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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzV2UfRj6q
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.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmDp8erhhg
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!”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGua0MbjjKK
Rohit smiled and exclaimed with a sudden feeling of joy, “Natasha! Is that you?"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyH35kj8WFv
“Yes, it's been so long.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYta0bgdLR7
“It's raining. Come, sit inside the car. I will drop you,” Rohit said with some shyness.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1j7v4YbPwL
“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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QSNFB1wzm
“Don’t be stupid. Come inside. I will drop you,” Rohit insisted.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44VTDobTIF
“Thank you," she said while she sat on the seat. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtr3NCWefEx
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowagA0sdx8
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZ2gIKR6xn
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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQMq4ZUhN4
“Don't worry, I will drop you in front of the college and you can use my umbrella,” Rohit said in an assertive tone.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0h5NVmXN9
“Thank you, Rohit. You're still the same old Rohit who used to care and help everyone,” Natasha chuckled.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJt2Qu8fIh
“Only I cared,” Rohit murmured.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNCurFeEu1
“Did you say anything?” Natasha asked. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNespAZwLyq
“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.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcNU1DuMbf
“I don't remember. You still remember?” she said with a mysterious look on her face.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDdGje4lRb
“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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdWa5EkfPq
Natasha chuckled.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDoqoA6iuS
“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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wxqyOPmMf
Natasha looked at Rohit in confusion, “Is everything alright?”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfjBRATLmR
“I am curious to know if you remember anything about the time we spent in school?” he asked in a melancholic tone.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBC9hmoFwc
Natasha did not say anything. Rohit felt a heaviness in his heart. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3TQ18yq1v
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.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8EMBlLawZ
“Sure, What do you want to ask?” she said curiously raising her eyebrows. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckkmpRZeuQ
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.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjMXjuEpIz
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.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWNAvteYIG
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlcXve4yHG
“There is nothing special in this. I am as friendly with others as I was with you,” she said, raising her eyebrows in assertiveness. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lGrWgMg6b
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?”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7S6HkA0hg
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsJuFLsDmL
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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGq1igLsYP
“You are right. There was nothing special in that.” Rohit said in a low voice.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLYTXogxPF
“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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFq3RyKGxr
“But then?” Rohit asked curiously. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnmaXuj2EV
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdZ37YUE0a
“What do you mean by ‘It was not to be’ ?” Rohit asked with a heaviness in his voice. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCh0RFj83N
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rmINRkdQx
Meanwhile, they reached Natasha's college. Natasha stood up and started walking out of the car, “Won't you come with me?”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxlFeLL8Tc
Before Rohit could reply, he got a call, “Yes sir. I am on the way. I will be reaching the office soon.” 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6H22euC0T
Natasha out of the car with the umbrella. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ij8Mcy11g
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDVrJ0X4CZ
“Bye, Natasha,” Rohit said with a heaviness in his voice. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSeIbdNQ9x
Rohit continued to look at Natasha, who gradually got farther and ultimately disappeared.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChHDsRik9e
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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ALCrt2WAR
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EFVVP6rkE
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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxEpRZ9eWh
“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. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXIDOmJHbe
The rain poured down on him, soaking his clothes and hair. He stood there, umbrella-less, feeling the raindrops mix with his tears.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBpUlWHxNE
Just as he was starting to walk away, his phone rang again.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOgqx9dt8u
"Hello?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “Yes, Peter. I won't be coming to the office today.”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXFfx3HD0o
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8oJs5hY6W
