And it rained..! A short story.

(This is the story about a girl who feel so empty inside and miracle that would change her life. Hope you like it )

She was sitting on the porch waiting for the moon to come out of the darkened clouds. It was raining and the scent of the moist sand surrounded her. Her house being old shivered with the rains icy touch and the racing wind made the wooden doors tremble.
It was located far away from the city, her house. Her father liked it that way; he wanted a peaceful place to live in, for he was not very fond of the busy city life. Great man he was. He used to take very good care of his daughter. Unfortunately, she did not have him with her, when she needed him the most.
It was about a year ago, he has closed his eyes forever.
After making her wait for few minutes, the moon came out, illuminating the night with his light. She stretched her right hand as if she was attempting to catch the moon. Her hand shone like a pearl in the dim light and she could see the scars spread across her bony hand. The scars reminded her of the failed attempts to kill herself. The scars reminded her of the darkness inside her. They reminded her of her father’s death and they screamed that she was responsible for everything.
She brought her hand back to her side and took out something sharp from the pocket of her jacket. The metal glittered while reflecting the moons light. Blade. She carried the blade along- always. Whenever the guilt crossed her mind, she sliced her skin.
Her hands, neck and face, everything was bruised. Everything was scarred and she covered them up with full-sleeved shirts and dark scarfs.
When she was ten, she heard her parents fighting. “I did not want to have her. You made the decision and trapped me in this marriage.” Her mother shouted.
“She’s our daughter and we made the decision together.” Her father responded in his usual gentle tone.
“This is not working.” Her mother said, slow but sharp.
“What?” Her father asked in disbelief.
She couldn’t remember the whole conversation, but she did remember that her parents divorced shortly.
It was her first sin. Being born. No one told her so, but she believed so. She held herself responsible for her parents’ separation.
No one told her that she was not the reason, for they did not know that the little girl was blaming herself. She grew up with the gloom, but she never complained. She considered herself blessed for having a very adorable father.
After 11 years, she lost her father in an accident. It was rainy season and she was down with cold and fever, her father wanted to bring her some medicine, but the weather did not treat him well. His car lost track and collided with a huge banyan tree. Poor vehicle got smashed and her father died.
She cursed herself for a long time. I am the reason. I killed him. If I had not had the fever, he would have been alive.
She was not sad. She was not depressed. She just felt empty and worthless. That feeling was not new to her. They, sort of, grew up together.
Where did it start? When did it start? No one knew. Neither did she.
She was scared to live alone, but she had no other choice. She couldn’t ask her mother to take her along, for she always knew that her mother regretted having her. She was all alone, living by herself in the old deserted house.
She brought the blade closer to her wrist and her skin felt a sharp sting. The blood gushed out of the fresh wound. A sad smile spread across her face when she felt the pain. Serves me right. She thought.
When she finally turned her gaze off her hand, she saw something that was beyond her imagination. She saw something strange and unreal. She was so bewildered that she couldn’t believe her eyes.
The raindrops falling from the clouds were taking the form of a human. It looked as if someone was sketching a human figure with the raindrops. The figure was bright; it had broad shoulders and long arms. It was shining with a silver tint.
I’m dreaming. She thought, for nothing made sense. It took around three minutes for the raindrops to complete their miraculous construction.The human form was now walking towards her with his eyes locked on hers.
What is happening? Is this real? She tried to comprehend what just happened, but she failed.
“We can have the introductions later. Gimme your hand.” He said in a casual tone. His voice was cosy and he talked as if he had known her for years.
She stared at him. Startled.
His took her palm, stretched her hand, and looked at the wound with a genuine concern echoing in his strange silver eyes.
“Nasty habit you have. Look, your hand is all messed up.” He said wiping the blood with his other hand.
His hand moved like a stream of water on hers. It washed away the blood. Her hand, which was covered with blood earlier, was now clean with a film of water glazing on it.
He took the blade from the other hand of hers. She didn’t protest. She was clearly shocked.
“You’ll not need it anymore.” He said, throwing it away.
“You?” She mumbled.
“Later. Let’s go inside, it’s getting cold here.” He said walking into the house. She followed him silently.
She could still see the raindrops coming together and forming a human in her head. Although she could see that person in front of her very eyes, she just couldn’t believe any of it.
“I’m hungry. Do you have something to eat?” His sudden voice made her come out of her thoughts.
She gestured a No. She does not cook for herself. She starves almost every day.
“Hmmm…aren’t you hungry? You haven’t had anything since yesterday.” He said, walking towards the kitchen.
