Monsoon Heart
Monsoon Heart


Sipping through a cup of coffee and watching heavy showers through the glass window panes would be her favourite times had not she met Ansh who added music to her mundane life. Ansh, who can create magic with the strings of his violin met Sravya in Trivandrum. Sravya, had moved to Kerala five years back for certain job related engagements. The first day she came to the city, it was a monsoon day. Heavy showers, gusty winds and Sravya fully drenched from head to toe. She had come out of the airport to get a cab to travel to the hotel but unfortunately her efforts went in vain when the cab cancelled and she was already outside in the heavy showers, standing helplessly with all her luggage. A black car stood in front of her and honked. The car lights flashed and dazzled her eyes. Ansh saw a girl in blue kurti and glittering jhumkas hiding her face from the car lights. He put off the lights and she uncovered her face. Ansh saw her beautiful eyes hidden by her spectacles and was left spellbound for fraction of seconds gazing at her until Sravya's eyebrows shrinked to give a suspicious look to him. Ansh slid down the window glasses and said ,' New to the city? Can I help you? ' Sravya said, 'No, thanks' Ansh added,' Its a state holiday today, its bit difficult to get cabs. Mind me dropping you at your location. Perhaps consider this as your cab and you can pay me. ' Sravya smiled in her mind and nodded as she was already shivering, with wet clothes on her. She boarded the car, Ansh helped with onboarding her luggage. The car started, and a retro bollywood song started playing in the background ' Bheege aj is mausam mein, lagi kaise yeh agaan'(Today, on this day of monsoon, my heart is restless).
The therapist, Jaya nudged Sravya and said,' Hey, we are done with today's session. We will meet next on Saturday.' Sravya felt a bit awkward as she was lost to her memories. She smiled, nodded, picked up her bag and left. Sravya reached home and rang the doorbell. Shashank opened the door and gave her a hug. Sravya looked pale and headed towards her room. Shashank asked her about that day's session but Sravya replied with a non-chalant nod. Shashank headed towards his work desk.
Sravya cooked some lunch and had them with Shashank. Later in the bedroom both of them read books as it was weekend and they had leisure time. Shashank,a man aged around thirty five was around six feet tall, bit dark complexioned, with eyes as deep as the oceans and smile with a dimple in his right cheek that could make even the prettiest girl to fall for him. But his heart was already conquered by Sravya and they were married to each other for about 3 years. Shashank looked up from the book and started gazing at Sravya. Sravya wore a loosely fitted red t-shirt with black bottom and rested her back against the bedrest. With her black thick bordered reading glasses on her eyes she was reading. Shashank kept his book aside and tried to pull her close by kajoling her right arm. Sravya was taken by surprise and withdrew immediately after sharing an awkward glance with Shashank. Shashank felt embarrased and stood up from the bed to leave the room. Sravya softly whispered ,'I am sorry but he never leaves my head. I don't think this marriage will work out as I am deeply in love with him.'' and a tear rolled down her eyes. Shashank rushed out of the room trying to control his tears. It was the month of moonsoon and storms raged within and outside.
Sravya dialed Ansh's number in her phone screen. They decided to meet that evening. Sravya said over the phone,' Ansh, do not forget to bring in your violin. The rains resonate your violin sounds and my mind.' After hanging up the call, Sravya retired to her memories. Its been two years that they love each other. She remember how they had trekked the Ponmudi hills together, watched the mesmerizing sunrise at Velli beach. Then she remembered something. It was one of the weekend trips with friends. By then Ansh and Sravya were friends for almost a year. They had gone to Varkala which is also known as mini goa. All of them sat in the Varkala cliff overlooking the sea. It was sunset time and the golden rays of sun painted the shores golde
n. The waves hit the shores with such vigour that Ansh almost felt them in his heart. Just then he had pulled Sravya by kajoling her right arm and his lips deep dived into hers. It was their first kiss! Later that night, Ansh proposed to her in the darkness of the shores, holding her hands and walking along the waves. Sravya promised to be his forever in the moonlit , holy Papanasam beach.
It was 6 p.m already so Sravya got ready and left to meet Ansh. After reaching the hotel room she waited for Ansh. Ansh came in with his violin. Sravya tightly hugged him while closing the door.'I missed you the entire week!', Sravya whispered to his ears and quickly kissed his cheek. Ansh smiled and looked through the window panes. It was raining heavily outside. Sravya took out his violin and gestured him to play it. Ansh started playing 'Tum ho mere liye, mere liye ho tum yun. Jitna mehsoos karu tumko, utna hi paa bhi loon.' They sang along. Soon Sravya pulled him closer and deep dived her lips into his. Ansh kept the violin aside and they made love to each other as passionately as the stormy waves touched the shores and left their mark on the sands each time they swept back to the infinite. The next morning as they were waiting for their cabs outside the hotel and bidding goodbye with a kiss, Mr. Nathang spotted them from his car and waved. Mr. Nathang was a senior from Shashank's school and also a family friend. Sravya was taken aback and she waved back. She respected Shashank as he was the most understanding husband one can ask for and even though they were aware of the failure of their marriage, she did not want the outside world to know about it.
Sravya returned home Sunday morning and felt guilty ever since. Shashank came in after about an hour with a bag filled with groceries. Not knowing what to do, Sravya rushed to the study room and locked herself up to avoid eye contact with Shashank. She dialled Nathang's number, and tried to explain to him that he was just an old friend with whom she had bumped in early that morning quite unexpectedly and in a moment of high excitement they crossed a boundary. She then hung up.
'Dr. Shashank, a friend of yours named Nathang has come to meet you. Shall I send him in?', Shashank's assistant at the clinic asked. Shashank affirmed. Nathang came in and said 'I do not understand why Sravya called me up yesterday and started explaining that she had bumped into a friend when it was with you that I saw her outside the hotel'. Shashank sighed. He drank some water then went on to explain. 'Sravya and I met five years back and fell in love. We got married after two years and everything was fine until we met with an accident just six months after our marriage. Sravya faced serious head injuries and I was almost on the death bed. Sravya came back to her senses only to hear that I might not survive. I was placed in ventilation and life support for more than two months. When I finally recovered and came back home, Sravya behaved unusually. She said that she loved someone and was in distress as he was out of contact. When I tried to remind her that we were married, she told that she did not remember that. Soon she told she loved 'Ansh' , the name with which she called me. Being a psychiatrist myself, I understood that she was facing a dissociative personality disorder due to trauma. Jaya, my friend and a psychologist counsels her every weekend since then and helps me in her treatment.'
Shashank paused for sometime and said,' We meet in hotels and cafe like teenagers in love. She loves me as her boyfriend, Ansh and remembers all of our memories before marriage and believes having an extra marital relationship with me. I am still hopeful that someday she recognises me as her husband.' Shashank took off his spectacles and placed it on his desk. Nathang did not miss the tear drop that hung in Shashank's eyes but did not mention it either as he was very dear to him.
Some love stories start in the monsoon to bring rain to the eyes and storm to the hearts. But love resonates rain as without both of them life is nothing but long stretches of deserted, barren, lifeless land.