The First Rain

She was waiting for the bus on the lonely road in the early morning hours when the first showers of the monsoon hit the ground. With nowhere to take shelter, she drenched herself in the light rains, enjoying the pleasant smell of the soil, but at the same time worrying about how she would make it to college in these wet clothes. He saw her standing at the regular spot and walked over to her. The two strangers had never spoken to each other, but it was their routine to see each other at the same bus stop every day, wait for the same bus at the regular time, step into the bus, sit one behind another, and finally get down at their regular stops. After a year-long wait, today the first rains sparked up things between them. He had an umbrella. He offered her to get under the umbrella with a slight gesture, but she was hesitant and just smiled with a ‘No’.

Both thought it was just another day when neither of them would initiate the first word, but the rain had other plans. The downpour worsened within a couple of seconds and without any hesitation, she ran towards him to stand under his umbrella.

That was the first time they spoke. And it was just the beginning...