The Blazing Red Gulmohars

And... she was passing by the same path today! but today was different... The normal stony path was of course stony as usual but the blazing gulmohar trees made the road seem straight out of a fairy tale. Like is popularly believed, red blazing gulmohars make way for a splendid monsoon, the season of joy, the season of love, the season of ecstasy!!

She thoughts about the time she first met him and quietly hid a smile.

It was a storm that seemed pregnant with an ominous result. Trees had given way and the street lights refused to work. But.. thankfully, the headlights seemed to serve the purpose. She was working out in her mind, a way to reach her home the earliest possible when the tree just ahead fell across the road. The little hope of reaching home seemed remote now as she was stranded. The only way to get home as she figured out was simply to park her car and stay put until the storm ended.

She headed for shelter at the bus stop she had passed by a couple of minutes back. The bus stop was secluded at this time of the night except for a couple who was similarly stranded as she was. They exchanged smiles helplessly aware of the fact that this was the only human company available... Take it or leave it, like how she would put it as!

The guy looked smart inspite of his drenched blazer and the girl seemed really pretty and petite in her black cocktail dress. As the night got by, they got chatting. She realised that they had been for their MBA school prom.... She was thinking about her life in comparison... All she did was work, work and work very hard and then return to an empty house and eat some microwaved food. Anyways, it was too late to change her schedule now!

In some time, another young man in his early twenties joined in to give them company. After a little cribbing he looked around and she caught his eye. She was standing there, drenched to the core, so vulnerable, so exquisite, so delicate as if a gust of strong wind would simply blow her away! He caught that she was shivering because of the cold weather, the spray of the rains and her dripping clothes. He was just thinking of a quick fix when his phone rang. The phone that was in the pocket of his jacket which was used to cover the laptop! He yanked it out and offered it to her. She was hesutant but realising that there was no other option, she accepted it... It was certainly more comfortable now!

In no time, the duo got chatting about politics, countries, history, jobs, careers, partners, anything and everything in general regardless of the other couple at the scene who were too wrapped up in each other to mind it. Hours just flew by. The storm had subsided. The other couple left for the way... But the conversation just went on and on and on until the first rays of the sun hit them both. With it, they realised it had been quite a long time since the storm ended as the roads were almost dry!

They exchanged phone numbers and went their own ways. Initially they would meet when either he or she was close to the other's office. Then it went to them spending each and every free moment with each other until he finally popped the question! Just as he did that, his phone buzzed and the voice on the other end said, "Congratulations! You have been promoted and your next posting is in London for a year!"

He didn't know whether to feel happy about the promotion or to feel sad that he would have to leave a part of his life behind! The muddle of emotions as always showed on his face and she wouldn't rest until she had the answer to it. When he was explaining, he realised he wanted her more than the promotion and had decided of not taking up the promotion at all! She knew that he was only wasting an opportunity and convinced him not to! Of course, the consideration was what she was willing to do always.... wait for him!

She was counting each day and when she saw the blazing red gulmohars, she knew that the wait would be over soon! He would be back to take her with him, in his world.....