So Stupid Me

I could hear the soft whirring of the machine when I paused my Ipod between songs. I looked around, and I could hardly see people in the floor. I closed my laptop, as it showed ‘Code aborted’ and packed my bag. I went past the security gateway to reach the elevator. My thoughts kept replaying the error, trying to find a solution. Alas! I was not able to figure out anything. ‘Damn!’, I cursed myself. The people around me gave a bewildered look. That was when I realized, I had been loud. I mumbled an apology and waited for the elevator to stop, all the while trying to put an end to my thoughts. I was very hungry, tired and felt sick at the thought of the long travel I had to make to reach my home. I got out of the elevator and reached my bike. I ignited my engine and drove slowly towards the basement exit.

It had been raining heavily since evening and had just stopped. There were several puddles and potholes on the roads as a consequence. I hoped to reach home before another downpour. I saw many people rushing home like me. All the hustle blocked the road, but still I managed to drive along the narrow gap, and moved forward. At that moment, my worst fear came true. Rain started lashing heavily, making it difficult to drive further. I killed my engine, and sprinted with my helmet towards a roofed place, where people were standing. The roof covered only a small area, and was unable to accommodate more people. I was one of the unlucky folks, who couldn’t fit in. I felt it was the worst day I ever had. I hated being there all alone in such a situation rather than enjoying the weather.

‘Hey!!’, said a voice behind me. I turned slowly, fully knowing that I wasn’t the one being called, but wanting to check, whom that beautiful voice belongs to. There stood an angel, with an umbrella. ‘Wanna come in?’, the voice reached me first, after which I realized that her lips were moving. ‘Oh God! She is speaking. But to whom?!’, my inner voice asked me. I looked back to see if someone else was standing behind. ‘Hey! I’m asking you’, she pointed me with her left hand finger, and made a slight movement with her right hand holding an umbrella towards me. I neither knew what to say, nor how to react. Before comprehending the situation, my legs started to move towards her involuntarily, as her magnetic eyes attracted me!

‘Thanks!’, I said, pronouncing the word carefully with a little smile. I did not want her to think that I was flirting. She replied with her angelic grin, that faded out everyone around me and all my thoughts, except her.

I stood there, very close to her, under her umbrella. I just turned to steal a look of her gorgeous face. She told me, she could not hold the umbrella anymore, not with her words, but with her eyes. Yes! I understood for the first time, “The Language of Eyes”. I started to take the umbrella from her little hand, without asking. That moment, our eyes met each other, and I felt dizzy. I was drawn too deep in her mesmerizing eyes, when I realized we were standing too close. I got hit by the reality and the people around me came into picture all of the sudden. ‘Its ok! I can hold it’ she said.

‘Aahhh, no- no. Its ok. I think you have some difficulty to lift the umbrella above my head!’, and I smiled.

She understood, that I was talking about her height, and she glared at me with her killing eyes. ‘I’ll take your helmet then!’, she said. I pretended not to give her, though I wanted to. Finally she took it from me. That was the most beautiful moment in my life. I wanted the whole world to freeze at that moment. We were lost in our little oblivion.

‘Challo! Challo!’, a loud voice broke the trance, like a huge bomb dropped in the silent pond. A security asked us to leave, as he was clearing the footpath. I was shocked, we were standing there with an umbrella above us, even after the rain had stopped. We exchanged a grin, and were about to leave.

‘Hey, take this with you. I live nearby. I’ll manage’, she touched me with her umbrella.

‘No. I can’t drive with this!’.

‘You sure?’.

‘Yeah!’

‘Bye. I’m leaving. Good night!’

‘Yes it is really a good night’, I thought to myself. ‘Good night. Nice to meet you.’

I walked towards my bike, and ignited my engine. I saw her crossing the road when I rode my bike past her. As I had expected, she turned back.

‘I don’t know even her name. She made my evening very special’ I thought to myself. Pressing the brakes very hard, I stopped my bike. Shit! She had wanted me to take her umbrella, only to know each other well. It had not even struck me when she gave me. I scanned the other side of the road quickly, but I couldn’t find her.

‘What the ………..!!’, and I started to ride my bike slowly.