As the rain started with a drizzle and the cool winds found its way into the room, Raghav was all set to write the story he was supposed to send to the magazine.
“Deadlines… yes, the name itself explains the feeling… dead lines… it kills the pleasure of writing,” thought Raghav as he sat down by the table near the window looking out at the evening sky. The clouds and the sunset gave the sky a hue which can never be put in words. He switched his laptop on and waited for it to start as he enjoyed the picturesque scene outside.
A few birds on the branch getting wet in the light rains, the leaves breaking the fall of the raindrops, the fragrance of the soil wet with rain, the smell of the moist flowers, the colors spread on the sky… Raghav was sure that he was going to write the loveliest of short stories on love. It was a teenage magazine and love was a very common subject. He quickly brushed his memory of all the love based books he had read, his college life, his friends who were couples, his love … hmmm all set, he thought
The system sprung into action as he opened Word to key in what was pouring from his heart. He started…
Ria had waited so long for that evening. The wait seemed endless till she heard the bell ring. She ran to open the doors to find Ravi drenched from head to toe. She did not think twice but ran into his arms. The first few years of marriage are the ones which make a person feel, he should be at home 24 X 7, maybe for some it would be more.
“You know what happened …” Ravi started talking about his trip, work, his achievements and all that came to his mind.
Ria heard nothing but music, music from her heart, seeing her beloved after a week. She looked at those eyes as he sipped the tea she had made, she looked at the wet towel which occasionally Ravi dried his hair and saw his lips move, the stubble, the nose, the gleaming skin… Ravi hardly knew Ria was not paying attention and continued with his tales of the tour.
Ria was nodding her head to whatever Ravi said preoccupied with thoughts about that night being different from the past seven nights when Ravi was away.
Ravi asked her, “Do you know what I got for you?” … and waited for the answer
Rai was again nodding her head… and Ravi called out “Ria.. Ria … baby”
Ria suddenly replied with a shock as if woken up from sleep “Ya”
Ravi knew what she longed for and put the travel bag to the side and spread his arms wide inviting her for a hug that she longed for. And Ria’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she got lost in the warmth of the hug. The silence was more musical with the beats of the rain outside in slow taps on the tin roof of the garage. Ria was melting away in love as they lay down to sleep.
“Did you miss me” asked Ravi naughtily
Ria on her side saw Ravi as the huge pillow she could sleep hugging all night. The left side of the bed was almost vacant as Ria was tugging on to Ravi on his side of the bed. With hands on his chest and fingers playing with the stubble and fingers searching for the lips to stop him from asking any more questions, her ear was keenly listening to the heartbeats…. Melodious music of love… she thought. The smell of freshly laundered night suit, the fragrance of the soap, the warmth….
“You never switch off the fan and lights when you leave a room… carry on… keep tapping on the computer, you don’t know how difficult it is to run a home …” Raghav was shocked at those statements from his wife Reshma…
“Back to reality …” he thought. Not able to continue writing, Raghav went to switch off the lights and fan, scratching his head and a silly frown on the face, as it continued to rain outside and Ravi and Ria still waiting in Raghav’s mind for him to tell them what would happen to them.
- Kriss Venugopal