Talk of the Town

15 //

Miraya is back at the beach. The sun has set already, much before she reached. The sky is carelessly splashed with hues of pink and violet above the sleepless waters, bleeding into a dark blue upwards. A cold breeze wavers in, coaxing Miraya's orange skirt into a slow dance. Her hair unravels from her claw-clip. She walks on the sand in her shoes, feeling the sand pour inside every time she presses a step forward. Miraya's going to have a hell of a time getting every grain of itchy sand out of her shoes later but she doesn't care. She is just happy the beach is open again after the rainy week.

Miraya loves rain. Be it the heavenly smell of the first few drops hitting the ground, or the strangely comforting drumming of raindrops on roofs and window panes, the blur of buildings and roads or the stormy grey clouds finally letting go of their burden. She loves it all.

But rain is also an inconvenience. Footsteps are wet, floors are slippery, there is water leaking from holes on walls you never knew existed. Everything is damp and the dampness reeks after a while.

The past few days had been ambushed by incessant rains, causing quite the havoc in the city. Drainage has always been a problem and no matter the steps being taken to control flooding, the same situation arises every year. Thankfully, this year is much better than the last one. The rains have stopped early. Work has resumed. Schools and colleges have reopened.

Traffic is also back, unfortunately, but Miraya doesn't care.

She feels nice today.

She wants to savour it.

Miraya tips the newspaper cone in her hand sideways to let the masala-tossed puffed rice fall into her palms. She throws it into her mouth and chews. Her lips curl around her teeth when she bites into a chunk of raw mango, the sourness of it quickly balanced by the blandness of the boiled peanuts. The view for her eyes, the burst of flavour on her tongue and the lull of waves on her ears — Miraya hasn't done this in a while and she realises how much she missed it.

Sometimes, feelings like these cause a stir inside her. Makes her remember every little thing that has caused her happiness and be grateful for it and feel happier. Usually, the things she draws happiness from is from the people around her.

Dakshina is engaged.

Fiya and Ashraf are going strong.

Kishore has fully recovered from the accident and landed a new job with a higher pay.

Miraya's youngest cousin Anjali got her first period three days back so her parents have gone to their hometown to pay her a visit.

MIRROR's December month's issue was published two weeks back. The piece she had written about Samantha's new fashion line received good feedback. Fiya's story about the oldest bakery in Hyderabad was just in time for the Holiday season, catching quite the attention.

The blinding Christmas sale in her favourite stores is another reason for her happiness. All Miraya eats these days is cake. It makes her feel giddy.

Her phone rings.

Miraya already spoke to her parents in the morning so it wouldn't be them.

She frowns when it's Fiya. Her colleague rarely calls her at this time.

"Hello?" Miraya answers, popping the last bit of her snack into her mouth and balling up the newspaper in her hand.

"Miraya! Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Actress Ria and her fiance Vinay were going to get married soon, right? She suddenly called off their marriage."