The Rainy Day...

Everyone loves a rainy day. The raindrops moving on the window panes and the feel of getting drenched, like taking a shower which is given by nature. It is even more beautiful to see them dive from above like a race from the sky to earth and bouncing to see who jumps higher among them. After their race and jumping, those drops move in their own way and reach mother earth. Some people like to go out, get drenched which makes them feel the embrace of those raindrops which fall on them. Others just like to sit in the balcony, have something to eat and just watch as it rains. They just love to see it, as it is like a game show on the TV, which makes it impossible to move from where they sit.

it’s not same for everyone.There are different categories of people. For a person like Aamir, who’s life is only his work and nothing else. He is workaholic, a Cost and management account by profession whose house was just a big building with good interior decoration, rooms and a couch where it seemed like a lodge built by him where he stays.

Aamir was not happy, he was not able to attend an important meeting in an industry because of the rain, which made him cancel the meeting. He could have taken his car to the industry, but he suddenly felt like taking a break from his busy 24/7 work schedule. He wanted to spend some time with himself.

As he decided to take a day off from his work he found himself in maze of boredom. He was not able to find a way to come out of it. He realized what was lacking in his so called "home". He tried reading some magazines, those pages and pictures tried their best to bring him out from the maze of boredom. His mind needed something more powerful than the images and articles. His phone started to ring. After he saw the name which was flashing on the phone, He did not answer the call. The memories of his mind also flashed a name written in happiness "Preethi". He was surprised to see her calling him. His memories did allow him to take the call. It just took him to a park where he and preethi used to hangout. Now what he saw in his mind was nothing but the conversations where he cannot change a word he said.

Preethi looked him in his eyes and said “This is neither your fault nor mine… it’s just the time which has decided this to happen aamir.”
Aamir avoided eye contact with her and said “Time has nothing to do about this preethi, time changes only days and nights, not our minds, thinking and priorities.”

-“ I always loved the way you thought about certain things, I am not sad about how this relationship is ending, but I have a belief that one day you will believe that time has the power to change anything.” Preethi believed that one day time will make him realize what he lost and what he should prioritize in his life.
Aamir had no signs of having a belief in time changing anything in his life. He was more practical in his life and in the same way he asked her "You keep your belief preethi, but is there any other way to stop you from getting married?”

Preethi told him with a sign of helplessness “No aamir, some questions have only one right answer. Stop blaming yourself for what’s happening, I always wanted you to be happy and I am sure that you will move on with your life and nothing can stop you from reaching your target in life.”

Aamir was sure about what he was going to do, he said “I am not worried about myself, I know how to move on and nothing can distract me from my goals. I am worried about you preethi, I never thought this day will come in my life, all I can wish for you is happiness, promise me that you will never be sad after this and never lose that smile on your face.”

Preethi was not able to control her tears but only for aamir a smile broke on her face after wiping off those tears on her cheeks -“I promise that I will be happy, but tell me, is money and gaining a social status more important to you than me? Will that answer never change aamir?”

Aamir was sad and depressed of the fact that a person who he loved so much and he knew has will not get her back in his life but all he wanted was her happiness and achieving what he wanted to, “it will never change, I want to give an answer to those who laughed at me during my bad days, my empty pockets and my way of life, for which silence was default answer.”

She saw no change in him even after becoming a part of his life and tried to make him a man who cares about relationships in life, “Okay, I think there is no use talking again and again about the same thing, I can just say nobody in my life will ever be loved like this.”

She finished talking with him, kissed on his forehead. Both closed their eyes for a second and thought, 'let this time not go away' but it was time and It is something which has no emotions but which plays with the emotions of others. After that she just walked away from the park.

He kept looking at the way she walked away from the park, his eyes following her steps. He felt bad, he knew that he could not love any other girl like he loved her and be himself with her. He convinced himself that it was just a part of his life and remembered the saying of artists ‘whatever may happen, the show should go on’ and just moved away from that place.

The loud ring of his cell brought him back to present. He picked the call and started speaking.

“Hi Preethi” his face showed mixed emotions containing excitement, happiness a little tension as to why she called after a long time.

-“hello Aamir, how are you?”

‘I’m fine, how’re you?”

-“I’m fine too, can we catch up today?”

“yes of course we can, but it’s raining cats and dogs, how are you going to come here?” he was eager to see her but worried that he would not meet her because of the rain.

