The C.C Situation

Prescript: Rak and Kev are waiting in queue, to get their stuff billed at the city’s biggest mall. They have been recruited straight from college by a prestigious construction company just a week ago

Kev: Check out all the grocery she has bought, I bet she is getting ready for Armageddon

Rak: Shut up and see whether she is paying by cash or card

Kev: Why are you so nervous? We have enough credit in that thing

Rak: Dude, I know about credit and debit, it’s just that I have never used a credit card before

Kev: Chill dude, it’s just like how we do with the other card. Hey, it’s our turn… remind him that the shirt come with a 50% discount

While the cashier billed the items, Kev produced a one rupee coin from his jeans pocket and gave it to Rak

Cashier: Cash or card, sir?

Kev: He is paying by card…. credit card!!

Kev took the bill from the cashier and flashed a confident smile; the same smile which he believes got him through the HR round. While he scrutinised the receipt, the cashier stretched himself and started popping his knuckles

.

.

Rak, on the other hand, almost in slow motion, took out the virgin credit card from his purse…. kept it on the counter… and with the one rupee coin, started scratching the magnetic stripe.

I love telling this story, even though Rak gave us a treat to keep this incident, which never occurred, a secret :D

Lines: ten, tenaana, ten, ten....

Mid Summer Deluge

A smile beamed across his face as he surveyed the dark sky; he whispered to his fellow third graders, “It’s going to rain”. Even before they could react, he picked up his battered notebooks from the ground and climbed over the school’s mud fence. He felt a sudden cold breeze on his face; the rain was coming and he had to reach home before it did.

He pulled out a few marbles from his faded navy blue trouser pocket and made sure the big one with the yellow streak was there. Holding his books close to his chest and clutching his trouser pocket containing the marbles, he jumped off the mud fence and dashed towards the rice field. Balancing himself with one hand, he crossed the field over a narrow path while the rice plants danced to the tune of the strong breeze. By the time he reached the banyan tree just outside the rice field, a heavy wind had started to blow away leaves and the tree rained down ripe fruits like heavy pellets.

He reached a long dusty road and saw his house on the other end. His small feet kicked up dust as he raced towards the house. He heard the rain, like a swarm of bees, getting closer and felt the air getting heavier with moisture. He turned back to see the dusty road changing color to dark brown as the rain splashed on it, racing towards him. He ran as fast as he could while the trees on either side swayed violently, as if cheering him

He leapt over the steps leading to his house followed by the thundering sound of the rain hitting the clay tiled roof. He fell on his knees trying to catch his breath, the sweet smell of earth filled his lungs and he felt it flow throughout his body.

Twenty years have passed since that mid-summer deluge, but the sight of the rain chasing him down the dusty road, the sound of it pelting on the roof and the sweet smell of earth it brought will remain locked in his heart forever.

That's 355 ml of rain. Not the heaviest seen in this blog so far, but its a mid summer deluge; a special one :)