August Day.

Its was a rainy day. August monsoon. I remember because there was a melody in air. The tress were still green and my gardens were blooming sunflowers. The kind that always made me smile and gave me hope for sunny days. I never used my umbrella for I often found it as an insult to the rains. I was there, in my garden all wet. Thats when I saw you. Running for shelter. You wore a white shirt and brown shorts. The white shirt was in contrast to the black bag you were carrying. Running about in your slippers you laid eyes on the shed right on the edge of the canopy of trees that lay in my backyard. You must have tripped over a stone because the next thing I saw was you covered in mud. That made me laugh. Something I wasn't quite accustomed to. You made me laugh. I think it was right then when I fell in love with you.

Its been three years and that day still haunts me like a days dream. But I'm glad it does. For it never fails to make me laugh. Something I learned to do quite often now. An august day. My favourite time of the year. 

I remember it like it was just yesterday. Vividly. You must have heard me laughing for suddenly your gaze was on me. Piercing as it was, I felt naked. Your gaze dug deep into my eyes making me paralysed. Unable to move I felt rigid. The kind of awkward you feel when walk into a room full of strangers and suddenly realize you forgot to wear clothes. Just like in the dreams. I felt the edge of your lips curl into a smile. You got up and walked towards me. All covered in mud, drenched in rain, you walked towards me. That walk. You came up to me and with that wicked smile of yours mesmerized my heart. 

"Hi there. What are you doing here getting drenched?"

Ofcourse. The obvious question, What was I doing here when my house was ten steps behind me. What was I doing getting drenched.

"Getting drenched I guess."

You stared at me for a long time with a frown upon your face as if trying to solve a puzzle. With no apparent conclusion you let go of it and sat down in front me. I dont know what prompted me, but I sat. Right there in front of you. 

Three years have passed and here I am still sitting in that very spot. Reminiscing in the memories. The august day when my life changed. 

"My name is Abhay. You mind telling me yours?"

"Tammanna" 

He smiled that wicked smile. My devils were already dancing. We spoke for hours. Sitting there. In the rain. He lived near by. By some fortunate stroke of faith he landed up walking by my house when it started raining. Serendipity?  

You made me laugh. You heard what I had to say. You listened to my story. My story. Something I thought I was only going to take to my grave. My dreams suddenly mattered. My hopes were soaring high. The sun eventually came out. The gloomy sun, the kind that emits warmth not flames. But flames were roaring. In a lonely house, the walls finally heard me laugh. 

My story doesnt matter. What we spoke about wasn't the point. We spoke till the sun went down and the stars started twinkling. The moon lamented the melody of our voices, forever alone it hid in disdain behind the shield of clouds. It was a beautiful night. 

Its not about my story. Its not even about what we spoke about. No, not even our love even though eternal in its own way I never saw you again. You were a stranger and I a mere girl dwelling in the sheets of my solitude. They say everyone comes into your life to teach you a lesson. You taught me perhaps the most important one of all. To laugh. 

The sun came up again and my maid came outside frantic looking for me. She called out my name. A mistake to have looked back at her for when I returned my gaze to you, you were gone. You were gone, but I found myself laughing. I saw where you sat and there lay a sunflower. My symbol of hope. But you were gone.

"Tammanna what are you doing here?"

"Talking to Abhay. See you made him run away"

"There was nobody there Tammanna. Nobody"

"He was here, now he is gone."

I haven't stopped laughing since. People call me crazy, but I know each time I laugh, I see you. Three years later I sit here, gazing beyond the sunflowers. The breeze still carry in them your laughter. The sunflowers still carry in them your scent. Three years have gone by and that august day still haunts me and I couldn't be happier.