" Surya Enclave? Seriously? So desperate! " , Raajiv had said.
Riha had only grinned.
" Do...you really think he'll give into you so easily? " , Raajiv sounded calm yet sarcastic.
Riha had thought for a while. She wanted to say, "who wants him to give in?" , but something made her say just the opposite. " A man who runs from his past, gives into a present that gets him a shoulder. And the present that expects a shoulder instead, becomes his past again. "
Raajiv had said nothing.
Seven in the evening. The sky was overcast and like everyday Riha knew it would rain and she would be happy again. The months of June and July shed too much and Riha was the happiest in this part of the year.
Surya Enclave was a 20 minutes walking distance from her hospital, so she had decided to shun using car for this month and had left it for maa, baba and Rukku's use.
Riha was not actually a very patient person. And lately she's got a lot more inpatient. She now smiled very often and sometimes without reason. And when she tried to think of the reason of such strangeness, she would absolutely find nothing to blame. Except for a weird new entrant whom she had last seen two days back, when he almost driven her out of his flat for some business.
But, the weirder thing was that, Riha hadn't said to Shruti that she had been to 2D. Instead, Shruti had talked a lot about Vivaan, and almost none of Viraat. Riha had heard everything keenly. And felt bad for Shruti at times. But...she somewhere wanted her to move on too. Maybe she really was her good friend. Maybe that really was the only reason she wanted so.
As Riha walked on, she couldn't help smiling.
Why the hell? Riha knew, the fact was absolutely true that Vivaan had an aura that would not let you not think about him once you met him, and then heard so much about him.
Vivaan had been quite rude in asking her to leave that evening. But she didn't feel bad at all. Maybe she had just expected worse. But... he was cool. Pretty cool!
Leaving aside everything, Vivaan was a great food for thought, a matter to dig and a reason to smile at work too.
Riha deliberately walked three rows past National Medical, so that she had to cross Imperial Constructions. Her impatience increased several folds as she walked close to the building, and an inner voice craved, " Please God!"
She didn't know what she was actually praying for until, she caught a glimpse of the man in question standing in front of the very building, looking at the sky maybe trying to judge the weather.
Butterflies fluttered somewhere .Riha speeded up and then stood with a thump, all 32 exposed before Vivaan. He was startled for a second with this sudden drop before his eyes. And then a smile crossed his face but the brows came closer too at the same time.
" Hi...!! I didn't see you for the last two days, though we share the same residence, the same lift and maybe the same bus at times! " , Riha's voice was extremely beautiful and at times she sounded like a baby. When she was too happy and too excited.
Vivaan took sometime, looked sideways and above-below, making Riha wonder what exactly was he doing.
And then he looked straight at her, the smile still in place, " If strangers show regularly enough, things get weird. "
Riha knew now, talking to Vivaan was like playing with words. And she was ready for the game.
" Do you know what's the difference between an acquaintant and a stranger? "
The street was almost empty. The breeze signalled of an impending rain. And silent lightning tore the sky apart now and then.
Vivaan looked down and scratched the pointed tip of his Adidas on the ground. " Our acquaintances know our weaknesses maybe. Strangers don't. "
Riha smiled. And looked above.
" Planning to get wet? "
Vivaan looked up at her. " Obviously. "
Riha smiled wider, took a few steps backward and spread her hands. " Tan ta raa!! Me too!!! "
" What? Your advices ain't for you I suppose then!" , Vivaan very carefully rubbed his stubble.
" Naaah!! You know why? Because a doctor's doctor is her mom. And she won't get hold of me tonight! "
" Ooo..." , Vivaan nodded his head meticulously but with a smirk. " So 'your life your rules' doesn't work with people with parents! I'm a lucky lad then. " , Vivaan exclaimed.
Riha ignored the statement. Because she very well knew which thing to catch, and which to let go.
By then the shower began. Tremendously. The gush of the rain was enough to drench everyone and everything at a go!
" ohh ho ho!!! " , Vivaan shouted like a kid.
" Let's dance Vivaan, there's no one around. " , Riha's voice tore through the tremendous rain and thunder.