“How did you know?” She mustered the courage and asked him.
“That’s an excellent question, but the answer is long. Let’s cook something first and then we will have ample time to talk.” He said and gave her a gentle smirk.
“What would you like to eat?” He asked while his eyes were running through the kitchen shelves.
“I am not really hungry.” She replied. She was still confused and a little scared, but she didn’t know what to do.
“Honestly, you need some strict guidance. If given a chance, you’ll definitely starve yourself to death.” He paused and turned towards her. “It’s ok. Now that I’m here, I’ll take care of the guidance part.” He continued sporting a rather adorable smile.
“Sorry?” She asked, for she did not understand anything he was talking about.
“Later.” He said and turned back to the stove.
She looked at him closely, trying to figure out if she had known him in the past or if she was daydreaming. His shoulders were broad and his arms long. He was wearing an oddly brown shirt with black trousers. His skin was shining with a silver tint. When she observed more, she could see a very thin layer of water lining on his skin from his head to the toes. And she looked at her hand, it had the water lining too.
What is he?
“Here, have this sandwich.” He walked towards her, carrying a plate with very appetizing cheese sandwiches.
“Cheese sandwich?” She asked quite shocked.
“Yeah. You like them a lot, don’t you?” He smiled.
“I do. But, how did you know?” She asked him and tried revisiting her past once again to check if she had known him earlier, but there was nothing she could recollect.
“Later.” He said in the very same I-have-known-you-for-years-and-we-can-save-the-talk-for-later tone.
Strangely, she was not afraid of him. Despite being a strange intruder and not-really-human, he didn’t make her feel anxious. Even her surroundings welcomed him.
The house, which was dark and old, seemed to have brightened up with his silver tint. The doors were not rattling anymore. It felt as if he was meant to be there, with her, that moment.
When she was having her sandwich, he silently admired her. She was hungry; he could say that by the look on her face. He had waited so long to reach her.So long.
“Have some. You said you are hungry.” She said, bringing a sandwich towards him.
“Thank you” He said and leaned towards her, taking a bite of the sandwich while it was still in her hand. He was too close to her hand that his lips almost brushed her bruised skin.
She was astounded and jolted back. What did he just do?
“Hmmm…They turned out pretty well.” He said without noticing the obvious blush on her pale cheeks.
“They did.” She said taking a bite of the sandwich, in an attempt to cover her embarrassment.
Awkward.
“By the way, I am Anir. I’m one of the rain people. You know, we work in the rain department up there.” He said, pointing his index finger towards the roof. Sky.
She didn’t have any questions. She saw his formation. Also, she was too empty inside to be fascinated about something supernatural.
“Oh! Glad to meet you. I’m Niara.” she said not knowing how else to respond.
“Good to see you again. It’s been ages since we last met.” He said with a familiar smile.
"Again? Did we meet some time before?” She was confused. She did not remember meeting him in the past.
“Of course we did. We always played together when we were young. I’m your boat-friend.” He said smiling.
“Boat-friend?” She thought that she had heard the term somewhere, but she couldn’t recall anything.
“Come on. You always used to make those paper boats when you were young and I used to make them sail safe.” He said with a gleam in his eyes.
It struck her mind then, her happy past. When her parents were still together, she used to love rains. She made paper boats and made them sail through the rainwater streams. It was then she met a boy, a little older to her, and they started playing together. She did not know where he came from, for she never saw him in the other seasons. He was only there with her on the rainy days. Post her parents’ separation, she never played in the rain. She never played at all and she never saw him again.
She gave him a faint smile. She was surprised. She would never have imagined that her child hood boat fried was not a human. If she had known that back then, she would have boasted away to glory.
“I’m happy to meet you again.” He said, looking into her deep brown eyes.
She smiled again. She was neither happy nor sad. She was indifferent. As usual.
“I’m tired. Can I sleep here?” He said, looking at the couch and she gave him a weak nod.
“Great then. Thanks. Good Night.” Saying that he lied down.
She kept starting at him for a long time. Slowly she drowned into a sound sleep.
Why did he come? What does he want?
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was him. He was leaning to the wall beside the door and looking at her.
“Good Morning.” He said with a cheerful smile.
"Good Morning.” She replied.
“Breakfast is ready. Freshen up and come.” He said.
Breakfast? For me?
“Ok.” She said, but he was already out of her sight.
Strange person. She thought.
“I have to get to work now.” She said after completing her breakfast.
“I know and I’ll have to leave as well.” He smiled.
“Oh Ok. Thank you very much for the food.” She said with gratitude echoing in her tone.
