Blink..

He could hear those giant tides thrashing the rocks. Sitting on a hill,he was having a beautiful view of the horizon. The moment was perfect, it was still and unimaginably peaceful. He sat there for almost ten to fifteen minutes without uttering a word. And then there was a sudden change in weather, leaves started shattering on the near by trees, clouds moved in as snails mocking the shining sun and in no time it started drizzling. It was then He realized that he was not alone and he had started to feel the rain drops racing in from sky to target him with their best aim. He looked across the rocky path and roughly ten feet away she was sitting there on a small rock lost in the blanket of nature. He called out her name "Nishaaa" . She didn't react. He called her again this time with a questioning tone "Nishaa??" She didn't react again but he could see her eye brows narrowing for such a disturbing noise in a peaceful place. She was least bothered and was not ready to blink away from such a view. He had to bring her back to her senses before he lost his in that rain so he called her again in spite of knowing that this time his voice would surely irritate her. He was about to raise his voice to call her name again but she interrupted him with a sharp reply "What??" He stared at her for a moment and talked to her in a soft tone. "It's raining" for which she replied "It's not raining, its just a slight drizzle". He was not ready for such a mockery at that moment but still he had to make a point so he said " I know its not heavy but are we not getting wet? Let's make a move"  For the first time she turned towards him and by the look of hers he knew that he will be beaten back with some kind of logic which as usual would shut his mouth ending the discussion. She went on with a sarcastic smile "Rishi !! for years we have been trained to take care of ourselves, to live in a circle, to make sure we win and to cherish the moments which would remain forever. This is one such moment for which I had to travel for 14 hours and now when I am living it to the fullest potential with such an intoxicating silence, Do you really think that this stupid rain will stop me from seizing this moment ? Do you ? I don't think so" she turned her head back in to that direction where she once held her face immersed in the scenic view of setting sun over the horizon as the blue ocean continued to kiss the invisible sky. Rishi couldn't hear anything else except those words which kept on revolving around his head. The shattering leaves, the sound of tides and the touch of rain drops made no difference to him anymore. He looked up and could see clouds smiling back challenging him to enjoy the outburst. He could sense a smile appearing from no where on his face as he closed his eyes facing the sky. Shallow Drizzles turned into heavy rain and though he had an umbrella with him he cared not to use it for the deal he had made with those clouds that evening. He turned his face back to the horizon and kept staring at the rhythmic dance of tides approaching the shore. He blinked for a moment after a long stare and suddenly everything seemed to vanish. He blinked hard one last time and a flash of lightening blinded his eyes and with a jolt he opened his eyes.

'Last stop bhai log..Last stop' shouted the bus attendant waking the passengers diplomatically. Rishi was taken aback as the bus came to a sudden halt. "That couldn't be a dream" were the first words his mind spoke to him and he nodded in consent. He looked at his watch, it was 6.30 am and he looked out of the window only to find familiar cross roads with an Ntr statue in its center, which had been his companion for the past three years, greeting him in the same way it did every time Rishi passed through that road.He was back in Bhiravapuram, a small town in Ratnagiri District which is agriculturally the richest district of Andrha Pradesh. He could see people gathering around early tiffin centers, vegetable vendors arranging their daily routine talking to one another about previous days market highlights, buffaloes careless passing by the bus as the guy guiding them washing his teeth with a stick, and the owner of the udipi hotel across the bus stop reading his favorite newspaper.He closed his eyes and tried hard to check whether he is still dreaming but in vain. But his mind shouted back to him 'That couldn't be a dream' . 'I know' Rishi replied to himself and immediately got down from the bus. he took out his cellphone from the bag. switched it on and as he walked made the first call in the dial list which was Nisha. There was no answer from the other side and it clearly said that the number he is trying for is either switched off or unreachable. Rishi stopped for a moment and tried calling again ignoring the increasing traffic of the early morning buses and school students rushing into the bus stop from the streets. Still no answer and he kept on calling and within second his hands started shivering. He was trying to figure why he was sweating unnecessarily. He walked at an increase pace to his home. locked himself in and tried calling that number in some doubtful hope that at some point eventually his call will be answer but that never happened. He then kept his cell aside and went to the rest room to freshen up.

And then cell started ringing...