Kartik looks out of the car. The sky is tar-black and the large clouds are moving towards him. He hears a tapping on the window glass and then it becomes a pitter-patter.
People run for cover and umbrellas are opened as the clouds spit out their beads of water. Puddles begin plinking as the rainfall becomes heavier. The roof of the Kartik's car dances with spray and he hears the murmuring of the rain.
"Great ! It had to rain on my first day. I wonder how can some people love to be in the rain." Kartik says , standing in front of the Tihaar Jail.
Tihaar Jail, situated in New Delhi , is the largest complex of prisons in South Asia , run by Government of Delhi. Kartik is appointed as the new Chief officer of the prison. It's a big deal to him.
The prison is styled as a correctional institution. Its main objective is to convert its inmates into ordinary members of society by providing them with useful skills, education, and respect for the law.
As Kartik enters the jail wearing his khaakhi uniform , a junior constable gives him a salute and leads him as Kartik asks him to take a full round of the prison with him.
On the round , Kartik sees a lot of prisoners and for some reason , he talks to each and
every one of them. A typical cop , he was always on the patrol.
Tihar jail has 9 central prisons , one of which is a prison for life long imprisonment. The inmates , who are generally Murderers , Rapists , are never allowed to come out of their cells as the officers of the jail don't feel it is necessary.
Kartik and the constable reach the central prison now. He is taking a look at all the Prisoners there in the cells. All of them look nothing more than man eating animals in the attire of a man himself.
As they reach the last cell , the cell no. 482 , Kartik notices a man lying down on the floor , in a never ending silence. The man looks pale as if he is a step behind from death. His hair and beard are more dense than the amazon forests. But , Kartik feels something special or rather unusual about prisoner no. 482 .
"Hey ! What's your name ?" Kartik shouts at the man in the prison.
Kartik's shout was loud enough to be heard in each and every cell in the central prison. The man doesn't reply to him at all but turns his head to see Kartik through the long parallel bars.
Kartik looks at him . He notices him to be a young man , 25 to 28 years of age. His long hair and beard look even more bushy now. His eyes are bubbled out and half closed as if his sleep is torturing him for years. A long scar is quite visible on his face , ranging from his forehead to his cheek. He looks anything but normal.
But , what Kartik finds quite weird is that the man is leaning on his back and has alligned his ear to the front wall of the cell. As if he is trying to hear something from the wall , But what ? Karthik is sure whatever it is , it is not quite interesting to listen thorough a wall.
"Is he out of his mind ? What is he doing ?" Kartik asks the constable.
"Jaane do sir ! Dimaag khraab hi lagta hai iska. Jab se jail me aaya hai , yehi karta aa rha hai." The constable replies.
"What has he done ?"
"He's a cold blooded murder sir. The bastard killed someone a year ago."
"Killed whom ?" Kartik asks.
"I dont know sir , the officer before you didnt tell me when i asked him..."
"One more thing i know about him is that he was an Army Officer." The constable added.
"What ? An army officer killed someone ? Really ?" Kartik said in disbelief.
"Haan sir ! Tabhi to yahaan aaj idhar 4 diwaaron mein band hai ye. Paagal bhi ho chukaa hai." The constable said with a smirk on his face and Kartik tells him to go.
Kartik's heart isn't ready to accept that an army officer could be a murderer. He opens the door of the cell with his master key and sits in front of prisoner no. 482 , who is still trying to hear something from the wall.
"I said what's your name ?" Kartik asks the man but he just pays no attention to him like before and was still engaged in the wall.
"I think he was right. This man really is insane " Kartik murmurs.
Kartik decides to go out but as he approaches the cell door, a shrilled voice comes-
"Adheer..."
Kartik turns back to find that the man is now looking at him.
"Adheer Singh Randhawa and i am as sane as you Inspectorrrr ..Kartik", the man said.
"How come you know my name ?"
"Oh come on! Its written on the plate attached to your shirt. You didn't even get this and you call me insane ?" Adheer says with a smile.
"If you're not , what you think you were doing with the wall, Mister sane" Kartik asks him , sitting in front of him.
"I was hearing-"
"Hearing what ?"
"Rain . The sound of it"
"Aur wo kyun Janaab?"
"Well inspector , I find the voice of her laugh in the rain and there is no such relief as to hear her laughing." Adheer says .
"Her ? Her who ?" Kartik asks as he is getting even more confused.
"And you killed someone inspite of being an army officer ? Army's duty is to save , not to kill. You're such a shame. Why did you do it ?"
"What would i get if i tell you ?" Adheer says with the smile still on his face.
"What do you want ?"
"I am caged here since last year. I haven't seen anything from the outside world since then. I have neither seen a rainfall....
...It has been a year , a year without rain. A year without her. I want to get out of here and get wet in the pouring rain just for once. I want to feel it again falling over me. I want to see it falling again. Just for one more time." Adheer says , placing his hand on Kartik's knee.
"Huh ! Such a price ! Okey , i will take you out , I promise..." Kartik says , "..but what's with this obsession with rain ?"
Adheer raises his eyebrows. "Let me tell you a story. A story that would be the answer to all of your questions inspector." Adheer says with eyes which seem to be filled with an unusual happiness.
"Theek hai but i have to go now. I would be here tomorrow." Kartik tells adheer and stands up to leave the cell.
Adheer replies nothing, joins his ear to the wall again and says-
"I am coming Radhu. We'll be finally together . You and me , in the pouring rain , once again and this time , it'll be for ever."
