When time stopped November 13, 2007

This happened during my 3rd year of engineering. After getting down at Tnagar, I usually catch another bus home just a stop away coz I have a bus-pass and want to make maximum use of it. But that evening had something special in it. It was about 5:30pm in the evening and the weather was completely different form usual Chennai weather. It was dark & cloudy and looked like it would rain any moment. The breeze was blowing strong and the smell of dead leaves blowing across the road was just heavenly. Its not daily that such a beautiful evening occurs in a crowded and polluted city like Chennai. I wanted to make the best use of the moment and decided to walk back home hoping that it would rain and my long time wish of walking in rain will finally come true. I had covered almost half way and the road was amazingly quiet even at this peak hour. Maybe it was bcoz heavy vehicles were diverted due to the rush in the temple ahead.
I was walking very slowly making the most of the moment and expecting the rain to come down heavily at any instant. Suddenly a few metres ahead an auto came and stopped to the side of road. An old woman in her 50’s and a handsome tall youngman in his 25’s who looked like her son came out of the gate of a house with few bags. The woman was wearing a light brown saree and the youngman was wearing blue jeans and black tshirt. They were not speaking a word and there was an aura of sadness around him. Slowly they kept the luggage inside the auto and the young man looked back at the gate. Then I noticed a young girl about 20 years old wearing red sleeveless 3/4 and blue jeans. I could say I didn’t believe in angels until I saw her. The two of them looked amazing and were just made for each other.
He looked at her for a brief moment and then at the old woman. She looked down, let out a sigh and got into the auto. Slowly the girl moved from the gate onto the pavement and came near him. The girl was about his shoulder height and they were looking into each other eyes. For a moment it felt like everything had stopped for them… the clouds, the wind, the falling leafs… in fact I don’t exactly remember whether I was still walking towards them or standing there awestruck. The girl slowly came forward, wrapped her hand around him and he held he shoulders softly. She moved away from him clenching her lips so as not to let out a cry. It felt so bad to see their gloomy faces that I wished one of them would smile for each others sake. He looked at her again for a brief moment, got into the auto and he left. She kept watching him and tried her best to wave, but was so much overcome with emotions that she could barely lift her hand. She stood there even after he was out of sight and I walked ahead slowly. As I passed her our eyes met. Tears were streaming down her face and she was trying her best not to cry in a public place. To be true, even I was over come by emotion after watching the whole thing, but barely managed a smile and she gave back a one sided smile. As I walked home I wished, I prayed that this be the happiest couple in the world and never had to be separated again. Then suddenly it started raining as if my prayers have been answered. I looked back and she was still there… facing up the sky with her eyes closed allowing the rains to wash her tears away.