“No problem.” He smiled and disappeared without waiting for her response.
When she looked at her arm, the cut from the other day almost faded. It was strange. The scars usually do not fade very quickly. They do not fade at all.
Her day was as hectic as usual. Travelling to her workplace takes her about an hour and she immerses herself in work. She tries to keep her mind very busy that she does not have to think about anything else. She helps the others around and brings all the pending works to closure. Her colleagues adore her a lot, but she does not really talk to anyone. She loves being alone. She loves being invisible.
“Hey Nia, just wanted to check, if you can come along with me for some shopping? Rajan said he would come, but he was busy with something. Please!” Radha, her colleague, stopped her when she was about to leave from work.
Niara can never say no. There was no particular reason behind it, she just could not.
The shopping street was as busy as ever. Many muffled voices come together as one and people rush in the narrow lanes.
Radha was enjoying her time, but for Niara it was so difficult. She was never good with crowds. She gets easily scared for no reason and she could not breathe. However, she did not want to bother Radha with her useless fears.
She tried diverting her mind from the crowd. She looked around and found a deserted book store.
Perfect place. She thought.
She loved books and their scent. It felt as if her nausea has gone away. She walked around the store, picked few books, read the synopsis, smiled for no reason, and felt comfortable.
It was then she heard her phone ringing and it was Radha.
“Nia…Sorry, I’ve got a call from Rajan. There is some emergency. I need to rush. Sorry!” She said leaving Niara scared and perplexed.
She came out of the bookstore as the fear stroked her nervous heart. All the streets were jam-packed with people and there wasn’t a room for her to move out. The muffled voices reached her ears again and her head started to spin. She looked around, but it felt as if the world was tumbling down.
It was scary. The deadly demons inside her mind captured her and they tortured her again. They reminded her of the day when she was lost in the city fair and the fat old man tried to molest her.
She winced in pain as tears made their way out of her eyes.
She drowned in the dark silhouettes of bleak pasts.
She saw those black monstrous eyes filled with lust yet again. Clear as a crystal.
She reminisced the moments when she struggled so hard to loosen his grip and run away. She saw the image of the little Nia kicking the old man real hard and running away. She did not know what had happened to him. She never turned back, but the memory never left her alone. It was always there, taking refuge in her already doomed heart.
In the labyrinth of the memories, the darkness swallowed her soul and made her sink into the scary streams of memory lanes. She struggled to breathe, but she failed.
Suddenly a drift of cool breeze surrounded her. She heard the clouds crack and then someone pulled her into a tight embrace. The person smelled like the moist sand and felt like water. She could imagine who he was, for she heard the sound of rain in his heart. His arms moved from her waist towards her neck and ended up gently brushing her hair. She felt warm and the air reached her lungs again.
She could feel his breath on her nape and she shivered with a strange sensation. No one ever hugged her before. Never.
“You are crazy. If you do not like crowds, never come to places like this. Even if you did go, do not stay there for too long. Keep walking and you’ll find a way out.” He said patting her on the back.
“How did you know I was here?” She mumbled to his heart.
“I was passing by the clouds and saw you standing here like a statue. I could guess the situation, so I just stopped by.” He said in his same old I-know-every-thing-about-you tone.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
“No probs.” He smiled and made the grip around her tighter.
When they finally broke apart, it was raining heavily and the place was no longer crowded.
“Take this.” He said, giving her an umbrella. She didn’t know where did he get that from, for she clearly didn’t see an umbrella with him a moment ago.
They walked together in the rain and his presence made her more comfortable. It felt as if she has found someone to rely upon.
When she turned her gaze towards him, he wasn’t there. She searched around and he saw him in a corner giving another umbrella to a little girl who was drenching in the rain.

Niara could not help staring at him. He looked adorable and cute. She chucked her thoughts as it was the first time she admired a man and she felt embarrassed.
He looked gentle and pure. She could suddenly feel the hug he had just given her and that made her cheeks go red. When he came back to her side, she was embarrassed to the core.
“Aren’t you feeling well? You look flushed.” He said coming even closer to observe her face, which made her even more embarrassed.
“Nothing.” She said and looked away to hide her blush.
They walked home together with rain and the breeze. The rainbow travelled with them all along.
Days passed by and so did weeks. Anir and Niara lived together. They cooked food together, shared stories and smiled together.
Whenever she felt low, he would lighten up her mood by saying something sweet. He would walk with her on the lonely roads and he embraces her whenever she breaks down. He gently comforts her and wipes her tears away.
