It was pouring that evening.
Small droplets seemed to run into each other every now and then quite unconsciously to make bigger water-balls. Just like him and her. They saw each other almost every day, at the bus stop. Past the sun, past the clouds, past showers of rain, past storms of wind and breeze.
He stood on one side facing her and she stood on the other hiding from 'facing' him. As always. And there were the bubble vendors, the soap bubble vendors who filled the air between them, the road between them with their bubbles.
But that evening was a little different. She wasn’t on the other side, really.
She was crossing the road, step by step, dodging drop by drop, spurts of moist mud from vehicles that flung past her, somewhat unsurely. He looked on, startled, puzzled, confused, all at once trying to shift attention from the uncontrollably expanding grin on his face to the hurriedly advancing pink umbrella.
“Pink?” he thought. “Is that even a color?"
He looked right, he looked left, he looked down and he looked straight again.
Pace differential…some feeling of suspension!
He thought. He tried to. He felt he couldn’t. He tried nonetheless. Relentless.
Vehicle speeds
collided
with walking pace
and chided
air
flapping around
trapped in rain bubbles!
She dodged those bubbles with small steps and traversed the moving car-bodies with steady patience.
And she ran past every missile, bullet and war cartilage to reach the shore. Her gaze, firmed up to the blue Santro parked a few meters away from him. And she followed her gaze, walking past him, not shifting away even briefly until she reached the door.
She clasped the handle…and then suddenly, unclasped her hand.
She turned back. And she walked towards him. For the first time, she saw him as he saw her. For once, under that pink shelter. He looked away. Something had caught him by the throat and he needed to fight that beast in peace.
“Excuse me”, she called out not allowing him anymore silence . “Kodai venuma?” she dished out the umbrella. “For today?”
*Tamil: kodai = umbrella, venuma = want
Small droplets seemed to run into each other every now and then quite unconsciously to make bigger water-balls. Just like him and her. They saw each other almost every day, at the bus stop. Past the sun, past the clouds, past showers of rain, past storms of wind and breeze.
He stood on one side facing her and she stood on the other hiding from 'facing' him. As always. And there were the bubble vendors, the soap bubble vendors who filled the air between them, the road between them with their bubbles.
But that evening was a little different. She wasn’t on the other side, really.
She was crossing the road, step by step, dodging drop by drop, spurts of moist mud from vehicles that flung past her, somewhat unsurely. He looked on, startled, puzzled, confused, all at once trying to shift attention from the uncontrollably expanding grin on his face to the hurriedly advancing pink umbrella.
“Pink?” he thought. “Is that even a color?"
He looked right, he looked left, he looked down and he looked straight again.
Pace differential…some feeling of suspension!
He thought. He tried to. He felt he couldn’t. He tried nonetheless. Relentless.
Vehicle speeds
collided
with walking pace
and chided
air
flapping around
trapped in rain bubbles!
She dodged those bubbles with small steps and traversed the moving car-bodies with steady patience.
And she ran past every missile, bullet and war cartilage to reach the shore. Her gaze, firmed up to the blue Santro parked a few meters away from him. And she followed her gaze, walking past him, not shifting away even briefly until she reached the door.
She clasped the handle…and then suddenly, unclasped her hand.
She turned back. And she walked towards him. For the first time, she saw him as he saw her. For once, under that pink shelter. He looked away. Something had caught him by the throat and he needed to fight that beast in peace.
“Excuse me”, she called out not allowing him anymore silence . “Kodai venuma?” she dished out the umbrella. “For today?”
*Tamil: kodai = umbrella, venuma = want
No comments:
Post a Comment