It was a Monday morning and it wasdrizzling outside. People were leaving for their work. Some were in their cars while others were waiting for the bus at the bus stand. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDcP3992q1
Rohit, a decent-looking, corporate worker, left for his office. He drove the car and looked around when a sudden glimpse of a girl made him stop his car. He looked at the girl in the mist and thought, “She seems to be her.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstFgFa0LiG
He was still stuck in his thoughts when the girl looked at him and both had eye contact. The girl looked carefully at Rohit, who was sitting in the car. Rohit moved his eyes and started looking around, pretending he was not looking at her. His heart dropped when he saw the girl approaching his car. The visibility was improving as she was heading closer. The girl reached near the car, looked inside and smiled, “Rohit! What a pleasant surprise!”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXN8YEhDMK8
Rohit smiled and exclaimed with a sudden feeling of joy, “Natasha! Is that you?"259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQguMK13zPn
“Yes, it's been so long.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV6NceCIqs
“It's raining. Come, sit inside the car. I will drop you,” Rohit said with some shyness.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOhbOSDDJ9
“I don't want to be a burden on you. I will take the bus. I was going to college to get my degree,” Natasha said in a low voice.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipk6Vi1NNf
“Don’t be stupid. Come inside. I will drop you,” Rohit insisted.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCTq2G5HXc
“Thank you," she said while she sat on the seat. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmLEkGpXp5
“It's been a long time since we have talked. Four years? What are you doing these days?” Rohit asked, slowly moving the car forward. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVbofSDom6
“Yes, it’s been long. I am preparing for government exams. It's such a headache. It is not easy to crack the exam with so much competition,” she replied in a low voice. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4QPmg6xti
The drizzling was now a full-fledged rain. Natasha looked out of the window, “It has started raining fast. I haven't got any umbrella,” she said with a tense look on her face. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqYlJEgwiy
“Don't worry, I will drop you in front of the college and you can use my umbrella,” Rohit said in an assertive tone.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuVPiPBDOj
“Thank you, Rohit. You're still the same old Rohit who used to care and help everyone,” Natasha chuckled.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl39bsAVMsD
“Only I cared,” Rohit murmured.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA0gh8I1en
“Did you say anything?” Natasha asked. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡro5Bk9zs3u
“Nothing,” Rohit said with a grin on his face, “Do you remember the first time we talked in school? You texted me, replying to some social media status of mine.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfrf6kHiwz
“I don't remember. You still remember?” she said with a mysterious look on her face.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvICrgsoeM
“Yes, I remember the exact words of that text. My face lit up when I saw your text as if I wanted to talk to you for ages and didn't know it myself,” he said with a nostalgic tone in his voice.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQ7vG0AEM4
Natasha chuckled.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmbl0ehlzI
“How much I wanted you to be a part of my life, how much I wanted you to look at me the way I look at you. But some things are always out of your control,” Rohit murmured.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0N5ujv79N
Natasha looked at Rohit in confusion, “Is everything alright?”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVtqyLRpMN
“I am curious to know if you remember anything about the time we spent in school?” he asked in a melancholic tone.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jvcDut092
Natasha did not say anything. Rohit felt a heaviness in his heart. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4b4AkO7Of
They both did not speak for the next ten minutes. Rohit broke the silence, “I want to ask you something. It has been inside me for many years.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCs5Oq5TXv
“Sure, What do you want to ask?” she said curiously raising her eyebrows. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFgv1Uk5cm
Rohit took a deep breath and said in a single breath, “Did you have anything for me at that time? I mean your texts were as if you had something for me.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrT27ezdYi
Natasha processed what just happened. After a few seconds, she said, “I..….. I don't know. You were an interesting guy in the school days, so focused on the work, and being reserved with yourself. Anyone would have been curious to text you.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoyfySyHK8
“There were many girls in the class and only you texted me and I already had a huge respect for you. It felt like I was on cloud nine. And you said that anyone would have been curious to text me. Not everyone is kind enough to text first. Not everyone is like you,” Rohit said in a soft tone. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca3MvttrAg
