It was the kind of afternoon where the clouds threatened more than they delivered , heavy and dark, hanging low over the college campus, casting long shadows across the pavement.
Thabal stood beneath the waiting shed outside her university, watching the rain drizzle heavily. A few students were still trickling out, umbrellas popping open like flowers in slow motion. The wind picked up. Thunder cracked in the distance.
She heaved a sigh at the weather. She was making up some plans earlier but seems like it has gone flowing down the drain just like the rain. She looked up at the sky and then across the road.
There he was. Same spot. Same jeep. Same stance.
Except today, he wasn't in uniform. He wore a plain black shirt rolled at the sleeves, loosely tucked into faded jeans, a leather strap watch on his wrist. No sunglasses this time. Just him. It startled her more than she expected, seeing him like that. Less officer, and more like a normal man.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the world shrank around her, everything else dropped away. The chatter of students, the impatient honking at the nearby junction, the whispering wind. It all faded, as if the world had gently tilted and left only the two of them in its frame.
He didn't smile. Didn't smirk or nod. He just watched her. Still. Calm.
No college gates. No umbrellas. No traffic.
Just rain in the air, and his steady gaze. He continued watching her. Yet his gaze wasn't creepy or uncomfortable. His gaze was somehow intimidating yet comforting in a weird manner. She looked away first, blinking rapidly, suddenly conscious of her breath, of the heat rising to her cheeks despite the cooling wind.
Meera and Shreya came behind her, smirking at the scene in front of them. Meera leaned forward and whispered
"kisike toh balle balle hai" Meera's voice cooed behind her, sing-song and teasing. Thabal jumped slightly, then turned to see both Meera and Shreya grinning shamelessly. They had seen everything.
Shreya nudged her gently, whispering behind her.
"He's not even pretending anymore."
"Shut up" Thabal murmured, not trusting her voice.
"Did he change clothes just to look casual? So that he can impress you with his good and dashing look?" Shreya added from the other side with full on excitement.
Thabal groaned softly and looked away, trying to hide the small, helpless smile that tugged at her lips. Her heart did that familiar flutter , that uncertain, nervous dance she both dreaded and longed for.
"Tere pass umbrella nahi hai kya?" Meera asked, seeing her standing idle. To which Thabal shook her head with a sigh.
"Nahi yaar! Bhul gayi. Roj toh jab lati thi tab toh barish nahi hota, aaj jab nahi layi tab hi ho raha hai" She jutted her lips out in annoyance and scrunched her nose.
"Mein layi hoon, hamare saath chal le" Shreya offered, showing her the umbrella. Seeing it Thabal stared at her weirdly gave her a 'are you serious' look.
"Behen, tumlogo ke saath jane se aacha mein bheeg ke hi jawu. Itne chote chattri pe teen insaan jana ya akele bheeg ke jana ek hi baat hai" She slapped Sherya's shoulder playfully.
"Toh tu bheeg ke aayegi kya? You know right that you have sinus? Thoda sa bhi bheegi na toh kal subah tum bistar se nahi uth pawogi. Ya toh tu ek kam kar, Meera aur tu chale ja. Mein baad pe aati hoon" Shreya suggested, only to receive scolding in unison.
"Pagal hogayi hai kya!" Both Meera and Thabal exclaimed together.
"Hum kabhi akele jate hai kya. Tu kyu akeli jayegi. Jyada mother Teresa banne ki jarurat nahi hai" Meera glared at her.
"Wahi na, ase kaise itni easily boldiya tum log chalo" Thabal scowled at her deeply.
Shreya heaved a deep sigh and then chuckled putting her both hands over her waist.
"Thik hai meri darlings. Chalo wait karte hai jab tak baarish nahi rukhti. Aur kya hi upai hai" she said, throwing both her arms around the girls shoulder, pulling them closer to herself.
"Umggg! Shreya! Itni garmi mein pasina pasina hogaya hai aur tu chipki ja rahi hai" Meera groaned and tried to push her away but instead Shreya grinned and pulled them more closely. Thabal chuckled and said nothing, just enjoying their banter.
She looked forward, watching the rain pour down heavily. With a soft smile she watched, the road drenched over. As her eyes lifted a little, she saw him again. And her smile froze in its place.
Her eyes met his. He was watching her from his jeep, seated inside comfortably. She adverted her eyes quickly, trying to make it seem like she was not watching him at all.
Yet she couldn't control and looked up again, slowly peeking to see him. And this time something surprising happened.
He chuckled, or more like did a short, slow laugh. Showing his teeth, looking more handsome than he already was. Thabal widened her eyes slightly and immediately turned away, her weeks burning as if caught in fire. She bowed her head down in embarrassment of getting caught in watching him.
She internally groaned at it. Darn it!! She looked down at the floor and took a moment to memorize his gorgeous and rare smile. It was too amusing to see such a moment.
Her inner thoughts were cut in between when Sherya suddenly screeched in excitement.
"Thaballl!!! Dekh dekh dekh!!" She shook her arms violently, making the latter almost lose her balance over herself.
Thabal was confused about what she was speaking until she saw Vikram coming towards them, crossing the road with a large black umbrella in his hand. Towering over him. His strides were firm, unhurried.
Thabal gulped seeing him walking towards them, maintaining eye contact. She slowly adverted her eyes and muttered slowly.
"Yeh idhar kya kar rahe hai?" She whispered, almost in disbelief. Her hands became sweaty, to which she rubbed it against her jeans.
"Oh my God! Oh my God. Propose karne aaya hai kya??" Meera whispered yelled with a loud grin. Thabal felt her soul leaving her body.
She was never the one to be able to handle such proposals. Back home, her sister would handle it, shooing the boys away. But this was Nashik, far away from her hometown Manipur.
And she was especially too nervous today, for this man. Much more than how she was with the other boys. Suddenly a dark shadow loomed over her. Thabal froze and didn't dare to look up. She felt her heart thudding hard against her chest, as if punching over to jump out.
A black closed umbrella suddenly came in her view. She inhaled a shaky breathe in and finally lifted up her head, to face him. Closely again after that checkpoint day.
His eyes were the lightest brown. Which would shine bright under the sunlight. The cloudy weather dimmed its brightness. Thabal watched him closely, how his Adam's apple moved smoothly, as if he was as scared as she was.
He didn't say anything for some moments. Just stood in front of her, held the umbrella out for her. Thabal froze, not able to move any inch, as if she suddenly lost all control over her body.
The two girls standing beside her, looked at each other and smirked knowingly. And just like that, both of them nudged her forward. Causing her to stumble closer to him.
Her breath caught sensing him so close to her. She craned her neck to look at him as her 5ft height didn't help but only reached up to his shoulder.
His eyes met her eyes again. And this time he spoke. Calm, composed and lowly. As if just for the two of them to hear.
"Take it" Thabal lowered her gaze and took the umbrella from him with shaky hands. His voice was the same like that day. Yet something about the intensity of the voice made her stomach churn.
She swallowed and mumbled softly.
"Thank you" but didn't receive a reply from the other end. A few seconds passed. Then she stepped back a little from him and tugged on Meera's sleeves.
"Mein aage ja rahi hoon. Tum dono aajana" she whispered, her heart still thudding hard. Without waiting for any reply she opened the umbrella and walked away from them.
Her expression seemed nervous and wrecked up. As she walked a distance from them. A smile slowly crept on her lips. She looked at the handle of the umbrella and clutched her hand around it tighter.
A red tint decorated her face as she rested the umbrella's stick over her shoulder. She liked it, the way even his things protected her and made her feel safe.
___________☁️___________
Hope you liked it
Stay safe sweeties🦋💕
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