The Fall
I looked into the mirror, trying to apply my bindhi with my shaky little hands. I was late for work, this was the second time this week.
If I keep this up, I might be kicked out sooner than expected. I could see the reflection of the sky in the background, looking like it was seconds away from breaking open.
The kind of grey that didn’t just threaten rain, it promised it.
Riding my scooty faster than usual, I had decided to gamble on the risky, quiet lane with unpaved road. It was a shortcut.
Also, without a raincoat.
I didn’t want to get drenched, but I didn’t want to waste another minute trying to put that stubborn thing on, with yesterday's rain droplets still dripping down through it.
Maybe I’d make it before the downpour began. Maybe the rain would hold for another 5 minutes.
The cold wind rushed through my hair, caressing my long jhumkas.
The clouds rumbled like a warning.
And then,
Boom
The world tilted as my scooty did. The next moment, I was on the ground.
My palms stinging, my knees burning, my pristine white kurti now splattered with wet, reddish mud that smelled faintly of the rain and dust.
For a second, everything was silent.
No traffic, no thunder, just the sound of my own pulse thudding in my ears.
‘Perfect’ I thought bitterly, blinking against the sting in my eyes. I flicked the water from my hands as I shook it, taking it out of the puddle of water I had fallen into. I should have seen this coming while taking this route.
The day couldn’t possibly get any worse.
And as if the universe was waiting for a cue, a drop of rain fell on my arm.
Then another.
A light drizzle began to fall, barely there, just enough to darken the road in scattered patches.
Just enough to make the mud on my kurti bleed a little wider.
‘Are you alright?’
A voice cut through the haze.
Low, concerned..
and achingly familiar.
My stomach dropped before I even turned around.
I slowly lifted my gaze.
A man stood beside my fallen scooty, crouching next to me. His biker helmet still on, his gloved hands hovering uncertainly as though he didn't want to touch me without my permission.
But his eyes…
I knew them — I would know them anywhere.
‘Please not him’ I thought, my chest tightening.
Not today, not now.
As if hearing my silent plea, he reached up and pulled off his helmet, rain dampening his hair falling messily over his forehead. He extended his hand towards me, his expression careful.
Almost hesitant.
But his eyes said something else entirely.
They said — ‘I remember you’
‘Meera’ he said in a soft note.
I was him.
It was Dhruv.
