Ride In The Rain

She looked in awe at the dark grey clouds hovering around in the sky, casting its shadow atop the buildings. The thunder of high intensity pierced through the clouds which were soon followed by the sound of pattering droplets. Lying on the bed, propped up on her elbows, Jiya gazed at the raindrops dripping down the window pane and relished the touch of the cool monsoon air on her face. A thick fog slowly settled in outside the window but faint lights of tall buildings glistened through its sheath.

‘What are you looking at?’, the voice interrupted her flow of thoughts and she shifted her gaze towards Viren, who was seated at his work desk at the corner of the room, his face illuminated by the glare from the laptop.

‘The climate is great, Viren. Can we go for a ride?’, she asked, her voice beaming with excitement.

‘Now..?’, he asked, laughing slightly. She nodded her head.

‘Well, let me finish my work first’, he said, his eyes keenly fixed on the laptop screen. Jiya looked at the pile of files on his table and heaved a long sigh.

‘It will be summer by the time you finish them!’ she exclaimed and threw a pillow at Viren.

The next day, Viren sat in the office cabin, sipping his coffee and going through the files at the same time. His head throbbed whenever he thought about the impending deadline. There was a soft knock on the door and turning back, he saw Sumit, his senior official and also a close friend. Being a working day, he was quite amused to see Sumit in casuals.

‘It seems like you are busy’, Sumit said, sitting on the chair opposite to Viren.

‘The deadline is next week and I’ve still got much more to do. Well, are you on leave today?’, Viren asked while pouring out coffee for Sumit.

‘Actually, I am quitting the job’, Sumit replied. Viren nearly dropped the jug of coffee upon hearing this. Known for his work experience and academic qualifications, Sumit was someone whom he always looked up to in his career. He had guided Viren through some of the tough projects and had also proved to be a friend overtime.

‘But why?’, Viren asked, trying hard to hide his amazement. Sumit leaned back in his chair, sipping the coffee and smiling. Viren noticed the premature grey on his head and beard.

‘Around a week back, I had this searing pain on the chest for which I visited the hospital. The doctors there informed me that my heart is failing.’, Sumit said in a playful tone.

‘Even though they reassured me, I was completely devastated. It’s not news that you expect at 35, right?’, Sumit said.Viren nodded his head, sensing the pain within him.

‘Well, you know what’s the first thing I did after getting back from the hospital? I took my kids for the animated movie for which they had been pestering me for long. I laughed with them in the theatre and trust me Viren, it was the best feeling ever’, Sumit said, his eyes turning wet. Viren leaned forward in his chair and patted on his shoulder.

‘Sometimes life knocks us down just to make us realise the value of things that matter in the long run. Time is running out and we should grab the moments before it gets too late’, Sumit said and Viren felt a lump in his throat upon hearing them.

‘I think I should leave now. All the best to you’, Sumit rose from his chair and hugged Viren.

‘Thank you’, Viren replied feeling a pang of sadness welling up within.

After Sumit left, Viren sat in his cabin with thought swirling about in his head. ‘Time is running out’ the words rang in his ears louder and louder each second. The sound of heavy downpour interrupted his thoughts and looking out of the window, he could see the droplets trailing down the glass window. Viren moved out of his cabin and rushed towards the parking lot.

He spotted Jiya in front of her office, desperately looking out for a taxi to board. She had her blue umbrella popped open to shield herself from the rain. Viren pulled up his bike in front of her. Her eyes widened with wonder as she saw him completely drenched in the rain, his shirt sticking to his body and his hair disheveled.

‘Viren, you are entirely wet!’, she exclaimed, moving forward and holding the umbrella above him. To her horror, he reached out to the umbrella and folded it. He saw the raindrops dripping down her face and the strands of her hair, drenching her crimson coloured salwar.

‘Now you are wet too!’, he said, smiling at Jiya, who stood completely dazed.

‘Come, let's go for a ride now’, he said, motioning her towards the rear seat of the bike.