when it rains

part iii | windy effects

SOMETHINGS JUST NEED A CLOSURE. Like the city does when it rains. And while the city lives again, it is better somethings just die. Especially, delusions.

Arit was always good at studies and Ashishika was not very bad, suggests how both of them qualified with more than average marks in all three years of their exams. Then, they involved themselves completely into the preparation of the exam that asks it all.

People put their everything into this. Even after knowing that the propabablity to make it is only 0.1 per cent, they risk it all. This exam asks for not only blood and sweat, but mind and heart. Soul. It requires utmost patience and perseverance and more than anything, self-belief. In all times --- even through taunts and unwanted insultive disseminations.

And nothing more.

Most probably, it was the shaking of this belief that the relation blooming so beautiful died and withered, all petals scrunched under the feet of distrust and disrespect.

It originally went smoothly like any normal relationship goes still very different from those which go on in misunderstandings and loveless promises, mixed with busy schedules in which they always had time for each other and new friends.

They were more or so like best friends, completely unaware that best friends was all they were.

Nevertheless, Arit loved her. He had learned to listen her silences for Ashishika was less of a speaker, so was he but she just did not speak at times; understand her agony when he had not known any serious pain, still; and he has known to give her space whenever she needed it.

He knew to love her when she did not.

Arit loved her. This is why she sticked with him, not knowing herself that it might be the reason. She always only knew that she felt good with him, he was someone she could always reach out and he would never say no. That is how much of an idiot he was. Exactly the one he was who she needed. To know love, to learn to love.

But, life has it's own way.

Little by little, several problems made home into their lives, which were much more complicated than the syllabus they had decoded, covered and tried to understand, learnt and knew to express with opinions of their own.

In the process, they grew as persons with qualified intellect, beautiful hearts and wonderful mind. However, the extent and ways differed.

And when both of them were left with important choices which needed to be made, things turned out in a way which was way typical than choosing an optional for the exams.

Since Ashishika did not have a mother to look after or object, her father insisted on marrying her. Not that he did not love his daughter or he was an orthodox who did not support her studies, though a man of old beliefs he was to an extent, but his life was giving way and he did not want to leave his daughter to a family which would barely treat her as family after he dies.

In simple terms, he was not willing to wait anymore.

Plus, Ashishika understood it all, when she was not even told anything more than that his father is going to die. Of cancer.

Fate crosses all limits to drag one up or down to where it wishes to see.

Where thousands of girls continued to study and objected to marriages, she knew she had to postpone her dreams, cause she was late in fulfilling them. Where many people have lived of the same disease, she knew well her father won't. She had seen and learned, capabilities limit possibilities.

More than anything and everything, what broke her heart was the fact that Arit might be too, out of her capabilities.

One cold evening, she had tested her fate, in which the sky was covered with black clouds ready to pour it's heart out and chilly autumn wind blew. Both of them were sitting on a bench close to each other so that there shoulders brushed, there hands entangled together between them.

One such evening when he was looking at the sky intrigued and she looked at him, fascinated, she had asked Arit, "Given the choice between life and love, what will you choose?"

Her heart was in hues of the colour of those clouds and her voice, an uncertainty even after which she wanted to pour it all. Soft and baffled, anxious and desperate.

Arit was perplexed at the question and equally unbothered, calmed by the weather around him. While he turned to look at her with love, her eyes looked for everything and any thing in his eyes.

It was another thing, all she saw was uprising thunder --- showing off the intelligence, calm and patience he carried inside him. A smile makes way on her face, saddened by the tragic fate that awaited her. Ashishika had always believed in Arit.

He had grabbed her hand very softly, probably not knowing that it was so soft an hold that it was too easy to slip through; and while he looked into her eyes with a cheeky smile on his face, he had answered in the softest way he could, "love".

Ashishika had swallowed, as her eyes had watered so much so that it took all of her to prevent them from spilling.

It was her last beautiful moment with him and she wanted to live it.

He had turned, not wanting to miss the sad painting of the sky which painted his heart in all colours of happiness, leaving her hand at which she constantly looked at, her hand without his.

"Because it's you", he had completed as he looked at the black clouds and meant it with his whole heart in the moment he said those words, they were magnetic, magical but nowhere malicious.

He loved her like he loved the black clouds. He did not know he would fall for the rain.

Ashishka with a swallow of breath had looked at the sky herself, leaning her head over his shoulder.

While he tilted his head to rest on hers and wrapped a hand around her shoulder, she had smiled a little smile of herself for she had found her answer, in him.

Her eyes had welled while those clouds loosened it's heart to pour those very first drops of water.

Given the choice between life and love, she will choose what he did not.

thankyou for reading. don't forget to vote.

Upsc requires the minimum age to sit in the exams as 21. Among all the subjects that are examined, the candidate has to choose one optional subject of his/her interest which many times becomes a tough choice for various candidates.

tanya x