RAINED DOWN

Zeya's pov

"It's been raining since yesterday. Washing off all the dirt on the leaves of the trees, flooding the streets, and making it harder for me to get out of bed. I never liked the rain. Maybe it reminded me of being vulnerable, or I was just a twelve-year-old trying not to get water on her while getting back from school.

But it's nice to see the rain while being inside the comfort of your house. Water droplets line the window sill, reflecting the wet world in front of it. It's the last day of school for the week, but there's no reason for me to be so happy. I mean, I don't even feel anything apart from being overwhelmed with nerves and stress. I don't know the reason myself, or maybe I do know, but I just don't want to admit it.

I haven't been to school for a week and don't know what to feel about it. I was completely out of myself before this week, and still, I had managed to end up going to school last Friday, which makes it a whole week since I've been there.

I had always felt this way whenever things got out of my hands and would cry for days on without an end. Im a freaking crybaby. Last week, our test papers came out, and just as always, I FAILED PHYSICS. It's such a normal thing for a normal teenager, BUT this teenager is in her senior year, and this shit is concerning.

I cried and cried, and by Wednesday, I caught a cold somehow (blame my freaking loser of an immunity system). I wish that could have been the only reason, but there is more to it. Senior year is the vital year of school, and all I want for it to go smoothly, but being weak at maths has ruined my life. I don't even have maths. All I have is physics chemistry and bio. I didn't score well in any of them. I was beyond destroyed. Each of the papers that I saw felt like a stab right through my heart.

All this happened last Monday, but I'm still grieving about it. All my hard work went down the drain. It is such a common experience for a student (catch the sarcasm). I felt like clawing my skin off my body, but I resisted. To top it off, I had another problem."

I had written till this much, but I could hear my mother calling for me. Sometimes writing helps to clear my mind, but most of the time, I'm left with an empty feeling. Right now, all I can think of is being a failure as a human being. Not only have I failed myself, but I've failed my parents and everyone who has put the expectations on me.

It's been a whole week since I went to school. I caught a cold and was down with a fever till Monday. I had originally planned to not go to school that day, but Monday escalated to Tuesday to Wednesday and now Friday.

Aster had messaged me asking if I was okay or not, I had told her that I would be coming back from Wednesday but couldn't keep the word. We had both bonded in our first year of high school, and she is your typical extrovert.

I already had bad experiences with people and making friends, but I thought and felt things could go differently this time, I just put a bit too much trust in her. And now I'm in the consequences of my actions, and I'm regretting it.

I go down the stairs, looking out from the window. I can see the rain still pouring down. The only reason my mother allowed me to stay back at home for the whole week was because I was ill, and also, she thought I was studying to make some progress for the upcoming tests.

When I entered the kitchen, it smelled like fish, and I hate that nasty smell.

"We have run out of lemons and parsley, just go to the nearby supermarket and get it for me. I would have gone myself, but I couldn't go out of sight from the oven."

I have been rotting on my bed all day and haven't even done any studying. If I were to say no, I will be getting my ass handed right now.

"Okay, I will go get the things."

She handed me the money, and I just put on a jumper because the weather had gotten chilly by the time. It's only eleven something in the morning. But the dark clouds in the sky are making it gloomy.

Oh, how I just want to be under my bed covers and keep reading another of my novels.

I put on my shoes and take my bike on the road, I cycle to the store, get my parsley and lemons, and I'm done in ten minutes. The clouds are heavy, and rain could start coming down at any second.

My thoughts became reality, and it started to rain, I sped up my paddling, and the water droplets felt like pea pellets being hit on my body.

If I kept cycling in this condition, I was bound to get sick again. I could see a bus stand in the distance, I slowed down and took shelter under it. I didn't even bring my phone with me as I would get back home in a few minutes.

That plan had flown out of the window, and now I have to stand here in a bus stand while the wind keeps blowing and the rain keeps going on forever.

Just as I was getting bored waiting for the rain to stop, I saw someone running from a distance. "This weather surely has gotten everyone today." I didn't have an umbrella with me. Even if I did, I wouldn't be able to use it while cycling.

The person in question was a man whose luck is as bad as mine. He is completely drenched from head to toe. He is dressed in a buttoned-up shirt, and by the looks of it, I think he is an office worker.

Then again, who am I to judge, I looked like a crow who had been drowned in the gutter. Water is dripping from his face and hair, and his light blue shirt is completely transparent, I withdraw my view before I made any more unnecessary inspection.

He has a briefcase, which he had put down by his side where he was standing. After what felt like eternity, the rain was starting to let down slowly, I could ride my bike in this drizzle.

As I was about to put my bike down from the pedestal of the bus stand, the man spoke to me.

"Umm, excuse me. Could you please lend me a tissue, I would like to wipe the water out of my face."

I was taken aback at the sudden request. I was hesitant before replying, "Well, I don't have any tissue, but I have my handkerchief."

I didn't know what to do, and I might look like a jerk if I didn't help out with a normal request. I rummage through my pocket as I take it out and hand it to the man questioningly, if he will accept the offer or not.

