The Girl Who Loves Rain
1348 Words
The Girl Who Loved Rain
Thrissur Railway Station was crowded as usual.
"Chai... chai..."
"Coffee... coffee..."
The announcements and the conversations of passengers blended together, creating the familiar chaos of a railway station.
Through that crowd, a girl walked slowly.
Although she was a part of the rush around her...
there was a certain calmness about her that separated her from everyone else.
A white churidar.
Long black hair falling carelessly over her shoulders.
Soft front bangs touching her forehead.
No heavy makeup.
Only small silver earrings and a thin watch on her wrist.
A small trolley bag.
A bag hanging from her shoulder.
Her green eyes watched the crowd.
But...
she wasn't searching for anyone within that crowd.
Eyes that carried the depth of a dense forest washed by rain.
There was a hidden story in those eyes...
a story that seemed to be waiting to be told.
The train to Delhi slowly entered the platform.
She walked towards her coach.
After settling into the window seat, she carefully placed her bag above her.
She arranged the books in her hand.
Then looked outside through the window.
The train slowly began to move.
The people standing on the platform seemed to flow backward.
Time passed.
As each station went by, the seats in the compartment slowly filled.
A child was crying somewhere.
Someone was drinking tea.
Someone was speaking loudly on the phone.
Some were looking outside the windows.
But she...
was in her own world.
She took a book from her bag.
Tied her hair back.
Opened the first page.
At that moment...
the entire world became silent for her.
Only the rhythm of the train wheels remained.
After some time...
the sky slowly became darker.
Lightning painted the distance.
"Grhh..."
Thunder echoed.
Her eyes slowly moved away from the book.
The moment she looked outside the window...
a smile bloomed on her face.
Rain...
She didn't say the word.
But...
her eyes did.
The very next moment, she closed the book.
She stood up.
And walked towards the door of the compartment.
Standing there, the wind touched her face.
She slowly spread both her hands.
Closed her eyes.
The cool breeze played through her hair.
That smile on her face...
changed in a moment.
From that of a twenty-five-year-old woman...
to that of a five-year-old child.
A child waiting for rain.
But...
the rain didn't come.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Looked at the sky.
Crossed her arms.
Pouted her lips.
Then, with a playful expression, she said in Hindi—
"Arre... kya kar rahe ho aap?"
The moment he heard those words, a young man walking through the compartment suddenly stopped.
Thinking she was talking to someone, he looked around.
But...
the girl in the white churidar was looking only at the sky.
Her arms crossed.
Her lips slightly pouted...
like a child upset with the rain.
"Pagal hai kya?"
A smile unknowingly appeared on his lips.
"Is she talking to the clouds?"
The thought made him stop there.
He said nothing.
He only watched her.
Every expression on her face...
every little playful gesture...
awakened a strange, familiar happiness inside him.
She said again—
"Jaante ho... main tumse pyaar karti hoon..."
His smile widened.
"Does this world really have people who can confess their love even to rain?"
She stood there as if she was listening to a reply.
"Kya...? Nahi aaoge?"
She waited for a moment.
Then lifted her shoulders.
"Thik hai..."
"Mat aao..."
Then, with a small pout—
"Bye..."
A moment of silence.
Then, with the innocence of a child sulking, she said—
"I hate you."
And she suddenly turned around.
That was when—
the train passed through a curve.
A sudden jerk.
Her balance was lost.
Her body moved backward.
Her hands rose into the air, searching for something to hold.
For a moment...
time stood still.
Then...
a hand firmly held her wrist.
Another hand supported her near her waist.
She didn't fall.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
In front of her...
was a young man.
The first thing she noticed was his eyes.
Light brown eyes.
Eyes carrying the warmth and calmness of rain-soaked earth.
Without realizing it, she looked into them for a moment.
At the same time, his eyes fell into hers.
Green...
Not an ordinary green.
A green like a dense forest after rain.
Raindrops seemed to shine inside those eyes.
For a moment...
he forgot even his own thoughts.
"Such beautiful eyes..."
his mind whispered unknowingly.
Their eyes met for the first time.
Neither of them spoke.
Silence spoke between them.
Meanwhile...
the sky, which had been holding back until then, finally changed its mind.
The first raindrop fell between them.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Within moments, rain began to kiss the earth.
She slowly looked upward.
That childlike smile returned to her face.
The young man continued looking at her.
His hands were still supporting her safely.
Then she smiled softly.
Seeing that smile...
a smile appeared on his lips too.
That meeting lasted only for a moment...
but it was a moment that was going to change both their lives forever.
The rain was falling.
And their story...
had just begun.
He pulled her inside the compartment in one swift movement.
The train shook again.
But this time...
she didn't fall.
Only time seemed to lose its balance.
His hands were still a safe support around her waist.
Without realizing it...
her fingers had tightened their hold on his shirt.
Between his chest and shoulder.
Only two or three raindrops that came with the wind passed between them.
Outside...
the sky was still deciding.
Whether to rain...
or not.
Inside...
they were looking at each other.
There was still rain hidden in her green eyes.
And surprise reflected in his light brown eyes.
That moment...
perhaps lasted only for the length of a breath.
But...
within that breath, an entire world seemed to pass by.
Suddenly...
she closed her eyes tightly.
Then opened them again.
Reality touched her like a flash of lightning.
His hands...
Her own hands...
The closeness between them...
Within a single moment, warmth spread across her cheeks.
'Oh God...'
The next second...
her reaction came before her thoughts.
She pushed him away suddenly.
"What are you doing?"
The question wasn't really for him.
It was only a shield to hide her embarrassment.
He was completely confused.
"What?"
He pointed at himself slightly.
"Me?"
"I just..."
The words got stuck on his lips.
She understood everything.
The train shaking...
Her losing balance...
Him saving her...
She had not forgotten anything.
And yet...
she couldn't stop to say even a "Sorry."
She couldn't find the courage to say even a "Thank you."
Because...
if she stayed there, she would have to talk.
If she talked, she would have to explain.
And she didn't want that.
"Okay..."
she said softly.
"Leave it."
She paused for a moment.
"I mean..."
"Forget it."
With those words, she walked past him.
With every step she took away from him, her own heart was scolding her.
'Oh God...'
'What did I just do?'
'He literally saved me.'
'And I yelled at him.'
She closed her eyes unknowingly.
'Whatever...'
'At least... he didn't say anything.'
She breathed out in slight relief.
'Good...'
'Now just forget this...'
She reached her seat.
Opened her book.
The words flowed in front of her eyes.
But...
between every page, all she could see were those light brown eyes.
Meanwhile...
he was still standing at the same place.
Trying to understand what had just happened.
Where he should have felt angry...
he found himself smiling instead.
The reason for that smile wasn't her words.
It was her face.
That innocent face where so many emotions had changed within a moment.
Surprise...
Embarrassment...
The failed attempt to pretend anger...
And then walking away as if nothing had happened...
He slightly shook his head.
"Weird..."
He paused for a moment.
"...but cute."
For the first time...
he wanted to know more about that girl.
-AKSHARA SHAJU WRITES
- Writer