-“I will just hire a cab and come there. I don’t know why, but I just felt like seeing and spend some time with you today.” Her tone was really convincing but she was not able to convince him so easily.

“Really??After 5 years??” He was yearning to meet her but his ego made him ask this.
She had an expectation that he would say this, but she wanted to meet him so desperately-“Yes, just give me your address.”

She took the address from him and hung up before Aamir could say anything.

His mind again went back to the world of memories. He remembered when he met her after they broke up in the same park early in the morning and she didn’t even speak to him. He went up to her and held her hand and told her. “What’s happening preethi? Can’t we speak like normal friends also?” She smiled at him and said “I will speak to you when the time comes.” And just walked away from there.

He remembered how they met each other in their coaching classes, became friends and soon that friendship blossomed into love and how they decided to go in their ways.

Aamir came back to present and kept thinking about what made preethi to call him back and speak with him, was that the time to get back together? If it was time, his ego wouldn’t admit it because she broke up with him telling that her parents was looking forward to her marriage when Aamir wasn’t ready for such level of commitment. He had different plans, he wanted to start an audit firm of his own, which required much time and preethi’s family did not have the patience to wait till then.

He was not a person who used to give his mind to his excitement and sit thinking about what to do. He was excited but it was channelized to do something which makes that day beautiful, which makes his big house a home where he can spend a day with the one whom he loved so much. He started preparing food for both of them. He made her favourite dish and there was an old bottle of wine which he had preserved in the fridge and thought he had the right company today. So he finished preparing everything and was waiting near the gate. Preethi was more than an ex-girlfriend to him, she was his special friend, with whom he always loved to hang out.

He switched on his music system which played songs from the playlist named Preethi’s…

"The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here,
Lead me to your door..."

Preethi arrived near his home and pressed the calling bell. Aamir opened it and as he saw her, he welcomed her with a hug. As they moved to hall, His eyes met with hers, for a moment he just wanted to get dissolved in them. He started talking with her, he could not take his eyes off her.
“Preethi… how are you? And what made you to meet me after such a long time?”

- “I just felt like seeing you today.” She smiled playfully, she saw how much he missed her and how he was just hiding it from her and trying to be formal.

“That’s what I meant. What made you feel so?” He desperately wanted an answer for it

-“I just thought I should see a friend with whom I could be myself and treated special being with that person and I couldn’t find anyone else than you.” She avoided eye contact with him because she was so sure that aamir will find out the truth if she met her eyes with him.

“Nice to hear that and how’s your married life?” he again sounded formal

-“It’s great actually, I am moving to London next week, where my husband stays.” She sounded really happy to go there.
“That’s great news, have a nice time in there. So, you came to see me before going there?” He thought like that and somehow it was true.
-“Yes, I thought I couldn’t see you any sooner, so thought of at least spending a day with you. I am so happy to see you like this.”
“Like what?”
-“like a man who has achieved all his goals which he wanted to.” She was so proud of him and of herself that she loved a person who has never been distracted from what he wanted to and has achieved the same.
Aamir was not so happy as her he sounded plain “Yes but this life isn’t good as I thought. Now I am respected and loved everywhere because of my money and the social status.”

She was happy about him but she was feeling happy about the fact that he realized about what actually brings happiness in one's life permanently-“That’s all you wanted right? You wanted people to respect you anywhere you go.”

He exactly understood why she asked that “Yes I wanted all that but once I got it, I never expected my life would change like this where people are behind me only for my money and name.”
She felt a little bad because she knew what all he had undergone in his childhood and what he believed would make him happy, did not do it for a longer time she tried convincing him “It’s bound to happen aamir. You are a famous man now.”

-“Yeah, I think so.”

“So? You have a girlfriend now?” She wanted to know if there could have been any other women in his life because no matter how much he showed the world he has completely moved on, she knew he could not love any woman like he loved her.

“No, I don’t have one and I don’t need one right now.” His face and voice showed no interest in trying to get one too.

-“Why? Don’t you feel like having someone with you in you life.”
“I feel like that but I never found anyone who likes me. I just found plenty of girls who wanted to be my girlfriend for my money in fact those who never even knew I existed started proposing me as soon as they got to know what I have become in life.”
-“I feel bad for you aamir, how about i find a girl for you?” She really felt bad for him, she was sad about his helplessness and she wanted to get him out from this.
“ Thanks for the help but I don’t feel like I need one, I have made up my mind and I have got used to this life so nothing will make a difference right now.” He never wanted to give her that trouble and he had made up his mind to be alone for the rest of his life.

