"Chinna Chinna Aasai... ..." the classic sweet note of
a Tamil song, started playing sharply at 7:00 am,
her alarm tone.
She groaned, thinking even the loveliest melody
could become annoying when it doubled as an
her alarm tone.
She groaned, thinking even the loveliest melody
could become annoying when it doubled as an
alarm.
She hated mornings. Passionately.
One hand fumbled lazily across the mattress, searching
for her phone to smack the snooze button without
One hand fumbled lazily across the mattress, searching
for her phone to smack the snooze button without
lifting her head.
But then—she paused. Instead of turning it off,
But then—she paused. Instead of turning it off,
she stayed still for a breath longer. Listening.
Drip... drip... drip……
Rain.
That was a rainy chill morning, and that
cool breeze drifted through her window with the
scent of fresh earth, with a slight smile on her lips,
Drip... drip... drip……
Rain.
That was a rainy chill morning, and that
cool breeze drifted through her window with the
scent of fresh earth, with a slight smile on her lips,
Hema sat up, her hair was too awkward and fizzy
and fell all over her shoulder and face,
She tugged that hair behind her ear and slightly
She tugged that hair behind her ear and slightly
tilted her head towards the window
to welcome that chill breeze to her face, and then
she noticed her journal was on the
corner of the bed with a pen in between pages,
She had a habit of
writing a few sentences every night
writing a few sentences every night
before going to bed,
sometimes on the early mornings too.
Her dream is to write something soulful,
Her dream is to write something soulful,
perhaps a book.
She took that notebook and started to
She took that notebook and started to
write something for that pleasant morning,
“Even if I were a bird,
With beautiful, long wings,
Blue and white feathers,
had the license to fly across the seven oceans
And the highest mountains,
I would still sit in the tree near your window
And sing the morning rhythm
When you wake up”
From the kitchen came the soft clink of plates
“Even if I were a bird,
With beautiful, long wings,
Blue and white feathers,
had the license to fly across the seven oceans
And the highest mountains,
I would still sit in the tree near your window
And sing the morning rhythm
When you wake up”
From the kitchen came the soft clink of plates
and utensils. Her mother was cooking breakfast.
The sharp aroma of filter coffee drifted in,
The sharp aroma of filter coffee drifted in,
familiar sounds and the aroma of home,
“Why are you playing with plates?
“Why are you playing with plates?
“her father asked from the next room amidst
the usual morning between him and her mother,
the usual morning between him and her mother,
home sounds, her father was a reader,
he even had a mini library in his room.
“Hema, are you still in bed?” her mother yelled,
he even had a mini library in his room.
“Hema, are you still in bed?” her mother yelled,
opening the door with one hand
and balancing a cup of filtered coffee with the other.
“You will miss the train at this rate,” her mother said,
and balancing a cup of filtered coffee with the other.
“You will miss the train at this rate,” her mother said,
placing the coffee on her table.
“Five minutes, ma, I will get ready. Promise,”
“Five minutes, ma, I will get ready. Promise,”
Hema muttered, while grabbing the filter of coffee
Down the hallway, her brother’s voice rang out.
Down the hallway, her brother’s voice rang out.
“Ma! Where is my watch?!”
“Same place you left your brain,” Hema called back.
“Same place you left your brain,” Hema called back.
He stormed toward her room.
“ Do you wake up thinking of ways to roast me,
“ Do you wake up thinking of ways to roast me,
or is it just a natural talent?” he muttered.
“Natural talent, bro,” she said, raising her eyebrows.
“Natural talent, bro,” she said, raising her eyebrows.
Hema’s elder brother,
Arun, is a civil engineer and a
Arun, is a civil engineer and a
mischief-maker by nature.
Both are typical of Tom and Jerry's siblings share
playful arguments, stolen snacks, and inside jokes.
Even on rainy mornings like this, their
Even on rainy mornings like this, their
banter filled the home like sunshine.
After a little chit-chat, she started her day,
After a little chit-chat, she started her day,
with a warm bath,
a pretty leafy green chudithar, black bindi,
a pretty leafy green chudithar, black bindi,
loose braids,
and idly for breakfast,
Just before leaving, she slid her notebook
Just before leaving, she slid her notebook
into her bag
and added a pencil, a tube of lipstick,
her umbrella, a mobile charger, and earphones.
