The Monsoon

She took one look at his resume, threw her head back and laughed heartily. He wasn’t offended though, for that was what he had intended for his resume to do – he had written it in a deeply humorous style, hoping to make an impression on the interviewer’s mind. Mahesh was at an interview, and the girl in question was the interview facilitator. At first sight, Mahesh had a deep sense of recognition, as if he had known her a long time ago. She was lean, of average height, hair bobbed, and had a slightly anemic look about her. Later on, she confessed that she had had the same sense of recognition when she saw Mahesh for the first time. Eventually, Mahesh worked his way through the 4 rounds of interviews that the company had planned to test his caliber, and as he was leaving, Nita asked to keep an unofficial copy of his resume. Yeah, Nita was her name, and Mahesh had complied. They parted, not to see each other for the next 5 months, or rather, not to notice each other for the next 5 months.         

          The scene cuts to one hot May afternoon. The office campus looked deserted, though there were about a thousand people in it. The oppressive heat outside dissuaded the usual discussion groups from gathering around the coveted seating platforms under the trees on the grounds. No crowds milling about the beverage dispensing machines either. It was as if the sun had lulled the campus to a doze. Mahesh had finished his tasks for the week, and it being a Thursday afternoon, he had not much to do. Tired of staring at the computer, he had escaped out to the lobby, and gathering up the day’s newspaper and a large cup of Pepsi, settled down on the lounge chair. He was maybe halfway through the paper when he sensed somebody reading the other side of the paper. He looked over the paper to see Nita. She giggled in a schoolgirl kind of way, as if she had done something naughty by reading the paper without his knowledge. But perhaps she was thinking about his resume. For his part, Mahesh was thoroughly surprised to see her, for he had put her out of mind after the interview – he had had a very tough time leaving his old job; the throes of relocation and everything else had left him thoroughly exhausted. That afternoon, neither returned to work, instead doing all the things that two people do when they are getting to know each other. Nita was staying at her aunt’s home, while her parents stayed on at their native village. Mahesh was single, staying with bachelor friends. They chatted about how they had braved odds and worked their ways through their education, and finding many common interests. Finally, when it was time to part, neither wanted to – they had enjoyed each other’s company so much. Thereafter, they met frequently on different occasions – when they co-incidentally picked up coffee at the dispenser together, at the company’s quarterly DJ nite, and the like. However, Mahesh was deeply loyal to his girlfriend of two years, and Nita ignited no romantic thoughts in him. Nita was a simple girl, and she too had no such feelings for Mahesh. Together, Mahesh and Nita looked as if they were painting the impossible picture of a young couple sharing a platonic relationship.         

          Yes, impossible is the word, for one day, disaster struck. On one of the company’s routine medical check-ups for its employees, the physician had sensed something amiss, and recommended Mahesh for a detailed examination. It was then that his world came crashing down – he was diagnosed with cancer. For several days, Mahesh walked around in a daze. He could not bring himself to break the news to his parents or girlfriend for he feared that they would be devastated. Mahesh considered himself to be very strong emotionally, and felt that he could manage without any emotional backing. His manager was very understanding, giving him unlimited paid leave to undergo treatment. The company would bear the entire costs of treatment. No one would need to know anything; moreover, the disease was in its initial stages, and the specialists were 100% sure that he would be cured in no time. What Mahesh had not accounted for was that though the disease was not advanced, he would still need to undergo a lot of pain and separation from his loved ones. Weeks turned into months and injections turned into chemotherapies. He kept in regular contact with his parents over phone, and explained that he was unable to visit them for a few months as he was under intense work pressure. His parents accepted his excuses, but the girlfriend was gradually drifting away. Mahesh was acutely aware of the gulf in the relationship, but was unable to do anything about it, restricted to professing his love over the phone, which the girlfriend heard with a patient, but bored disinterest. Hope and enthusiasm turned into despair and depression. Mahesh felt all alone in the world. Except for a once-in-a-while brief phone call from his manager, colleagues or a few close friends, nobody seemed to be bothered. Six months had passed. The girlfriend had ended the relationship. Close friends preferred to forget him. And the sun decided to thaw Mahesh’s heart.         

