MANGO SHOWERS

The kiss was chaste, short and sweet. But that was hardly the point.
The point was it was special. Under the open sky, under the heavy downpour.
It wasn't their first. But it was a first in its own way. It was their first under the relentless mango showers. It had left them breathless for minutes, not because of the intensity, but because of the euphoria.

It had rained early that year.
But that wasn't really the point.
They would always remember that monsoon for a different reason.

                                                                   ***************

The brunette in an olive green raincoat looked straight ahead, even though there was hardly anything to see. It was raining too hard to see. She was waiting under the bus stop shade, waiting for the rain too stop.
She hated it when the rains came early. They called this “Mango Showers” back in her native place.

The rains depressed her. Hadn't he broken up with her in the middle of a heavy downpour last monsoon? That had turned her childhood favorite season into something she no longer liked.
But there was something special about this early rain. Maybe it could wash all those pain away.
She felt she should at least give it a try.
So she stepped out, arms outstretched, like she did when she was a child.
It didn’t take long, and she felt way better. She felt clean. She felt happy.
It had rained early that year.
But that wasn’t really the point.
She would always remember that monsoon for a different reason.

                                                                   ****************

He wasn’t very fond of monsoon. Honestly, who loved to get wet AND muddy? And then catch a fever and sit at home for days? Not him.
He had never played soccer in the mud. He was teased for it by his teammates,, friends and his sister, but he really didn’t understand the point. He would never be caught playing with mud all over his body. He was the misfit in the team, he really didn’t belong there,but he was okay with that.
But that one time, Mother Nature decided to intervene.
The monsoon clouds weren’t supposed to arrive until 3 weeks later. But the clouds surprised everyone. Not only did the come from the blue, but they also emptied their burden of water, and left.
He was playing a home match in the school grounds when the clouds couldn’t take it anymore.
He was speechless. No one had seen that coming. Now he had no choice but to play in the downpour, under the rain. ‘cause that’s what they do here.
His teammates knew about his “muddy problem”.his captain approached him.
“Take it easy bro,concentrate on the ball,not the mud.”
He tried. He found it difficult at first.
And slowly he realised what he had been missing all this while.
Soccer became more enjoyable after that day. not because his school team won the match,but because he finally belonged.
And it was a wonderful feeling.
It had rained early that year.
But that wasn’t really the point.
He would always remember that monsoon for a different reason.

                                                                  ***************

Rain

Rain

its not fun,or romantic, for everyone.

getting muddy and wet, and developing a headache was never fun.

but she couldn't help but smile when their little princess danced in the first monsoon shower of that year.

after all,the little one was in love,she was bound to love rain,no matter how cliche it was. 

the princess brought out the little paper boats(which she  she had made the moment she heard the rumbling of clouds) and placed them gently on a large puddle. the look of pure joy on her face made the  brooding beholder wonder about the magic of small yet wonderful things.

Could she really hate the rains after this? probably not,because she didn't protest for the first time when minutes later she got dragged into the heavy downpour..

she  smiled.

"you feel it, the magic?",the little one quipped.

they both felt it. together.

and she will never feel the same about monsoon.

"I-I wanna feel the rain again

 I-I wanna feel the water on my skin

 And let it all just wash away 

 In a downpour

 I wanna feel the rain"

nobody's paradise

 it was too windy but she couldn't care about that now...she was still in a daze. she looked at the endless darkness that stretched for miles and miles.. the sound of splashing waves made her feel tiny in front of the vastness of the sea. she sat there wondering why she had laughed at the girl back in the camp when she had claimed to have seen a shooting star. 
"yeah rite,and i met Matt Lewis yesterday." had been her sarcastic response when she had heard Natasha discuss it with the girl.
20 hours later she saw a shooting star with her own two eyes.
and she was still dazed.
Natasha and Anita soon started complaining about the wind making their hair tangled. minutes later they got up and left.
"you coming Alice?"
"nope Nat. i'm good."
"dont stay here for too long,you might get a headache."
"you worry too much Nita!"
"oh OK,we're leaving,see ya later."
"hmm."

and she was left alone to ponder over everything that happened an hour ago.