“There is nothing special in this. I am as friendly with others as I was with you,” she said, raising her eyebrows in assertiveness. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMS8hh9lJu
The rain continued and Rohit looked into Natasha's eyes and asked with an emotional tone in his voice, “So, those few days when we had long conversations and exchanged texts were nothing?”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fHbmX2V5k
“I can't even understand how you took a few days of texts so seriously. Those were just out of curiosity. I never had the opportunity to talk to you much while in school as you were very reserved and confined to yourself. So I just texted out of curiosity. I generally like talking to new people and making new friends. That's it. What is so special in that?” she replied snarkily. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57tlc76Hah
Rohit's hand started trembling, “I used to get up every morning with so much excitement. Your ‘Good morning’ texts would make my day. I used to leave all my college assignments undone just to talk to you. I forgot about my career plans while talking to you about yours. I used to be available for you all day. I remember once I skipped my lunch just because you were calling for some college assignment. I never felt so attached to any other girl in my life and you are saying what is so special in that? Everything about you is more than special for me,” he brooded over in his mind while looking at her. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ000vpE7yuB
“You are right. There was nothing special in that.” Rohit said in a low voice.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3pZsQSuNO
“Rohit, don't overthink anything. Being so emotional is not good,” Natasha said in a soft tone, “See, I was curious to know more about you, talk to you. But then…., “she paused with a mysterious look on her face.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSkhG9uMrN
“But then?” Rohit asked curiously. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXqNkKZG6s
“But then I got to know about your choices, your nature. How much I wanted you to be the guy I was looking for. But it was not to be,” she thought. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPxkInoo5U
“What do you mean by ‘It was not to be’ ?” Rohit asked with a heaviness in his voice. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5Dm9Oqdf0
“I mean I got stuck in my career plans. I simply didn't have the time to talk to you. I wanted to. But it wasn't to be,” she said in a soft tone. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfCmp6Xw7M
Meanwhile, they reached Natasha's college. Natasha stood up and started walking out of the car, “Won't you come with me?”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyAcBOIdH6
Before Rohit could reply, he got a call, “Yes sir. I am on the way. I will be reaching the office soon.” 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77F8eAF6ea
Natasha out of the car with the umbrella. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeOEakkYeZ
“Seems you are getting late for the office. Bye, Rohit. See you.” Natasha said while opening the umbrella and walking towards the main gate of the college. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7CBstLtYu
“Bye, Natasha,” Rohit said with a heaviness in his voice. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojrRGo5eIl
Rohit continued to look at Natasha, who gradually got farther and ultimately disappeared.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vW7ffLeOr
As he was thinking about her, his phone started ringing. He took the phone out and checked who it was. It was not Natasha's call. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoC79qFChe
“Why was I expecting her call? Why would she even call? Why am I thinking so much about her? I know that she considers me just her friend but even then I…..” He pondered over while the call got cut. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HxA18FToG
Rohit got out of his car and started remembering all the good memories of Natasha and him. His mind wandered back to the days when Natasha would be excited to talk to him. He was reminded of the days when Natasha would wake up only after texting him “Good Morning” and would sleep only after texting him “Good night” when he would wake up feeling excited to talk to her. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9oREg9yje
“The time has changed, and so has Natasha. I wish she could be mine. I should have expressed my feelings to her on that farewell night,” He muttered to himself, in the rhythmic pattering of rain he could feel falling on him. 259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfodmChxvG
The rain poured down on him, soaking his clothes and hair. He stood there, umbrella-less, feeling the raindrops mix with his tears.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruKp3aWaNs
Just as he was starting to walk away, his phone rang again.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZh4vBiO8nO
"Hello?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “Yes, Peter. I won't be coming to the office today.”259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3U2xL5CL6
The rain continued to pour down upon him, but Rohit didn't move. He just stood there, alone, wondering what could have been if only Natasha had liked him back.259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkOO6mAZcv
