She was gazing undistracted at the sky and it seemed the entire firmament was mirroring those onyx orbs that had rain like them the whole night .Those red jagged lines marking the territory of sclera matched the redness of dawn sky and her smudged kohl reflected in the stubborn black clouds that still lingered in the heavens above .Rain was once her source of happiness but now everytime it rained ,her heart bleed ,it ached and like that aching heart imprisoned within the vicinity of her rib cage she was also caged by the memories of past that suffocated her ,strangled her yet still like some sadistic killer they let her live instead of killing her at once.
Her mother had once told her " Rameen rain is a blessing ,a sign of Allah's happiness and a pristine time to make dua .Never ever miss this opportunity !".
And ever since then, rain was something Rameen waited and wished everytime she looked at those wide stretched heavenly cloak above her .Eager to catch those mercy filled drops in the chasm of her hands and eager to see her Lord happy .But with time things change and not everytime for good .Sometime changes bring pain ,they bring scar that never heals but burns each and everytime when present forces one to reminiscence past : a past filled with melancholy and agony.
Rameen covered her head with her scarf as she ran through their open courtyard while it rained heavenly .Her every urge wished to drench herself in those broken pieces of clouds but today was the last day when her seniors would come to college as students and she couldn't miss to get the last glimpse of her two year old crush on her senior : Mohid Hussain.
She had lost her heart to this student of engineering department ever since he came as her saviour rescuing her from the demons of ragging .There were many other girls including her best friend Naba but for her teenage heart ,he came for her and her only .
And till two years ,her every excursion around University always found its way near to engineering department and days where she would have his glimpse, that day even if the professor would have rebuked her from smiling unnecessary in the class ,it didn't affected her .She smiled and her heart smiled .
Even after much efforts and practise before bathroom mirror ,a simple greeting seemed like an onerous task of explaining black hole theory .But today she had decided to open the gates of her heart and confess her suppressed feelings as she gently covering her first ever love letter in the plastic bag to save it from rain ,she kept it inside her satchel and securing her hijab, she ran out heedless of her mother's suggestion of skipping University .
As she was girl in love and her mind was listening to the orders of only one being : her heart .
Her heart had thumbed loudly with every step she covered inside the university .Entering the engineering department ,she searched for the face that had stolen sleeps of her many nights and finally finding him at a corner chatting with his friends she felt every drop of courage evaporated .She wanted to ran back but then pressed by Naba and realising was her last chance to confess .She walked towards him and with shivering hands held out the letter .Her heart skipped several beats as for the first time she felt him gazing back at her .Confused, he took the letter and moved to open it .And horrified what would be his reaction ,Rameen ran amidst the crowd without looking back .
She panted while keeping her hands on her knees and she had barely calmed down when she heard him ,
"God you run fast ! " He looked at her and smiled before gesturing at the letter he said ,
"I will give answer for this after my exam ! So wait for me!".
Rameen couldn't believe her fate and as soon as she saw Naba she jumped to hug her who pushed her away while gesturing at her state and it is then she realised she was totally drenched in rain .But more drenched in love .
She waited .Though it was getting late ,she was getting incessant calls from home ,Naba had left but she waited .She was cold and drenched ,it rained heavily yet she waited .And finally her wait came to end when she finally saw him .And to her shock ,reaching her he immediately held out her letter and her happiness had no bound when she saw ' I love you too' written on the envelope .She felt she was on cloud nine ,her happiness had given her wings but she alighted on earth when she felt his hand on her wrist and he pulled her inside the department .She felt odd and weird at his touch but not wanting to upset him she didn't drew away her hand .He didn't answer any of her query and kept walking until they were inside an empty room .And he finally let go off her hand only to lock the door .Her every happiness devoured at this action and his every step engulfing her in fear .And all her fear actualised as he lecherously touched her with his eyes shining with emotions that only disgusted her .She shouted but rain was shouting much loudly .She struggled in his embrace when he ripped off her sleeves making her shriek and eventually using all her force pushed him off and ran outside covering her torn sleeves as much she could with her scarf .She ran and ran until she was outside the university .Her legs were bare ,her bag long lost .With shivering voice and fear beating inside her heart she had asked for a phone from a stranger and dialled the only number she remembered : her father .And hearing her cry ,her father ,her real saviour had storm out of his office ,drove like he would never drive, with his mind only and only on to reaching his little daughter as soon as possible .But fate had woven a different destination for him called death .
And that day when sky rained heavily, Rameen lost every happiness of her life: she lost the will to love ,she lost her father and she lost her mother .Tragedies too big to be forgotten and to painful to be remembered .But yet everytime it rained, it reminded of her sins ,it scaled her skin filling every cell with regret and shame from which there was no way out .She regretted falling for the whispers of devils ,she regretted betraying her parents teachings ,she regretted chasing human love instead of her CREATOR .She regretted that rain day ...
Rameen rubbing off her tears stood up and walked towards her mother who was alive and breathing yet too far away and lost that even she looked at her daughter she couldn't recognise her ,Rameen was just a stranger to her ....
"Glass is crying ?". Her mother whispered touching the glass panels of windows.
"It's not crying it's raining Ammi !".
"Raining ?".
"Yes Raining .Rain is a blessing ,a sign of Allah's happiness and a pristine time to make dua .Won't you make dua Ammi !".
Her mother nodded slightly and Rameen helped her mother to raise her hands together when her mother asked ,
"What should I ask ?".
Rameen gulped before whispering,
"Ask Allah that Rameen's mother comes back to her".
Her mother nodded and repeated her words,
"Allah bring Rameen's mother back !".
And Rameen couldn't hold back her tears as she kept her head in her mother's lap and eyes that seemed could cry no more rained down tears shamelessly.
And then after a decade of time ,she felt her mother's hand stroking her hijab clad head gently .
*****
This is my entry for Monsoon Season contest organised by AmbassadorsPK
So how was it ?
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