A Drop Of Love

"Akshaya! Don't run dear. You may skid and get hurt. The lawn is wet" hurried Bhanu behind her three years old daughter to hold her.

Finally, she held Akshaya and cuddled her. Bhanu lifted Akshaya lovingly and tickled her to see her smiling face. She dropped Akshaya near the corridor with a couple of toys.

"Bhanu! The climate is changing. It may rain. You bring the clothes left for drying on the terrace. I will take care of my granddaughter" smiled Bhanu's mother-in-law Sarita drinking her evening coffee.

Bhanu gave a smile and climbed the stairs. She picked up all the clothes and placed them on a table near the terrace's entrance. Just then a rosebud caught her attention making her walk towards it unintentionally. As she gently touched the bud, a thunderbolt roared and a raindrop fell on Bhanu's cheek. The raindrop sent Bhanu's thoughts into her past.

Bhanu was an introvert and loved her parents to the core. She was a graduate in computer science engineering and was eagerly waiting for GATE exam results. But, she couldn't clear the exams with an expected score on the first attempt. She pleaded with her father to give her a second chance who readily agreed on one condition:- If Bhanu failed to clear this time, she would marry. Bhanu reluctantly agreed to this and joined an academy to make sure that she will clear the exam this time.

Bhanu loved the academy as they taught her well. One day, there was an unexpected downpour while returning home. Holding the umbrella strongly in her hand, she walked to the nearby bus stop. As she waited for the bus, she saw a guy happily getting drenched in the rain and walking towards the bus stop.

Her eyes were glued to him wondering how can he be so happy by getting wet in such rain. A smile reached her lips as she saw him stretching his hands and lifting his face to see the sky that was showering its precious raindrops on him. A thunderbolt struck making Bhanu tremble for a moment. Stroking his hair backward, he chuckled and said, "It's just a way of talking!"

Bhanu raised brows holding her closed umbrella and sighed.

"The rumbling sound of thunder indicates that sky or clouds want to talk to us. Maybe it is sharing the story of its transformation from a tiny ocean water drop to the mighty raindrop" he smiled broadly.

Bhanu lowered her eyes and kept quiet. The bus arrived and she sat near the window to glance at him sneakily. His eyes and smile were mesmerizing instantly pulling the strings of Bhanu's heart. Bhanu hid her feelings for him fearing the consequences.

The next day, as always she occupied the corner seat in the academy keenly listening to the lecture while she saw someone gently placing her anklet on her notebook. She was startled for a moment and raised her head to see the person.

"Hi! How are you now?" the guy smiled

Bhanu nodded and "He is the same guy whom I saw yesterday evening at the bus stop," she thought for herself.

"Are you dumb?"

Bhanu wide opened her mouth and frowned at him almost ready to pounce upon him like a fiery lioness.

"I mean you don't talk at all except smiling and seeing me" he added growing uncomfortable at her changing expressions

"I don't talk to strangers," she said averting her gaze

"I am not a stranger. I returned your anklet that you accidentally dropped near the bus stop yesterday. I am your friend now. Ain't I?" he tried to reason out with her

She gave a cold shoulder to him and started taking notes. He curled his lower lip and listened to the lecture moving his eyes sideways.

The next day, the same guy sat at her home in the living room chatting with her parents. She was flabbergasted at the very sight of him.

"Hi, Bhanu! How are you? Aunt was speaking about you" he talked casually

Bhanu said "Fine" which seemed almost like a whisper and she ran to her room.

"Please don't mind, Mehra. She is an introvert and doesn't like to interact much with new persons. I didn't inform her about your visit today. How is your mother? Been a long time. We were besties in our college days and had been each other's support in difficult times." Bhanu's mother Sarla shared her stories with his mother.

"Someone is missing me so badly, I see," said the Mehra's mother with a broad smile.

