Memory

"Hey, why don't we get to meet outside the college? It's been good number of days! Let's hangout somewhere else?" Vir exclaimed excitedly. I, an introverted person who hardly comes out of her peaceful shell got worried. What would I tell to Mom. No, it wasn't a date, obviously. But to me, small details mattered, especially when you never had to conceal anything from your family. "helllooo!!! Miss? Lost where?" The calm and thin voice interrupted my thoughts. "Yaa, sorry! But where? When? A cafe?" I asked. "Too much questions!" He smirked, "I will take care of that, but let's fix Monday, after lectures. What say?" "Okay, fine. Monday!" I replied and hanged up.

I got a complete 24 hours to overthink, what to say, how to cover up, how do I dress, where shall he take me, was the 'Just friendship" thing going too fast, bla bla and bla. I tried sleeping that night but when do insomniacs get sleep so easily? I went for a retrospection trip.

It was just a month after our MBA classes started. Hardly a population of 30 students, it didn't take long to befriend everyone. But I really wonder, with Vir, when did I get so close. Neither did we have long conversations nor we had anything in similar. Interests, imaginations, ambitions, nothing was same. In fact a time came, when I got so scared of him. His passion and his craving for everything going around him, in the world, politics, sports, technology, his beliefs, his opinions, about US- China war, anything!!!! He is always ready to deliver to a 5 hour long lecture. I have always seen something floating in his eyes. A part of solitude, a pinch of confidence, lots of passion and dozens of stories untold- his eyes never lied. I so wish if I could be a part of them. But it was really soon to judge a person. It takes an era to know what a soul really is. And it was just a month. I refrained my brain from further thoughts and waited for that Monday afternoon.

"Hey, let's go?" Vir said, at the scheduled time on the scheduled date, after the lectures. "But where? My question still remains the same?" I retorted. "A good drive to a good place." Vir accelerated his car and our journey began. Mere talks about families, time pass gossips about college, interesting incidents in his life, his past and present friends, his shifting stories to other place and lots of stories he had made up in his life. "I think you should be named #storymaker you know?" I giggled. "Beware of this innocent face! He shall always cause unwanted stories to happen!" "Haha, so unfunny that's so not funny at all." He replied with a grin and we laughed so more. Meanwhile, the journey witnessed a downpour so violent. I pulled down the window and waved my hand in the rain to feel the blissfulness of the drops. "Are you crazy? Do you intend to get sick or what?" Vir taunted. "I don't mind that, the detour is getting so beautiful with this blithe, you can't really take it away from me!" He stared at me for a while and then smiled. I took my hands inside and closed the window. And in the midst of chit chat and songs on the radio, we reached our destination. Such a calm and silent and lush green forest! It was bizarre, it was surprising, it was haunting! I felt my heart in my mouth. Yet, it was so dreamy and insightful. I could listen to wind whistling and the lake singing with the raindrops dancing over its water and few drops rolling over my face. Just no one and us! Anything could have happened to me. Anything could have happened to us! I wish only if I was given some kind of warning! No, not of robbery, theft, loot or accident. Warning to me, that I already started falling for someone or something! In that eerie yet tranquil air, I could have got vanished in the ecstasy. I don't know, if he was watching me or scrolling over his phone. I literally didn't care. To get diffused in the moment, I closed my eyes!

"What on the earth are you standing like a statue over there? Do you want to get sick? Well I am perhaps too busy to look after you right now in case you are intending to." My mom screamed. I opened my eyes to feel the rain. Yet again, but a different downpour. Same sky, other time, other year but the same psyche with the same memories. Memories: I really wish to know if it's a curse or a boon. People who say it's difficult for them to remember, are so in fact fortunate enough. They don't have memories of their painful past too. They don't run inside a vicious box of reminiscence. Nor do they remember, who went, who had left or who was meant to be there. Only if memories didn't exist, all rains would have been so beautiful, enough and so complete.