Then, with a loud “Bye, Ma !”
her umbrella, a mobile charger, and earphones.
Then, with a loud “Bye, Ma !”
she stepped out into the day
This is HEMA, A 26-year-old IT techie,
This is HEMA, A 26-year-old IT techie,
with an immense
love for poems,
books, and writing, most importantly,
books, and writing, most importantly,
does crazy stuff all the time
The rain had almost stopped
The rain had almost stopped
while she stepped out,
those usual busy, hot streets were now……..
Water pooled in awkward wetlands,
Water pooled in awkward wetlands,
with water splashing
with every passing auto and scooter.
Buses hissed past, splashing through puddles.
Buses hissed past, splashing through puddles.
Hema adjusted her scarf, her shoes making small
splashes with each step toward the metro station
8:55 am Saidadapt Metro station
Saidapt Metro Station was filled
splashes with each step toward the metro station
8:55 am Saidadapt Metro station
Saidapt Metro Station was filled
with raincoats and umbrellas,
despite the rain,
all trains came and went as usual.
At 9:00 am, her usual train arrived,
all trains came and went as usual.
At 9:00 am, her usual train arrived,
along with the large, busy morning crowd.
Hema crammed inside the metro.
Hema crammed inside the metro.
Wedged between a woman with
too many shopping bags
and a schoolgirl with a large schoolbag.
and a schoolgirl with a large schoolbag.
She tugged in and put on her earbuds,
but the music struggled against the murmur
of conversations and an
occasional cough from someone behind her.
She gripped the pole with one hand, the strap
She gripped the pole with one hand, the strap
of her bag
in the other. She turned up the volume.
The song was soft and familiar—
The song was soft and familiar—
It was her favorite Ilayaraja song, rain, and this song
felt like heaven,
softening the surrounding chaos.,
softening the surrounding chaos.,
She let her eyes close for a second and drowned
in that music.
Suddenly, in the middle of the song,
Suddenly, in the middle of the song,
her heart beats fast,
unusually fast. She feels chills over
her feet and hands, and she hears something.
With a laugh,
she opens her eyes,
Not loud. But clear. Effortless. Warm—like a spring
she opens her eyes,
Not loud. But clear. Effortless. Warm—like a spring
morning.
That laugh was the kind that could make
That laugh was the kind that could make
Strangers smile.
She turned off the music,
her ears still resonating with its warmth,
her ears still resonating with its warmth,
and followed that laugh,
but the metro was packed, shoulder to shoulder
But her eyes were still searching
She just caught a glimpse. Of a boy who is talking to
But her eyes were still searching
She just caught a glimpse. Of a boy who is talking to
his friends animatedly and laughing,
just a flash—a side profile, maybe. Black shirt.
Headphones around his neck. That is the laugh.
And then the metro announcement buzzed,
And then the metro announcement buzzed,
“Next station, Meenambakkam, doors on theThe
left will open.
“She kept looking for that boy's face,
“She kept looking for that boy's face,
and just as the train slowed, that boy stepped off.
She moved.
She decided to follow him, with no plan.
She decided to follow him, with no plan.
No script. Just instinct. She squeezed past people.
She thought she could still catch him.
She thought she could still catch him.
He turned the corner toward the escalator.
She followed.
Then, the elevator doors opened.
Then, the elevator doors opened.
He stepped in, but she did not make it.
The elevator doors closed.
Gone.
Just like that.
Hema stood still, breath caught in her throat,
Gone.
Just like that.
Hema stood still, breath caught in her throat,
her shoes damp from the station floor.
Her breath was heavy, she was disappointed,
Her breath was heavy, she was disappointed,
sat down on the platform bench,
and took time to calm down,
just for that moment she thought,
Is it a dream, or did I just chase a stranger?
Oh, Hema! She talked to herself. She smiled.
Just a little. her craziness made her smile
somehow, despite everything,
The day suddenly felt lighter.
just for that moment she thought,
Is it a dream, or did I just chase a stranger?
Oh, Hema! She talked to herself. She smiled.
Just a little. her craziness made her smile
somehow, despite everything,
The day suddenly felt lighter.
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