft, you can do that just as well.

A gem of a writer, if I, as pretty unexperienced myself may be allowed to say.

  Arjun

December 28, 2008 at 12:54 PM

I'm humbled Akansha..!!
Thank u....

I dont know abt if i'm a good writer n all... But certainly, such comments churns me on...

Cheers..!!
Arjun

  Randeep

December 28, 2008 at 7:17 PM

Huuhh.. didn't expect a murder from u... Though it is good..

Cheers
Randeep

  @nsh....!!

January 2, 2009 at 1:10 PM

...nice .....
...very touchy...

  Meera

January 5, 2009 at 4:27 PM

Lovely and poignant.
Thank god its fiction!
I still love the rains but not heart attacks ;)

  Tara

January 21, 2009 at 7:49 PM

Aww! Anjali...hope you are feeling better now! But somehow, I still seem to like the funnier ones better, the sad ones make me sad...obviously! How silly of me! :)

  keerthana

February 6, 2009 at 6:05 PM

Hi arjun,

Ur posts are really interesting and triggers emotions..
Good.. keep goin in this way..
all the best..