Preethi had no words left to speak. She didn’t find any way to console him but she didn’t give up.
“Why don’t you take a break, move to a far place and find someone who know only you and not your money and status?”
-“That sounds like a good idea but I am not interested to do all those things now. I am used to loneliness. I have started to like it too.” Once a man starts to love his loneliness its tough to bring him back to have a relationship.
“Okay, I can’t convince you. You haven’t changed a bit.” She knew it because he used to hide all his emotions all the time and someone really close to him was able to know it.

-“Yes I haven’t changed a bit and I am happy knowing that” He was proud of himself.

“Who else will say that other than me?”
They both smiled looking at each other’s faces. After a while preethi asked aamir “all these years, did you love anyone?”
-“No, I think you were the last girl in my life who I loved the most” he was true ad he never bothered that she has a husband.
“I think now you accept time changes people!” she sounded like a maths teacher who has proved a theory.
-“Yes now I accept it, I should not have let you go, I have realized it. Please don’t make me regret.”
“Don’t worry I will not rub it. But please find someone I can’t see you like this.” Her words were like a sweet order for him.
-“don’t talk about that either. Tell me about your married life.” He wanted to divert the topic as he knew where it was going.
“I don’t like to talk about it either, I have less time left. If you had something to tell me all these years tell now.” She wanted to hear something from him and only he knew what it was.

Aamir thought a little while and said “if there’s someone who can bring a smile on my face and a little happiness to heart it’s you and no one else can take that place. I miss you, if there was a chance I wanted you back in my life.”

-“That’s all I wanted to hear for the last time. I miss you too and I miss the special coffee you used to make, can you make and bring one cup for me?”

“Yes of course.” He just paced all the way to his kitchen and in two minutes, coffee was ready. He made only one cup of coffee, he was planning to share that cup of coffee which they used to do even when they were friends.

As he came back with coffee. Preethi was not there. He searched the entire home. He couldn’t find her anywhere. He called her but her cell phone was switched off.
He went outside and couldn’t find her there too. He became sad, depressed and felt low. His phone started to ring again. It was a touchscreen phone so it left only fingerprints or else buttons would have started coming out if he was using a normal phone. His phone started to ring again. He was so eager to pick that call. His cellphone looked like an open gate in the prison of his thoughts. He went to pick his phone expecting preethi called again but it was from one of his friends. He felt low again but did not show it in the way he spoke.

“Hi Prashanth”
-“Hello aamir, how are you?”
“I am fine, How are you?”
-“I’m fine and I have a sad news for you.”
“What’s that?”
-“Preethi passed away in a road accident two days before” he said in a depressed tone, he was able to think how aamir would have felt about it, But things were different here.
“WHAT? She was here just now.” He could not believe what he was hearing on the other side of the call. he questioned himself in his mind that what all happened just now was a dream, He was confused about what was happening with him.
“Are you kidding aamir? I got the news just now. She didn’t have contact with any friends so even I couldn’t get information earlier” Prashanth was shocked. He had a belief that a soul goes and visits the one who is close to its heart before going away from the material world.

Aamir hung up the phone and bent his head and kept on the floor. He cried loud. He felt like it’s the end of the world. He came outside. He thought the rain could wash away his pain. He closed his eyes and tried not to imagine anything. He just wanted to hear the sound of the raindrops falling all over his body. As he stood there, he could feel the warmth of a hug and he knew exactly what it was but when he was about to turn and see he heard a voice telling “It’s me again, sorry to make you feel so sad but I just wanted to hear from you that you miss me too and it was my wish to see you once before I leave this world. Please find someone for yourself, that’s all you can do to keep me and my soul happy.” Preethi wanted him to be happy, she wanted to bring back all the thins which he has lost in his life and she couldn't find any other way.

Aamir thought that if miracles do happen let preethi be alive but before waiting for it he said “Yes I will” and suddenly turned back and saw only her face which dissolved in the air. She was completely lost from his life, all he could remember seeing last was her eyes. Then he decided that he should get back with his life and fulfill her last wish.

It’s better to be loved by someone who loves us for who we are rather than to be with people who loves us for what we have.