The music was filling up my ears as I stood there under my umbrella. The soft drizzles were transforming themselves into some harsh water drops as they collided now and then over the surface of my umbrella. The ambience around was already drenched by the unexpected rains. Some college teens were busy enjoying the first rain of the season. I smiled to myself as the thought of being the perfect pluviophile but standing here oddly just because I had to look presentable in front of the person I was meeting for the first time.
The music in the nearby stall played my favourite song. I was humming to its beats while I could actually feel more connected to him. We never met, maybe we won't meet ever but the invisible thread which somehow binds us, it was ethereal. The bus stopped in front of the stop as I was back from my thoughts. Getting inside I took a seat near the window while I plugged in my headphones for a continuation of the song. The weather outside looked surreal. There wasn't a loud crowd either on the highway or inside the bus itself. Just a few people out of which there was this person seating on the first row near the opening. I shrugged off each thought as I was thoroughly enjoying the rains. Rains tend to have a different story for me. It meant the onset of something creative for me and also the reason behind my weird smile that doesn't leave. The journey took me just twenty minutes as I got off at the next stop and coincidently the other person too who faced his back to me during all these twenty minutes. I walked out after him as I turned as found him staring at me.
I let it go as I started walking ahead ignoring him while I heard him taking my name,
"Sneha"
I stopped. His voice seemed familiar, as like I heard it somewhere but could no longer remember. Did he know me? Did we meet before? Or is he some kind of evil person who stole my bag and got my name? A few questions instantly struck my mind. While I was done checking my bag he came right in front of me.
"Sneha? God...mercy on me that I met you, seriously a girl like you who is so weak with her memory?" he was amazed because I showed no sign of recognizing him in those few seconds.
Suddenly the same song started playing nearby as I looked on at him. He was staring right back at me and it didn't take me another moment when I spoke up,
"Divyansh...so we finally meet"
............................................................
"How come you are here with this umbrella ?" he asked as we sat by the tea stall.
The rains made the paths look empty while the evening street lights were reflecting over the stagnant waters over the cemented road. We sat by the roadside bench near the rickety tea stall while he handed me a cup served on a tiny earthen pot.
"Well, I had some work here. An interview which finally is mine now, I was moving back to my hotel" I said as he took a sip of his tea.
"Hm, okay so congrats then. Oh then it must be you right to pay for it?" he smiled.
"Of course I will"
"Oh please, I was kidding. You came to my land and I don't want you to pay for this" the smile remained on his lips while I smiled back though I did argue on paying, his strict refusal kept me silent.
"Shall I walk you to your place?" he asked.
I smiled nodding happily as we walked together. He refused to get inside the umbrella but to my repeated attempts he had to give in. The evening was setting in. The partial brightness filled the city while it was slowly getting darker. The skies were grey yet my heart was painted in some colourful hues being with him.
"So leaving tomorrow?" he asked as we approached towards my abode in that naive city where I found the person with whom I believe to have a stronger bond.
"Yeah, will be back by next month" I smiled.
"We will meet often then, buy me drinks and all then" he giggled,
I laughed back,
"Surely sir"
"So..I will leave then" he said,
"Hm....let us see us this often once again, unexpectedly"
He nodded. A silent adieu with a blissful smile made our faces glow up while I watched him depart. My heart fell soothed this time as the day ended..
Because sometimes those unexpected meetings tend to hold a new story in themselves, divine and surreal in itself...