Aniket was walking as briskly as possible. The clouds were gathering since late afternoon. Over the high rising malls of Saket he could see the clouds approaching like a herd of elephant. The strong wind was flinging sand with it and making it difficult to walk with eyes open, but still Aniket was enjoying the walk. It was pleasant. By the time he reached his sector it started drizzling. Aniket hurried towards his building. The rain was about to get heavy , he made it just in the nick of time. He got somewhat wet by the time he reached the building. Aniket saw a car stopping in front of the building. A couple got out of the car. Aniket waved at them and got into the lift for his flat. He liked such rainy weather. He planned to write something tonight or maybe he will call up his girlfriend and chat with her till late in night.
The couple was Mr and Mrs Kapoor. They were newly married and they recently moved in the building. They worked in the same office and took the same cab to and from office everyday. They took the stairs to their flat. they were fitness enthusiasts and used to take stairs to their flat located on 7th floor. There is something about watching a rainy evening from a 7th floor balcony. The city looks so quiet and fresh. Their domestic help came shortly afterwards. she made coffee for them and went towards kitchen for making dinner. Mr and Mrs Kapoor were sitting on the balcony sipping their coffee. It was a rainy evening 7 years back when they met each other in their college fest. Their domestic help informed them that she made the dinner and is leaving. Mr. and Mrs Kapoor decided to keep sitting in the balcony. Mrs. Kapoor laid her head on Mr. Kapoor's shoulder as they sat there reliving the memories of their first meeting amidst the continuous drizzle in front of their balcony.
The maid took the lift to reach the ground floor. Today was 24th i.e. the last week of the month. As usual their household was crunched for money. She was worried about making ends meet. As she came out of the lift she saw water had clogged the entrance to the building. She cursed the care taker of the society under her breath. She pulled up the corner of her saree above her head and very carefully started crossing the lane. She was worried about her own home in the slum. If the rain continues like this, water will enter her shanty. Few children of the nearby slum were playing in the water clogged streets. The maid hurried towards her home careful to avoid any potholes.
Chhotu was a slum kid. He was just 5 years old. Rainy days meant unlimited fun for him. He alongwith his friends used to play in the water clogged streets with the same enthusiasm as the rich kids when they play in a water park. He was splashing the water all over. The kids were singing songs which they have heard on the radio in their slum. Mostly bollywood songs. Life was simple for them. Whenever any vehicle crossed, they had to be careful. A person crossed them with a hand driven trolley with vegetables arranged on it, covered by a plastic. Chhotu avoided the trolley and went on to hug a street dog. The dog joined the fun and it continued.
Ramesh carefully avoided the kids dancing in the streets. He hated such rainy days. That too on monday. Monday was the day of haat-baazar in the Pushp Vihar sector 4 area. Rain on a haat baazar day means less footfall and less sales. But this was beyond his control. he pushed his trolley to his spot in the baazar. Few other trolleys had shown up. Mostly selling vegetables or plastic items. The garment vendors, chhole bhature wala, spices seller had not turned up today. Their product is prone to be damaged by rain. Ramesh sighed and set up the plastic cover to form a kind of tent over his trolley. A long evening of selling amidst heavy rain was in front of him.
Few hours later the rain had stopped. Mr. and Mrs Kapoor finished dinner. Mr. Kapoor was sitting in the balcony working on his laptop on some official stuff while Mrs. Kapoor was talking to her sister on phone standing by the railing. The maid had cleared the water from her home. Not much damage was done. Chhotu was asleep in his shanty, by his mother. The street dog laid in a bundle outside his shanty. Ramesh was still selling vegetables. The crowd picked up after the rain stopped. His sales were going to be as per his expectation. And Aniket.. Well Aniket was typing a story. !
The couple was Mr and Mrs Kapoor. They were newly married and they recently moved in the building. They worked in the same office and took the same cab to and from office everyday. They took the stairs to their flat. they were fitness enthusiasts and used to take stairs to their flat located on 7th floor. There is something about watching a rainy evening from a 7th floor balcony. The city looks so quiet and fresh. Their domestic help came shortly afterwards. she made coffee for them and went towards kitchen for making dinner. Mr and Mrs Kapoor were sitting on the balcony sipping their coffee. It was a rainy evening 7 years back when they met each other in their college fest. Their domestic help informed them that she made the dinner and is leaving. Mr. and Mrs Kapoor decided to keep sitting in the balcony. Mrs. Kapoor laid her head on Mr. Kapoor's shoulder as they sat there reliving the memories of their first meeting amidst the continuous drizzle in front of their balcony.
The maid took the lift to reach the ground floor. Today was 24th i.e. the last week of the month. As usual their household was crunched for money. She was worried about making ends meet. As she came out of the lift she saw water had clogged the entrance to the building. She cursed the care taker of the society under her breath. She pulled up the corner of her saree above her head and very carefully started crossing the lane. She was worried about her own home in the slum. If the rain continues like this, water will enter her shanty. Few children of the nearby slum were playing in the water clogged streets. The maid hurried towards her home careful to avoid any potholes.
Chhotu was a slum kid. He was just 5 years old. Rainy days meant unlimited fun for him. He alongwith his friends used to play in the water clogged streets with the same enthusiasm as the rich kids when they play in a water park. He was splashing the water all over. The kids were singing songs which they have heard on the radio in their slum. Mostly bollywood songs. Life was simple for them. Whenever any vehicle crossed, they had to be careful. A person crossed them with a hand driven trolley with vegetables arranged on it, covered by a plastic. Chhotu avoided the trolley and went on to hug a street dog. The dog joined the fun and it continued.
Ramesh carefully avoided the kids dancing in the streets. He hated such rainy days. That too on monday. Monday was the day of haat-baazar in the Pushp Vihar sector 4 area. Rain on a haat baazar day means less footfall and less sales. But this was beyond his control. he pushed his trolley to his spot in the baazar. Few other trolleys had shown up. Mostly selling vegetables or plastic items. The garment vendors, chhole bhature wala, spices seller had not turned up today. Their product is prone to be damaged by rain. Ramesh sighed and set up the plastic cover to form a kind of tent over his trolley. A long evening of selling amidst heavy rain was in front of him.
Few hours later the rain had stopped. Mr. and Mrs Kapoor finished dinner. Mr. Kapoor was sitting in the balcony working on his laptop on some official stuff while Mrs. Kapoor was talking to her sister on phone standing by the railing. The maid had cleared the water from her home. Not much damage was done. Chhotu was asleep in his shanty, by his mother. The street dog laid in a bundle outside his shanty. Ramesh was still selling vegetables. The crowd picked up after the rain stopped. His sales were going to be as per his expectation. And Aniket.. Well Aniket was typing a story. !
No comments:
Post a Comment