Rain..

Radha and Kabir were walking down the hill from a casual shopping afternoon session at Kasauli. It was their last day here. A leisurely stroll in the streets seemed like a good idea. Radha loved the slight drizzle which this place offered each day they were here. This evening too, the drizzle was their constant companion. The problem arose when this drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. With shopping bags on their heads, both of them ran to the nearest shelter, a small shed of a closed shop. Thankfully, they had purchased woolen jackets a few moments ago. They put them on as it was starting to get chilly. Kabir was concerned about Radha getting wet, as she had a sinus issue, but Radha was enjoying this weather. As usual her questions began pouring in too. She said, ‘Isn’t it thought provoking Kabir, we plan for everything always and sometimes we are stopped at our tracks, by forces of nature. You had an itinerary for our entire trip prepared and most of it happened according to that. Why did you not plan for this, I ask you?’ She chuckled. Radha did not care about getting soaked, she wanted to make the most of this beautiful pause which was caused by the rain. Kabir couldn’t help but break into a smile. But did not say anything. Radha nudged him with her elbow and said, ‘I wish to get wet in this Kasauli rain’. Kabir held her arm tight as soon as he heard it. He knew she could do anything if she sets her mind to it. She will not evaluate the risks involved and jump right to it. The thought of getting wet in the rain seemed to be brewing strongly in her mind. Talking her out of it would be futile. So he just held her tight, assuming she wouldn’t do it. Radha’s determination grew stronger with his grip. Poor Kabir, there was no restraining Radha. Why does he forget, the more he stops her from doing these silly things, the stronger her resolves get. She tickled him, got out of his grip and stepped into the downpour gleefully before Kabir could utter a word. She spread both her arms wide open, inviting the droplets of water to fill her with ecstasy. Kabir, standing there, watched her truly live the simplicity of this moment. It was probably the best sight of this entire trip for him. Radha was singing, dancing, jumping around in merry. He just let her be. The rain finally turned into a drizzle again and they both walked to their cozy BnB which was close by. Radha was shivering yet laughing all the way along. Kabir pretended to be mad at her.

Back in their room, Kabir was on phone postponing their travel to the day after. Radha was curled up in a heavy blanket, beside the fire place, sneezing her heart out. Kabir brought her a steaming cup of hot chocolate, sat beside her and said, ‘I plan and you improvise, it keeps in sync’. He laughed and Radha continued sneezing.