"That was the best crime thriller ever!"
"uh,can we not discuss this now Sean?"
"why,you scared Al?" 
"are you blind? look at HER!"
Nat,Nita,Maddie,Harry,Sean,Aaron and the camp guide Bob finally realized what was wrong. sweet little Rhea looked as if she had seen Death itself.she had gone ghostly pale.

"scared are you,sweetie?"
Everyone was smirking.

"shut it Maddie!"
"aw Alice, Mother hen,come to rescue Rhea birdie!"
"ha-ha good one Sean!"

she didn't know they would behave like complete idiots.

then,she realized,Rhea had gone all rigid.
Harry noticed it too,and squeezed her hand to calm her.

Rhea snapped.

"fuck off!

that shut up everyone.
Rhea shoved Harry away,got up ,and left.Maddie tried to restrain her,but Anger made little Rhea very strong.

everyone rushed off after Rhea. they had never seen her this angry.
 she had realized halfway back to the camp that Harry wasn't there.

minutes later she found him beside the dead remains of the camp fire. the look in his eyes were dead too...
"you'd like some space,wont you Harry?? um,if u want, u can talk to me"
"not now sis"
"okay. but they'll come back when they realize you aren't there"
"right. but i don't want to go back there now Alice"
"she loves you, u know that right? it will be okay.
"hmm. idnt want to stay here."
"go somewhere else then."


She didnt want to think anymore.. but the scene kept recapitulating in her head. she wanted to scream,talk out loud to prevent those thoughts to consume her again.

she had failed them both. she,Alice the Mother hen of the group, hadn't been a good enough care taker.

she didnt want to think.the only thing she could do was sing out loud maybe...there was no fear of anyone hearing her sing,the crashing waves made sure of that.

"I cannot find

a way to describe it

 It's there inside, all I do is hide"

but she remembered still.. Harry had gone and stood  beside one of the overhanging cliffs.he said it helped him think.but it didn't stop Rhea from becoming hysterical when she realized he was nowhere to be found. 

 

"Alice thank god you are here! she's a mess!"

"huh?"

when she saw Rhea's condition,she realized what the definition of "hysterical " was.

Rhea was inconsolable. and it was her fault now.

they all calmed down after Aaron texted that he had found  Harry.

She had then shooed everyone out of the room, sent in Harry, and before shutting the door on their bewildered faces,said,"sort it out."

but she still felt guilty, couldnt face anyone. so she ran to the shore.

"I feel like I am all alone

 All by myself I need to get around this."

and then she was interrupted.

"you should probably sing more often Alice!"
"Hello Aaron!"
he sat beside her, and started off without preamble.
"you neednt have run out back then. no one is angry with you."

She was very startled. she hadn't known that he was this observant.
she really didn't know what to say.

"sing the rest, why don't you?."

"My words are cold, I don't want them to hurt you

If I show you, I don't think you'd understand

 Cause no one understands"

"i disagree",he interrupted.

she kept quiet. she didn't want to elaborate on what exactly made her upset.
she fiddled with the hem of her tee.

"Alice?"
"yep?"

"i got my camera. wanna go photohunting?"

she knew he was trying to cheeer her up,even when he didnt even know what was wrong. heck,he didn't even ask. but thats how he was. he knew she couldnt say no to taking pictures..
so, after hours, she smiled.
"allright. but where to? its so dark!"
"the cliff.where we found Harry. its got a lovely view of the city lights and the lighthouse and the sea!"
"really? then lets go!"

and off they went.


She forgot all her worries the moment she saw the crashing waves down below after she got to the cliff top.
"its amazing here Aaron! thank YOU!
"dont mention it!"

some things dont need to be mentioned.She was already feeling better after taking a few pictures.
tommorow would be better  than today. maybe someone else will pick her up when she goes down. but she wont be alone.

And then they both saw the shooting star.

She would never laugh at anyone for seeing a shooting star.. you needed things like that in life once in a while.

"this is great!",he said
"i feel infinite!",she quoted from her favorite book.

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."