Sarla yelled and hugged her dearly. "We moved to this city and trying to find a rental home dear. Now I am here to trouble you and stop calling my son Mehra. Call him with his name, not with the surname dear" said Mehra's mother sticking her tongue out playfully

Sarla was overwhelmed and asked her to stay as her tenant. Mehra's mother felt elated and shifted her home. Slowly, the guy made Bhanu comfortable enough to talk with him. They became fond of each other and began their friendship.

Months passed...

The stranger now turned best friend announced the good news to Bhanu that she cleared the exam with her name listed on the merit sheet. With happiness taking a toll on her, she accidentally hugged him skipping his heartbeat for a second. Her heart started running a marathon after she realized how close she was to him. His warm breath hit her face filling pleasantness in her thoughts. She felt like staying in his warm hug forever and ever. They lost themselves in each other's eyes. Suddenly, the lightning flashed outside her window bringing a thunder sound that made them self-conscious. Bhanu moved away from him rubbing her arms with flushed red cheeks.

The next evening, she thanked her lecturer in the academy for his support in cracking the GATE exam. She distributed the sweets happily and reached the bus stop. The sky was covered with dark black clouds and the breeze touched her loosely tucked hair playfully. Staring at the sky, she remembered the moments with the guy. There was no one at the bus stop making her a little bit cautious. It started drizzling making her worry as she forgot to carry her umbrella.

"Bhanu! I love you!" shouted the love of her life with sparkling eyes and a rosebud in his hand suddenly appearing from nowhere. The rain started becoming heavier and heavier with each passing moment.

Drenching in rain and shivering in cold, she ran to him after a few moments and smiled taking the rose. Her heart started melting as he saw her lovingly with warm eyes. They walked back into the bus shelter and started talking for a while. Heavy rain turned into a pleasant one as she loved his company. She thought to herself "This guy changed me a lot for the good! Once I feared to talk to a new person but now I readily accepted his proposal falling head over heels for him. I got swept away, the moment I saw him enjoying himself like a kid in the rain."

Suddenly, she felt she lost something and started searching. She stepped out of the shelter worried and searched with tears flowing down her cheeks that got mixed with rain that was almost washing her face.

"What happened? What are you searching?" he asked seeing her troubled

"I lost my precious. I need it. Please search for my sake."

He gave a puzzled look.

"The ring. I need to find it"

"Okay. Relax. Stand here and guide me. I will try to find it"

He stepped into the pothole following his hunch and checked. After two minutes of searching, he found it and shouted "Bhanu! I found it. What's so special about it?" staring at the ring he held.

"It's my soul. It's for you dear. I love you Akshay!" Bhanu yelled, looking at him lovingly.

He was about to speak something but just then a speeding car hit him making him fly in the air for a second ultimately landing him at a distance.

Bhanu yelled loudly and cried. The car driver didn't have mercy. He fled away. Bhanu looked around for help. She tried to stop the vehicles but no one stopped.

Akshay who was lying in the pool of blood called her name holding his tears back. She ran to attend to him. Placing his wounded head gently on her lap, she tried to assure him "Everything will be alright!"

"Bhanu! I...I...I love you. Remember I will always be there with you. Physically, I may not be there with you but I am always there in your heart. I want you to move on in life. Don't stop! I will greet and hug you whenever the raindrops shower on you" he said breathing his last in her lap with an everlasting smile.

Bhanu was in deep shock and took six months to recover from this incident. Whenever it rained, she loved to get wet in the rain as she felt solace in the raindrops touching her. Sarla understood her plight and emotionally supported her. After a year, Bhanu got back to her normal life though part of her was long gone when Akshay died in front of her eyes.

After two years, she got married to a person who had a beautiful heart. He knew about her love story and respected her feelings. Slowly, she got busy with her family life. But whenever it rained, her eyes showered tears remembering her first love.

"Bhanu! I love you too" she heard a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw her husband standing close to her.

"I know I can never replace him. But can't you give me A Drop of Love which would give me and him, the eternal happiness?" he said becoming teary-eyed

Bhanu nodded seeing his genuine feelings for her and said "yes" hugging him.

The lightning flashed followed by thunder that rumbled. She smiled remembering Akshay.