Monsoon I hate you ...

He came home drenched, cursing the rains and threw his office bag around the couch. He left for his room to change not noticing her standing at the corner holding a towel; neither had he observed the aroma of hot rich coffee filled in his house which he loved so much just like rains.

Image of soaked Rihaan waiting outside her office with a parcel of Chinese food in his hands, he flashed a sparkling smile at her the moment she became visible from the crowd. They both took hand in hand and walked towards the auto-riskshaw stand to reach his apartment. They had spend good time together before letting their parents know about their decision to marry which their family excepted happily.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care but now it wasn’t the same either. He was busy at work and so was she; it was long time when they had a romantic dinner or a pleasant talk. The strange thing was that they didn’t see the distance it had created in their relationship and neither of them tried to bring the lost love back.

A few days before Rihaan got his promotion along with an urgent requirement to travel to Sydney for the project the very next morning, and the moment he came to know it he decided to take Neeti along with him. He arranged for her tickets on phone, bought a bunch of orchids her favourite and a bottle of wine to celebrate. On the way home he suddenly realized he was enjoying this setup of celebrating it with her; the love of his life. There was excitement to reach her soon grab her in his arms and share the news to which she would have the brightest smile and shall reward him with a kiss. The more he thought he got excited like some school boy.

He reached home and the moment he entered he found her fuming on the phone call. His eagerness mellowed down at the sight, and he went to her and asked her what was wrong. She pressed the phone harshly and loudly told him ‘Why does it matter to you even if anything is wrong? Have you been around me lately to see even I was alright?’ His senses suddenly got hit with the reality, the bad time their relationship was going through.

He left the flowers on the table and apologized to her for bothering her in the conversation. To which she got furious and embarrassed both, lowering her volume and anger she got back to the call she was on with the staff member.

The morning brightness had already been peeking through the window curtains and Neeti decided to take some sleep before she began for the day and she went to the room not noticing the travel bag out and packed.

Rihaan had left for Sydney leaving her a note of explanation of his absence; she was taken aback and humiliated of her behaviour last night. Neeti observed a ticket lying on the table; it was hers. She had tears streaming through her eyes, she knew they both had been ignoring each other for some reasons unknown but their love was still alive playing hide and seek. She wanted to be with him, apologize for how she behaved and also wanted to know the reasons for his distance, she wanted him back and wanted to know if he wanted her too. But this had to wait now for a week until Rihaan comes back. Memories of their beautiful yesterday caught her present and left a message on his phone saying “I love monsoon but not without you”.

The house was all brighten up with candles and aroma of coffee making it a perfect monsoon evening. The drizzling of rain on the window panes, the smell of wet sand and wait was making it gloomy for her. She was standing at her window gazing out at the road and waiting for him. Neeti knew monsoon without Rihaan was as depressing as her life without his presence around her.

She was still waiting for him cursing the rains she said ‘Monsoon I hate you’ and sudden sound of door bell quickened her heart beats and she knew it was him.

She opened the door to see him standing with a bunch of orchids in his hands.

- Jayshree