Indian Rain

The sky was overcast over the Village.Cinereous clouds were making their way inwards towards the city,descending down the leeward slopes of the mountain.

He was walking on the road,along the pavement,kicking at the little stones that crossed his tread. He had just left the college library,having read from the day's paper that the monsoon was several crucial weeks behind schedule,and that a huge water crisis was looming over the City.

"That was news to me",he thought wryly to himself.He knew drinking water was supplied once-in-four days to the residential areas by the City Corporation,and once in 10 days to some suburbs.The image he had seen of men and women of all ages standing in the long queue by the borewell-water tap at the end of the street ,as he was walking to his bus-stop that morning,was fresh in his mind.

Dark clouds have been passing overhead for a couple of days now,but not a drop of rain fell out from the sky,even by a mistake it would seem.The clouds were not yet ready to shed their load,as against the electricity board that was very enthusiastic to shed their's-a measure borne out of the power crisis the entire region was going through.

The wind was picking up in speed and in strength,and dry and dead leaves fell out of the trees lining the pavement.A sudden gush of icy winds made him hunch his shoulders,and slipped his hands into his denim pockets.

"Skawwounn kwouun knwouun",he heard the distant calls of the peacock,and wondered where in the vicinity it was hiding.He knew there were many peacocks around in the university campus,but had never seen one in full view.Being a day hop,he was envious of the hostel inmates who could see them during dawn and dusk,when they come out for a stroll.He bent his neck down to pick an aim to stamp out a dry twig a few paces ahead,and after some really quick calculation,expertly adjusted his steps so that he could land his foot on the twig on his next step.He liked the the sound of breaking twigs.

As the moment of truth was imminent,something wet fell on his neck. Fearing the worst (previous experience of having been a target for bird-shit),he tentatively touched it with the tip of his index finger.He retrieved his hand and held it palm upwards for inspection.It was just water.Just as he was starting to feel relieved,a drop of water fell on his palm.

As he was turning to look up at the heavens,a smile started to lift his face,as rain drops started kissing his face.

Cont'd...