" What even if anyone's around? Let's daaancee!! Yaaa huuu!!! "
Riha could just see a kid before her eyes dance and jump and shout and laugh. The rain increased in intensity as if to wash off all sorrows in the hearts of every being out on earth. For the first time Riha liked this rain more than drizzles, the rain that broke down, the rain that drenched to the core.
Riha began jumping, running, dancing, howling, shouting! " Happy rain Vivaaan!!!"
" Happy rains Rihaaa!!! "
A number of street children had run to them. Riha didn't really know what it was, but she knew she was the happiest soul on earth. She forgot every tension, every barrier, every rule of life. She only knew that she was a kid dancing with a handful of other kids.
And what was even more beautiful, she could see a 28 years old man dance in the weirdest pose in world, making cute faces with the children surrounding him.
Riha at times stopped only to watch Vivaan, who didn't give a damn to the world. Rain washed the layer of indifference off his skin, and Riha just wanted to go and hug him tight, saying, " humans suffer Vivaan, but not everyone can laugh like this even after suffering. "
The rain had stopped for the last fifteen minutes. Vivaan and Riha were drenched to the core. They stood against the fences of Surya Enclave.
" Hacchooo!" , Riha sneezed and giggled in embarrassment.
" god bless you. " , Vivaan smiled.
" Do you always dance this way Vivaan? "
Vivaan thought for a while.
" not at all. I only get drenched. But this was a whole new and wonderful thing. Thanks for this. " , Vivaan looked at Riha. And there was something in his eyes that Riha looked away.
A dog came walking briskly, stood right in front of them and shook himself off the extra water. " chu chu...doggie! " , Riha called and took out a packet full of biscuits from her leather bag which was thankfully intact.
The dog came forward and its face looked like it was smiling at them. Vivaan immediately sat down on his knees and began cuddling the dog. Riha smiled as she fed biscuits. " Hey doggie, didn't you get a shade? You'll catch cold ! Ms Doctor, prescribe him something. " Riha kept on smiling as the dog ate biscuits.
" You love dogs too?" , she asked.
Vivaan didn't reply. He kept cuddling.
" I have a golden retriever. Jerk. "
" Jerk? Seriously? " , Vivaan laughed. Riha blushed. " I don't love dogs. I only talk to them. "
Riha tried to judge the statement.
" I had a labrador. Dude. " , Vivaan said
" ...and it died. So you say you don't love dogs. Because you believe, whoever you love, dies. " , Riha carefully added.
Vivaan stood up. And stared at her vacantly. And then looked at the sky again. A deep sigh escaped his heart.
As they walked home, Riha said. " I had asked you what the difference is between a stranger and an acquaintant. You said, strangers don't know your weaknesses. Agreed. But for me, a stranger is the one who won't ever expect anything from you. Never ever. Having 'known strangers' in your life is beautiful Vivaan. For example, I swear I know nothing of your weaknesses, apart from the fact that you lost your parents, which I suppose isn't a weakness at all. You are a strong self made man. And I promise, I might have jumped into your life abruptly, but never will I ever ask you anything about your past if you don't want to share. I promise, I would only like to make your present a bit different and maybe, cute. So... happy strangers? " , Riha put forward her hand.
Vivaan looked intently at her for sometime. And Riha couldn't read his eyes. And then, he put forward his hand, shook hers. " Happy Strangers! "
*****
Once again, Riha couldn't tell Shruti that she hadn't drenched alone. Vivaan was along. She tried, but couldn't.
That night at 2 AM, Riha put aside her books, looked around to see Shruti fast asleep, put the earplugs on and walked up to the verandah to see, it was raining hard, and there down the building, the night security guard stood smiling, and along with him stood Vivaan, who had just sheltered all the dogs in the basement by unlocking the front gate, at 2 AM in the night.
Riha couldn't help smiling ear to ear. And he said, he didn't love dogs. Liar!
While the rain created its music, her earplugs kept playing,
" Ye mausam ki baarish,
Ye baarish ka paani,
Ye paani ki boonden,
Tujhe hi toh dhoonde!
Ye milne ki khwahish,
Ye khwahish puraani,
Ho poori tujhe se
meri ye kahaani!! "
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