It had been a hot day indeed. The winter was on its way home, while summer sat ready to take its place. She walked home with head full of all kinds of thoughts. Tired as she was, she wished nothing more than this - to get home and crash down into her bed. She usually wished for a lot of things. Three days ago she had wished for cool soothing raindrops on her face and now she wished for it more than ever. Unlikely as it was, of raining at this time of the year, there seemed to be a change in the atmosphere. A cool little breeze had started blowing, bringing with it the heavenly fragrance of wet earth. COULD IT REALLY BE RAINING SOMEWHERE? With each passing minute, the sky was growing darker. Everything seemed to be bathed in a tangerine pink glow, as if radiating peace and harmony.
As the first few drops of water touched her face, she realized that one of her wishes was about to come true. She took a deep breath, taking in the beauty of the moment as much as possible. Ah! It was beautiful! She felt so beautiful! Not knowing why, she had always been crazy about everything to do with nature. THIS IS WHERE I BELONG… WITH NATURE! With these thoughts, she reached home and immediately went and stood by her favourite window. The view was indescribable. The rain fell so rapidly now that it seemed to be in a great hurry to quench the thirsty earth. The fragrance of wet earth filled the air. There couldn’t possibly exist a sweeter fragrance. She just stood there, more transfixed than ever.
The rain water fell onto the trees and slid down gracefully. The leaves danced with joy, for they had waited really long. As the wind blew with all its might, everything out there seemed to be throwing off its lethargy, ready to be born afresh. Everything became green and fresh and how! ISN’T THIS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT? ABOUT STARTING OVER EACH TIME ONE FALLS! ABOUT THE BEAUTY THAT ALWAYS WAS, STILL IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE! She stood at the window thus, in silent contemplation for some time. But time beckoned her to get back to her work. OH! WHY CAN’T THIS LAST FOREVER!
It was just as she started to withdraw from the window that it happened. The clouds parted and something emerged from the depths of the grey sky. It was a burning ball of fire. Standing proudly amidst the expanse of dull grey spread all around, it seemed like an assurance of hope. HOPE OF THE MONSOON AFTER SUMMER, OF DAY AFTER NIGHT, OF HAPPINESS AFTER DESPAIR… AND AFTER SORROW, A HOPE OF BETTER TIMES! How mesmerizing it was to watch the sun in this avatar! Knowing that she was witness to a very rare and unique moment made her feel blissfully happy. Her eyes could never possibly receive the same treat again. She felt more aware than ever, of being there, in that moment. Just then, the clouds, as if wrapping their tender arms around the beautiful bright ball, began hiding parts of the sun, till it was completely obscured from view.
All the while, the incessant downpour of the rain continued. Some time passed in this way, with serenity on the nature’s side and silence on hers. And then it happened again. But this time, the clouds parted to reveal a lesser bright object. The burning ball of fire now seemed to be counting its last few moments. The orange sun blushed even more as it turned into deeper shades of red. With each passing moment, it looked more beautiful than ever. Sinking into the depths of the horizon, it finally vanished from sight. Leaving no trace of its having ever existed, it became a mere memory. In its wake, it left behind a beautiful evening that she knew, would always make her feel special. With this newfound serenity, courage and peace of mind, she returned to the ‘real’ world.
- Gayatri Shejwal
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