Love Is A Storm

“We are all creatures in the sunset waiting for the perfect storm to drive us out of our comfort zone!” Neha quipped.

She was meeting Atul after a span of three long years. They were both good friends. More than two years of the pandemic, Neha had gone to her native place to work while Atul stayed back in Kolkata.

“I am so thrilled to see you Neha, you seem to have been pampered at home. All the delicious home-made food has made you gain weight over the two years.”

“Are you calling me fat then?”

“No just saying that you should not put on more weight!”

“Hmm, how did you manage to stay so lean, you look younger.”

Atul smiled. He knew that he had managed to stay fit and lean.

“Sir your Cappuccino and ma’am your Iced tea”

Three years may have been a long time, but not long enough to change their respective choice of beverages. Atul still loved his piping hot cappuccino and Neha did not budge from her choice of drink too.

“You know Atul. True love has the force of a blizzard. It pierces the very core of your bones. The storms of love have the firepower to make an imprint in every cell of your body. You cannot fight such storms; you are transported to a fairy land in their wake. You learn not to fear storms, but what you get scared of is the eerie calm afterward.”

Atul smiled. “I thought love was unaffected by the might of the fiercest of storms”

Neha looked into Atul’s eyes.

“In these two and a half years I have learnt a lot. I have introspected. Human beings learn a lot with quality time on their own. Every storm has a fury that it chooses to strike with, everything in its path is destroyed. True love can withstand all storms with ease.”

Atul looked sad. “So our love was not true love?”

Neha smiled. “Love should not bind you; it should be liberating. Look at the rain drops on the roof tops, they are wanton, without hesitation, tumultuous and carefree. Sometimes you need to take a step back and observe the raw fury of nature. Love cannot be transient, true love gets etched to your soul, and it is beyond the concept of space and time as we know it. “

“I have made peace with the storms.” Atul sighed.

“No Atul, I am the storm and I have liberated you from the bonds of love. You are a free man, enjoy the calm in your life until the real storm of love finds you.”

And then there was a reverberation of thunder and flashes of lightning.

“The storms of love are calling you Atul.”

Atul watched as Neha left and walked into the storm, without an iota of fear.

The rain intensified. The firepower of storms was having its litmus test.

“Hi, I am Sheetal. I saw your girlfriend leave 5 mins ago, and my boyfriend cannot make it today it due to the storm. I think it’s a good idea to have a conversation over steaming cups of coffee, what do you think?”

“I love storms, five minutes ago, one left me, little did I know another one was so close by.”

“We are all creatures in the sunset waiting for the perfect storm to drive us out of our comfort zone!” Sheetal blurted.

Atul almost choked on his coffee!