          One morning, as Mahesh was resting on the lawns of the hospital, feeling the gentle warmth of the March sun caressing him, he spied a group of people walking towards him. And each of them he did recognize – it was his team from office! Just as he was wondering what had brought them here, they broke out into a joyful rendition of “Happy birthday to you… ” And it was then that he realized that it was his birthday! Tears clouded his vision as his teammates hugged his frail frame, and then he spotted Nita smiling from the doorway. For the first time, Mahesh was conscious of the haggard image that he presented, but was nevertheless happy to see Nita. Though not part of his team, she had come to visit him, and to Mahesh, it was a clear sign that somebody cared, and that God indeed did. The sunshine appeared brighter, the lawns greener, and the future filled with hope again. After a fun-filled four hours, the visitors returned to Bangalore, and the memories they left behind assured Mahesh that he was still being cared for.         

          Nita visited frequently, often sacrificing her weekends and vacations to bring succor and hope to Mahesh’s life. And when she returned after one such visit, Mahesh accompanied her, fully cured, albeit in haggard shape and on a strict diet. Nita had arranged for him to stay with her friends in a house near her, so that she could be on hand if he ever needed help. Months passed and Mahesh was strong enough to attend office again. He used to drive Nita and himself in his car to office, have breakfast and lunch together, and one would wait if the other got late, so that they could return together. By now, both were aware of a strong bond that had sprung up between them. Neither found the courage to put it into words, for fear of offending the other. In this way, time passed and it was May again. A year after they had met. An article in the newspaper mentioned that the monsoon was on its way and would make landfall in two weeks. Something stirred deep inside Mahesh’s heart. He had always loved the rain, and the heavenly grandeur of a thunderstorm always made him feel so close and connected to God. He mentioned this to Nita, who suggested that he take a break and travel on the monsoon tourism trails of the Kerala tourism department. On an impulse, he asked Nita if she would like to accompany him. What followed were hectic parleys between Nita, her parents and her local guardians. With less than a week to go for the monsoons to arrive, they finally decided to travel.         

          So it was one fine Friday morning in late May that Mahesh and Nita set out in his car, on their way to Cochin in Kerala. Traversing through the hot terrains of South India, they finally reached Cochin one magical evening. The atmosphere was humid and heavy, with the stifling heat that is the hallmark of south Indian summers. In the late evening, they could see the heavy moisture-laden clouds lining the edges of the horizon. They booked a 3-day cruise on a houseboat, and slept fitfully that night. The next day was spent in sun-bathing, fishing and swimming around the houseboat. That evening, they sat together on the upper deck of the boat, watching the sunset. The effect was mesmerizing, as the sun splashed various hues of red, purple and gold across the sky. A harbinger of the monsoon, a cold wind blew landwards. The crew of the houseboat were busy pulling in the fishing nets and setting out the dim electric lights. The noise of music and drunken revelry on another houseboat carried across to them over the water. Lights twinkled on ships outside the port and tiny houses on the numerous islands that dot the backwaters. Nita sat on a step, while Mahesh sat at her feet on a step below her. Both were in their own worlds, each lost in their own thoughts. The gentle roll of the houseboat beneath them created a soothing movement. And then Mahesh reached out and clasped Nita’s right hand in his. No words were spoken. There was no need to. The fingers of Nita’s left hand gently caressed the stubble of hair that was left on Mahesh’s head after the chemotherapy. Two warm tear drops fell onto Mahesh’s shoulders, and they seemed to burn the pains of the past and bring in new warmth to his soul. And as the two souls rejoiced, they heard the pitter-patter of raindrops on the water next to the boat, and the approaching roar of heavy rain, rushing in from the sea. The monsoon clouds blocked out the dying light of the setting sun, as the rain fell in heavy sheets over the motionless couple on the houseboat. Even in the bright lightning, one couldn’t make out whether it was the rain or the tears. The monsoon had arrived.