Jagathi watched Shourya as a few rain droplets slid down his slightly wet hair, making him sneeze. Smiling to herself, she turned to Chotu. "Chotu, one strong coffee!" she called. Chotu nodded and disappeared inside to prepare it.
She then untied her hair bun, letting her hair fall gracefully over her shoulders, and draped her dupatta aside. Turning back to Shourya, she held out the dupatta with a warm smile. "Here, Shourya," she said.
He looked at her, taken aback for a moment, noticing her relaxed and natural look. "Jagathi..." he murmured, clearly surprised but charmed by the gesture.
"Take this," she chuckled, waving the dupatta towards him. "Dry your hair before you catch a cold."
"Thanks," he replied, a bit bashfully, as he took the dupatta and gently wiped his face and hair.
Chotu returned with the coffee and handed it to her. "Di," he said, smiling.
Jagathi took the coffee, then held it out to Shourya. "Here you go, Shourya," she offered warmly.
He accepted it, pausing to meet her gaze for a brief moment before taking a sip.
She leaned back a bit, arms folded, and said with a playful smile, "You're our guest, you know. It's my responsibility to make sure you're well taken care of. When you go back, you'll have to tell everyone that the Srinivas family treats their guests with top-notch hospitality. And besides," she added with a grin, "my dad is over the moon that you're here. He's been talking about it all morning - 'my friend's son is coming, we need to look after him properly,' and so on. So as his daughter, I'm just doing my part."
Shourya chuckled, a genuine smile lighting up his face.
Jagathi glanced around dramatically, then sighed. "It's a shame, though... not a single photographer around," she teased.
He raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why would we need a photographer?"
She grinned mischievously. "Well, you're smiling so much, I thought maybe someone had asked you to pose for a magazine cover or something!"
He laughed, placing his empty coffee cup in the nearby dustbin, then folded his arms as he looked at her.
"Hey, I'm just joking!" she said, holding her hands up in mock surrender. Then, more sincerely, she added, "But you really do have a beautiful smile."
"Thanks," he replied softly,
The moment lingered between them, the rain providing a gentle background.
"Why don't you call my dad and let him know you're here?" she suggested, her gaze lingering on him. "I would've called him myself, but I left my phone at home."
He hesitated, glancing down at his phone, then mumbled, "I... don't have any charge left."
She looked at him thoughtfully, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she picked up the umbrella. "Alright, I'll go home and let them know. They can send a car to pick you up, and you can come back with it."
Just as she turned to leave, he called out, "Jagathi."
She paused and turned, a question in her eyes.
"Would you mind if... we walked together?" he asked, his tone both tentative and hopeful.
A small smile curved on her lips, and she nodded, gesturing for him to join her. When he reached her side, he took the umbrella from her hand with a careful, deliberate motion, ensuring his fingers didn't brush hers. "I'll hold it," he said gently.
She nodded, and as they began walking side by side, she swept her hair over one shoulder, the strands catching the soft light filtering through the umbrella. For a moment, his eyes drifted to her, tracing the curve of her neck before he quickly looked away, his gaze dropping to the ground.
As they walked together under the umbrella, the soft drizzle creating a gentle rhythm around them, Shourya’s mind drifted. Time, which has stretched across yugas, he thought, please pause here, in this moment. Let the distance between us fade, let nothing stand between us. The fields stretched out on either side, green and peaceful, as if nature itself had conspired to create this moment just for them.
Suddenly, she broke his thoughts, her voice cutting through the silence like sunlight breaking through clouds. "Oh my god, it seems like you’re not much of a talker! I can’t help myself, though—I could go on talking forever. One can stop the rain, but stopping my chatter? Impossible!"
He smiled, amused by her honesty and energy.
Inwardly, he mused, "Oh, God, it seems that with you in my life, silence has been banished from my dictionary."
“Why are you smiling?” she asked, turning to him, her curiosity piqued.
Before he could respond, she exclaimed, “Aiyyo! I forgot to grab my ice cream! I’m telling you, don’t tell anyone that I had ice cream.”
“Why not?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“Because my mom would kick me out of the house! She makes such a big melodrama over it. Oh my god, I can’t bear it! Sometimes I feel like I should just turn into a monkey and jump from one tree to another!”
He burst into laughter, unable to contain himself.
“Is it funny to you?” she asked, her eyes wide and innocent, as if she were a child trying to understand a joke.
He quickly controlled his laughter, shaking his head. “No, not at all,” he said, his tone playful.
“Uff! Nobody understands my problems!” She sighed dramatically, crossing her arms and pouting.
As they entered the village, an old lady spotted them and called out, “Lucky! Who is that guy? He looks like a hero!”
“Ha! Dadi, he came straight from a movie set to marry you! Will you marry him?” she teased, a playful grin spreading across her face.
The old lady blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy shade. “Seriously? At this age?” she replied, feigning shock but unable to hide her smile.
As they walked past her, the old lady shouted after them, “He wouldn’t mind at all!”
He struggled to control his laughter, trying to maintain a serious demeanor. “Jagathi,” he said, attempting to sound composed.
“Arey, I’m just joking!” she replied, barely able to contain her laughter as well.
As they approached her home, the rain finally stopped, leaving a fresh scent in the air. Just then, they heard someone calling out, “Di!”
She turned to see Chotu, her younger brother, pedaling his bicycle towards them. He skidded to a halt, grinning from ear to ear as he held out a dripping ice cream cone. “Di, you forgot your ice cream!”
“Thank you!” she exclaimed, taking it from him, her eyes lighting up with delight.
Chotu nodded with a triumphant smile and headed back the way he came, pedaling away with a carefree laugh.
She looked at Shourya, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Well, this is my home! I’m going to the terrace to enjoy my ice cream. And remember,” she said, her tone turning serious, “don’t tell anyone you met me. I’m just a stranger, and you’re a stranger to me. Let’s keep it that way. Please, please, be a good boy about it. I can’t plead any more—my ice cream is melting!” With that, she dashed towards the staircase.
Shourya watched her run, a smile breaking across his face.
He knocked on the door, and after a brief pause, it swung open to reveal Srinivas, her father, looking pleasantly surprised. “Shourya! What a nice surprise!” he exclaimed, stepping back to allow him to enter.
Keep smiling
Chandanakshi
YOU ARE READING
Misty Rain
Romance"Oye, Miss Universe," he teased, a playful grin dancing on his lips. She shot him a fierce glare, determination etched across her features, and turned away to walk forward. "Lucky!" he called after her, quickening his pace. She continued to ignore h...
