We were searching
a good place to talk, have some intimate moments. It’s been six months we were
seeing each other. Now, we needed to talk and plan for our future. My parents
were giving constant pressure saying I was running out of my age for marriage.
Rahul bought a new
motor cycle. We thought of going to the
nearby hill top. We planned to catch up the sunset too. Roads were not good…a
bit muddy. Narrow lane through big pine trees….. In few places, it was just up
and up….and the edges were quite sharp. We took more time than expected. We saw
few wood cutters on our way…who were coming down from the forest area. They gave some awkward looks at us as if they
were wondering why we were going towards that side.
We reached the top….there
was silence, such as might have existed before the birth of sound. We saw one sign-board – “This is the Zenith
point.Don’t cross this point, you will be at risk.”
From that point,
there was a slope…. There was a big tree beside that board. And the grass
were quite smooth. We sat there, and took out our eatables.
Suddenly, my
mobile phone rang. I had kept it in the grass. I picked it up to receive the call.
Oops! It slipped from my hand, fell down in the sloping…..I could see it
rolling down the lane….and stuck in a tree few feet down to us.
We were helpless…what
to do now….Should we go down and bring it ….We were confused. It was still day
time, so why to worry….!!!
Rahul walked down…..My
heart seemed to stop beating and then the worst came….A double flash of
lightening with a crash of loudest thunder, all of a sudden. The thunder pealed and echoed across the hill and among the distant forests. The flood-gates of
heaven suddenly opened and let out their rain in streaming torrents.
I
could see Rahul going down and down.
The
drops started falling down with a rapid rushing sound upon me . A moment later
an another flash, even more brighter and of longer duration than the first,
lit up the sky from zenith to horizon and bathed the place momentarily in
dazzling whiteness.
I quickly went
closer to the tree, tried to save myself as much as possible, from the rain and
wind.
Now, I could not see Rahul anymore….
The
rain stopped. I could see the rain glistering on the leaves and branches. I
shouted Rahul loud so many times…..my voice echoed from every side……But, no
response from Rahul….I screamed…..cried my heart out and loud…I decided to go down to find him…..
I slowly started walking down with my bare foot....
The
wind rose suddenly, and in less than a minute, as if, the storm that had been gathering
all day burst forth in its full fury. I was lost…..
