When Love Happens - 2

Her mind shifted back to the dripping ice cream- Butter-Scotch, her love. Licking away the circumference of the ice cream filled cone, she sat engrossed. The drizzle did the magic in sparking that lovely feel of an ice cream.

Immersed in a lovely mood which was gifted by the ‘ice cream – rain’ combo, she almost missed the guy, her newly found inspiration walking away. She sprung up and almost called out to him but didn’t. In fact she couldn’t. She felt a pinch of embarrassment added with a slight pinch of disappointment.

Anyway, within no time, the rain gods sprung into action again letting out a downpour. She shoved the remaining ice- cream into her mouth and hurried back into her home scampering along on her toes.



As she entered her home, she saw her little sister, Merlin crimson faced arguing with their granny. Annie was so accustomed to such scenes between the oldest and the youngest that she knew that only her intervention would pacify them. The ‘love’ in her grand mother and the ‘innocence’ in her little sister made her witness to those day to day fun filled battles, ever since she had lost her parents.

After all that had happened in her life, she was left with only her aged grand mother and her little school going sister to be classified as her ‘Loved Ones’. Every time people showed mouth sympathies talking about all her ‘Burden’, she would clarify the word as ‘Love’.



She had always dreamt of a perfect family – dad, mom, sister, herself and their grandmother. But reality had something way different in store for her. Since the unfortunate departure of her parents, all the responsibilities found a place to rest on Annie’s little shoulders. The weight of it was a little overboard for those little shoulders. She was fighting hard to not let it sag.

Today, she had witnessed something different. She had opened her arms to feel something new - Happiness! She saw the cheerfulness of Sylvestor. She saw in him what all she had always wanted to be – free, no restrictions, happy! She drew inspiration. She held her shoulders high and tight.

As the rain reduced, she went into the hallway and announced – “Anyone’s gonna come with me for dinner??” looking at her sister wearing a wide smile.

“Me….me.. me..” came the expected, cheerful reaction from Merlin.

“No. Let us eat at home. Lots of yesterday’s food left over.” Granny suggested typically.

“ Granny is so boring Annie. She’ll torture us with her regular ‘Lemon Rice’ again.” Merlin said making a sad arch with her lips.

Annie smiled and said- “I’ll convince granny. You get ready, lets go.

“You are the best sister in this world.” She hugged, with happiness oozing out and ran into the room excitedly to get ready.

Meanwhile, Annie convinced her granny and all the three got set to leave for dinner. They reached their favourite restaurant and had their favourite food as they spoke about everything good.

Granny couldn’t stop commenting as she said- “Merlin, how shabbily you are eating! Eat tidily. You are not a small baby now. Whats your age?”

“ I was born at a very young age, I don’t remember.” Merlin replied as she winked at Annie.

"Did you see that Annie? She shows no respect to elders.” Granny complained to Annie.

“ Annie, you tell me. How can I tell her my age? It keeps changing.” She winked again at Annie.

“You shut up.” Granny said irritably.

Annie intervened, said – “ Now, please stop it. Just eat.”

After a good, satisfied, fun filled meal they left and reached home. Their granny who though sounded grumpy felt the most contented with the thought that she was there to spend time with her two angels who were her only ray of hope. She could find bliss in that small little smile she’d noticed on Annie’s lips and the cheer on her face after a long time.

(Next Morning)

“Annie, wake up…It’s already 8:40.”

Annie woke up in a jiffy and ran to get ready. She was so late for the office. All that she could think about now was her boss’ face…red, angry!

Hurriedly she climbed down the stairs and ran to catch the bus.

“Excuse me, can you move forward”, she said.

The guy turned back to look at her. The same guy.

When Love happens..!!

She sat, drowned with thoughts and emotions, peeping through the moist windows of her room into the wet street, as the rain suppressed into a mere trickle. Every drop of that evening’s drizzle seemed as though it was trying to convey her something. She, in the past had loved everything associated with rain, the fragrance of the newly wet sand, the scenery of green wet trees and the sight of little kids dancing and jumping on the puddles formed after the downpour. But the present dint quite project a pleasant picture. Deep down inside her, she felt that the ‘rain’ exhibited it’s other side to her and she set about importing darker meanings, with ‘pain’ as it’s only ingredient.

As she exposed her eyes to the outer world through the modest little window, she noticed an old man, ripping his muscles, dragging a heavy carriage which was completely loaded with goods. Her sight then shifted to a little girl playing, splashing water over other kids. The contrast was evidently glaring at her now. She realized what rain meant for both of them. For that little girl, it was yet another time to enjoy, feeling the splash of the fresh water. But for that old man, it was just another day. He had to be blind to this rain, he had to be numb to those falling drops of water, and he had to work to feed his kids. He had to be oblivious of his surroundings. Work was all he could see.

The hitting contrast took her mind back in time leaving her gloomier. Her mind wandered into her past and to its implications in the present. She thought about the responsibilities she had to cope with, about the burdens, about the losses she had gone through and about every possible matter that was responsible for her present state of mind. She was so lost in her thoughts that a thunderbolt had to bring her back to this world.

The drizzle had now thinned out and the street outside was getting back to its busy self. She sat still, fixing herself in her customary position, looking out of the window capturing all the wandering emotions. Just then, she noticed a guy of about her age, with his trouser folded up, completely drenched in rain, hopping his way towards the ice-cream parlour. She stood on her toes, moved her head left and right, up and down, but couldn’t quite capture the guy’s face.

A minute later, she saw him emerge out with an ice-cream. He found a seat by the compound wall to relish the feel of ‘ice-cream’ blending with the lovely weather overhead. She couldn’t let her eyes off his acts of innocence and the cuteness. He was all smiles basking the feel of this lovely evening, savouring every bit of everything. He, his ice-cream, his smile, his carefree attitude, everything took her to inspiration. She questioned to herself if it was really that tough to forget everything and taste such small tiny bits of happiness along the way. She felt her heart lighten. She felt inspired. With every glare at the guy, she felt the need of such a person in her life. She felt the need of a break, a break from her burdening obligations and duties. She wanted to taste freedom, a freedom without the tag - *Conditions Apply.*

At that very inspirational moment, she wanted to break all those shackles and felt the need of someone special to free her mind from all these. She dint want to miss the fun anymore, so stood, threw her jacket away and hurried her way out into the open. She skipped into the ice cream parlor, bought an ice cream for herself, and walked towards the guy. She excused herself to have a seat next to him, smiled and sat imagining herself resting over the guy’s shoulder.

“Hello! I’m Annie.” She smiled which made her heart lose a ton of weight.

“Hello! I’m Sylvestor.” He returned a cheerful smile.

To Be Continued....