Re-Encounter

As ilakiya walked down the empty corridors, her mind was racing with events of the day. It had begun like any other day, waking up late, getting ready in a haste, hurrying for the cab, a hour's journey with her iPod playing her usual list of nice-to-listen in morning songs, greetings, smiles and yawning's welcoming her as she entered the gigantic building. Little gal's talk in the rest room, then the usual routine breakfast - coffee-work-lunch-stroll-work-coffee-time pass-snacks schedule. Nothing significant or important about the day. As she reached the main exit she realized something had made the day special. It had rained.

The first monsoon rain had showered in the city, pretty heavy with little hailstones, painting the campus gardens with a rich green, rare birds chirping out in the campus, it had been a like scene out of a artist's canvas. Then was the news that upset everyone around. The cab drivers were on a sudden strike, so they had to wait for other cabs to be arranged but the regular drivers were stopping the new drivers from entering the campus. "Why the Hell.. ", "Oh S&*^", "Why dint they tell it earlier ","Crappy Management "," Things like this can happen only here .." talks going on everywhere.. She too mouthed some of the dialogues. And now 3 hours post the usual exit time she was seated in her cab.. It was still raining, which means it was a long journey back to her room.

With her nice-to-listen -at- night -especially- when -it- rains song list playing, she closed her eyes to have a much needed nap. When she woke up suddenly (thanks to the driver's sudden realization that brakes should be applied when there is a hump) the vehicle was in the deserted lane close to her room. She checked out to see if everything was as per customs of the city during monsoon :deserted streets, light's out, drains overflowing ,street dogs howling. With a small curse she was closing the windows again. That's when she saw him.

He was standing in the corner of the deserted street, under the lone tree. It was very easy to recognize him even without light because of the bright fluorescence that always surrounded him. He was wearing long black coat and a black hat, smoking and with a bottle in his hand.

A scene from deep inside her memory popped out in front of her eyes. How can she forget that day... Her dad had beat her for the first time that day.. She had cried for hours together after that. Had skipped food entirely the next day. It took a lot of her family's efforts to console her, to bring her back .. After that she had forgotten about it . The urge to have it was erased from her mind. Even when she came across him many times in this city she did not want it. But why today. What was he doing here at this hour in this city especially when it was raining.

The urge , the same longing she had for it that day years back when she was just a child in that small town was back in her now. She wanted to have it.. she wanted to know why, why that thing attracted her at first fight. Why she tried to jump off a running car to go have it. Why....

'Madaam, Maadam...'Someone was calling her... Oh she had reached her drop point.. The driver gave her a angry stare.. She signed and got down. She stood there in the center of the deserted street, drenched in rain, undecided which way to walk.

What was she thinking.She should go back to her room, it does not make sense to walk alone in that deserted street known for its notorious rowdies ,to that man standing there. That too after seeing the bottle in his hand. But the urge, the longing in her made her decide the other way.

Slowly she walked towards him. She was completely drenched. Dirt had spoilt her new salwar kameez. She was shivering, she was coughing, A old man gave her a amused look from his balcony . But nothing stopped her. She walked...

There he was with the florescent thing in front of him.. He was swinging in the air , kicking and mouthing abuses , courtesy :the bottle in his hand. She went and stood in front of him.

He gave her a angry stare , scanned her and then a cunning smile. She was taken back. Her eyes was fixed on the florescent thing. She took her wallet out and handed him a 10Rupee note and pointed towards it.

He was confused and then with this shaking hand rolled out a packed and gave it to her.

She took it and walked back hurriedly, not even stopping to his calls to take the change back.

She stopped at the entrance of her room and then opened the packet. The florescent thing, the the what they called it... Cotton Candy.... Was in her hand now. The thing she had longed for that day years back was in her hand now. With a content smile in her lips she put it in her mouth.. Yummy... The way it melted in her mouth waaass heavenly.. She turned back towards the street to have one more packet ... ;-)