The Monsoon Moment...

 Veena looked out of the window. The sky was dark and ominous.

 

"Anytime now, it is going to rain, " she whispered to herself. There was a shade of joy in her heart.

 A strong wind blew and the trees started swaying. The leaves shivered. The roses drooped. The grass blades fell upon each other and danced to the rhythm of the wind. But it looked as if the rain was being welcomed with great joy.

 Monsoon always wove magic.

 Now, it started as a drizzle. The gentle drizzle turned into huge water droplets falling on the ground, soaking all the trees, shrubs, leaves, flowers and buds. Small rivulets appeared on the red earth. Puddles formed very fast..

 There was a sense of joy in Veena's heart.

 She loved the rain. She loved to get drenched. To feel the cool drops falling on her upturned face and arms and finally soaking her completely...what a wonderful feeling it was ..getting drenched!

 Her thoughts went back to that particular day when the rain completely changed her flow of life.

 The wedding was to take place in a month and Sudheep had come home to take her for a ride in the new car that he had bought.

 " It is going to rain Sudheep. Why don't you postpone your drive by a day ? Now come and have a cup of tea and I shall make some hot samosas for both of you," Veena's mother Nalini had told him as he sat on the sofa.

 " Not yet aunty. I know Veena loves the rain. We shall be back in half an hour, as I do have to get back home in an hour as my sister Saras is arriving tonight . "

 There was a spring in her walk as Veena darted towards the car.

 Like love birds, both of them talked nonstop . Plans were made for their beautiful future. Sudheep had been posted in Mussorie in the IAS Academy as a lecturer. Veena loved the mere thought of shifting to Mussorie as the scenic beauty did not differ much from this place Ooty , where she had been born and brought up. She did have her own profession too. Yes...she was a budding writer and two of her novels had become best sellers.

 Ooty was a lovely place and Veena's father had inherited a piece of land on the hills in which he grew tea . He had a coffee plantation in Coonoor too. A small family and life revolved around the plantations and welfare of the workers. Both her parents were avid readers and Veena had inherited a passion for reading from them. The house had two rooms full of books on shelves, ranging from old classics to fiction and spiritual books too. There was also the much-envied collection of National Geographic magazines. From the age of sixteen, Veena had started writing too. Starting with a few poems which appeared in some magazines, she had switched over to writing stories and novels and two of her novels had become best sellers. She had become a professional writer now.

 Veena was born in London and she had her schooling there till the primary level and the family shifted to India and Shreedaran her father decided to live in Ooty and take care of the tea and coffee plantations which were managed by his ancestors. Shreedaran and Nalini wanted to be back in India and they fell in love with the style of traditional living here. Veena's being born in London was a plus point too, as she was able to take part in the Queen's Royal Commonwealth Essay Competitions and Photography Competitions. She had a passion for photography and she still cherishes those moments when she had tea with her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth a few years ago, when she won Silver in the Photography Competition.

 The whole family had flown to London on that occasion.

 Veena met Sudheep in the District Library and very soon love blossomed. He had been posted as a faculty member in the Mussoori IAS Academy and frequented Ooty where his father had a business. His father was a very down to earth tame man but the mother was authoritarian and avaricious. She approved of Veena only because her father owned coffee and tea plantations and she was a popular writer, who was making money. Money mattered a lot for this strong woman, who herself was from a very rich family.

 Sudheep drove very carefully as the rain grew stronger.

 At one point , when they were returning, Veena wanted him to stop the car as she wanted to FEEL the rain. Grudgingly he stopped the car, as his aversion to getting wet was that of a cat. As he stopped the car and sat behind the wheel, Veena got off and enjoyed the feel of water droplets falling on her face. The rain started abating and the sun peeped out of the clouds and smiled as if to say, " See...what a fine bath I have given the trees ! They look so fresh and happy now! " Veena smiled to herself and got back into the car.

 " I just don't understand this Veena..your childish joy in getting drenched! Ugh !! I wouldn't, for all the treasures of the world, " Sudheep said, as he started the car.

 She laughed and told him,

 " But I am happy that you are letting me do what I wish to. Just imagine, if you were a geek and prevented me from getting out of the car...like a hypochondriac !! " She gave an imaginary shudder.

 Then it happened!

 The car skidded and moved fast, hitting a tree on the roadside and the door flung open and Veena was thrown out. That was the last thing she remembered.

 As she battled for life in the ICU, all she could recall was her parents' faces coated with genuine worry. Her days in the ICU were nightmarish. Her health took a better turn soon and she was shifted to a room.

 She smiled for the first time and her parents' faces beamed with happiness.

 " God has been great, Veena and really merciful." Her mother said quietly.

 "Amma...Is Sudheep okay ?"

 Her mother became silent.

 Her father spoke. There was bitterness in his voice.

 " There was not a scratch on his body. He got out without an injury..But you, my dear.."

 His voice trembled.

 Later they broke the news to her that Sudheep's wedding had been fixed with another girl..from a rich family. A relative of Sudheep's mother. He could do nothing , being helpless against his mother's arguments. She had even threatened to kill herself in case he refused to marry that girl. He had come just once to see her when he was down for a weekend. Then he had stopped visiting .

 " Veena, you have to be strong. You have a whole life in front of you. Start your writing. Get the passion back in your heart. We are both here to help you. May be you deserve someone else who is a much better human being than Sudheep. " Shreedharan told her.

 Veena gazed out...the rain had stopped completely. The sun was shining brightly now. Even the wisps of clouds were getting scattered.

 She propelled her wheelchair towards her writing table. She had to continue her book.

 "Mobility is not only in my hands. It is there in my heart too, " she whispered to herself.

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