He takes it from my hands and thanks me. Now that I look at him, he has pure jet black hair, with sharp eyes and a straight nose. He is quite tall, but from the looks of it, he might be quite rich as well. His manners are polite, but I dont really want to get involved with any kind of person right now. All I want is to clean up as soon as I get home.

Without any hesitation, he wiped off the water and even dries his hair a bit. I stand there quietly, looking at him.

It is a creepy behaviour on my end. His green eyes are piercing, and as he was already soaked, the muscles on his biceps bulged tight in his shirt. Before he could say anything, a car arrived.

The window of the driver's seat rolls down, and the person mouthed something to the man, and he was in a hurry to get in. He even forgets to return back my handkerchief.

"That was a new handkerchief!!"

He took it with him, without any concern. And I stood there shouting as the car went.

The car went down the road and, in the process of doing so, splashed some muddy water on me that had collected in front of the bus stand.

Is this how my kindness gets repaid? Does the world only have to offer me misfortune and mishaps? What the hell have I done to anyone to get myself down in the dumps every time?

I then manged to return home with the extra fresh parsley and lemons which was washed in the rain water and when my mother saw me she was out of her wits, as I had left my phone at home, she was worried that something had happened to me.

I feel like jumping off a cliff, but rather than doing so, I take a bath and thought about the hell of a day that I had.

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Ezra's pov

I had been pulling all nighters for the last three days consecutively. A huge offer was supposed to be sealed with one of the renowned hospitals of London.

I had been continuously going through papers and other procedures that were supposed to be gone through. Being the COO of the Stryer corporation, I have a huge responsibility.

Stryer corporations, one of the acclaimed companies for producing medical equipment. This business had been started by my father's grandfather and had since been flourishing till this day.

I graduated from the business school of London and kept helping out with my family's business. And was sent off to my father's one of the other branch of the company for 2 years, after I had gained the experience I came back to the main building.

I had worked there under a different name to learn what business is supposed to be and was then only allowed to return back to London from Scotland.

To see that everything went smoothly, I had stayed back at the office, and now it's finally over with. I call my father to let him know about the deal. After the job was done, for the day, I had no more worries.

All I need is a long sleep that was due for me. I get out of my room, which is located on the 30th floor of the company's building.

I had already called my driver to get the car out. While walking through the corridors to the lift, I can see that it's raining like cats and dogs. This time of the year is the most irritating to me.

London's weather is as unusual as ever, but I have always loved it whenever it rained. I came out of the building and waited for my car. But I kept waiting, and it felt forever. I got a call from my driver saying he was stuck in the traffic due to the heavy rain.

It's only eleven fifteen in the morning. I had cancelled every other meeting to get some rest. I let him know to pick me up from the nearby bustop as it would be faster that way.

As I started walking in the direction of the bustop, which took one minute to reach by walking. I am almost there but it starts raining and it grows faster with each second. I could see the pedestrians running to take shelter nearby.

"Dammit, the only time I forgot to carry my umbrella." A cycle whized pass me, splashing water while going. I can't even shout while running like this.

When I finally reach the bustop, I am completely drenched, water dripping from hair, and my bloody socks sre wet. This wouldn't have happened, only if the car wasn't at the mechanics to get its monthly servicing done.

It would be quite some time before the rain stopped. I tried to wipe my face, but unfortunately, I had left my handkerchief on my table while getting out. I looked at the briefcase beside me. It was waterproof, but there was no telling if water had seeped inside it or not.

Looking around, I realize I wasn't alone. There is a girl who is taking shelter from the rain as well. Her attire comprises of a jumper, which is soaked, and her hair is sticking to her face.

She looks like she is a high schooler or she can be in college as well. She's got her bike by her side.

I unknowingly ask her if she has any tissue so that I could wipe myself. My voice broke her out from a trance.

It takes her some time to realize that I was talking to her. After some thought, she gives me a handkerchief.

Her hair is short and tied in a small pony tail. In the darkness, all I can figure out is her warm brown eyes.

I dry my face with it, which is a bit embarrassing. Before I can say anything else to her, Ryan, my chauffeur, arrived.

"Sir, the mistress is hospitalised and is in critical condition." I am blown off by this news.

I get in the car without further delay, but later that night, I realized that I was still holding onto that stranger's kerchief.

It was simple with small feathery flowers all over the small piece of cloth. And I didn't even know how to return it back.

I had thought something bad had happened, but my mother had fallen down from the stairs and now had a broken leg.

The way Ryan had me it was horrifying. Rather than going to the hospital, I was taken straight to my home on Medwin Street. After greeting my mother and talking with my father, I left and went back to my condo, which was close to the office and was only ten minutes away, on the Wington road.

I throw it into the washing machine, after it was done, got it dried and then fold it neatly. It's only just a small piece of cloth, which I had mistakenly brought back with me.

As I fall asleep, the last thought I have is of the girl whose name I don't know, but I have her handkerchief.

I don't even know why I had asked for it from her, I guess I had done it in a reflex, in a hurry to dry off a bit. As she didn't have any option, she felt bad for not helping me out.

" I am fucking pitiful."