When she weeps in her sleep dreaming about her father, he would wake her up, cup her face in his hands, and whisper “You’re not the reason. You were never the reason”.
It was difficult to live with a girl like her, for she never smiles and she always lives in a world of gloom. But he never left her alone. He wiped countless amount of tears off her cheeks. He saw new scars on her hands, but he always nursed them with the same genuine concern.
She was suicidal, but he never gave up on her. He was always there to make her feel better and to bring her smiles.
He loved her.
He loved her so much that he watched over her for ten years from the skies. He loved her so much that he convinced his people and came to earth just to take care of her. He loved her so much that he hides all the sharp things out of her sight and keeps an eye on her every second. He loved her so much that he admires her for the whole night when she’s sleeping. He loved her so much that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, but he suffers a lot to cover up his feelings coz, he fears that he would embarrass her.
It was the same with her. She never thought anyone would take care of her so well. He was like a miracle. He made her realise that she can smile like everyone else did. He made her feel the tingles in her heart and he made her want to live again. It was because of him, she was smiling more often, and her thoughts were no longer negative. She was more cheerful at work and she started talking to people around.
One day when she came back home from office, she didn’t see him at home. She waited for hours, but he didn’t come. Hours turned into days, days into weeks and weeks into months, but he never came.
She didn’t know why he had disappeared from her life, but she always believed that he would come back. She talked to clouds every single day and begged them to send him back to her.
She was proposed by her colleague, Karan, twice. He was a good person and he loved her since long. He has always noticed the scars on her body, but he never tried to ask her. He just wanted to make her happy and cheerful. He would secretly admire her when she was helping others and he liked her a lot.
“I’m sorry. I’ve someone I like.” She responded. She felt sorry to have rejected him, but she couldn’t imagine her life with anyone else.
She wanted to live with the person, who was with her when she was at her worst. She wanted to share her life with the person who made her live.
On her 24th birthday, she heard a knock on her door. She thought it was Anir, for no one else dropped by her place. When she opened the door, it was Karan.
“Karan?” She was shocked to see him.
“Happy Birthday, Nia.” He said, giving her the flower bouquet.
She looked at him confused.
“I know that you’ve someone you like, but I just couldn’t give up on you. I heard from Radha that the person you are in love is not here and that you are waiting for him since a year and half.”
“Karan…” She tried to say something, but he stopped her.
“I love you, Niara. I love you more than you could have imagined. I’ve loved you for so long and I need you. All this while I thought that you were living happily with the person you loved, but when I got to hear the truth, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I love you. I love everything about you.” He said and in a swift moment, he pulled her hand towards him and tried kissed her hand.
Niara was bewildered. She pulled her hand back and pushed him away.
She was sorry for him, but she didn’t want anyone else come closer to her.
“I’m very sorry, Karan. I love that person a lot and I know that he’d come back for me. Sorry.” She apologised.
“He is not going to come. If he wanted to come, he would have come a long ago.” Karan was shouting suddenly. He lost his cool.
“I’m sorry. You’re taking about me?” A gentle voice echoed in the room.
“Anir?” Niara shouted.
“I’m sorry for being late.” He smiled at her.
“Where have you been? I have been waiting for you all this time.” She said while the tears made their way out of her eyes.
“Sorry.” He said that and pulled her into a long embrace.
He suddenly turned towards Karan and said, “I’m sorry for this, but I love this girl more than my life.”
Karan could not stay there any longer, he walked away carrying his shattered dreams along.
Niara was not able to control her tears. He was finally there, standing right in front of her. She had waited for so long to see his smile again.
He cupped her face and apologized again.
“I knew that he loved you. I thought I was being a hurdle for you to lead a normal life with a normal person. I wanted to give you a fair chance.” He said looking straight into her eyes.
“Stupid. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been living my life at all.” She said running into his arms.
“I’m sorry. However, when I saw him trying to kiss your hand, believe me I was dying inside to push him away from you. And when you said that you were waiting for me and that you wanted me to come, I couldn’t hold back any longer.” His voice croaked.
She smiled in his arms.
“You were jealous?” She asked him.
“Of course, I am. And when it comes to you my emotions runs haywire.” Saying that, he had taken her hands into his and smiled.
It was their moment. With one hand of his around her waist and other hand angling her head, he kissed the love of his life.
“I need to find a job here. I’m not going to go back to the skies anymore.” He mumbled looking into her eyes.
“I know a suitable job for you…” She smiled.
“and what would that be? Your husband?”
“That and a Weather forecaster.” She said in his ear and they laughed together as one.

 

Thank you very much