I think I'm happy.

Our eyes meet just for  a second.

And, then they depart.

Depart, simultaneously

As if it's rehearsed.

As if they have been doing this since years

As if they share a bond.

But, they don't.

Neither do you and I.

All I want to do is write fiction.

Amidst the clatter of half baked conversations flying around the room in rapid proportions.. She sat by the window enveloped in the silence of her world.

The waiter came by the table to ask for her order.
Hearing the voice of another human seemed alien to her. It took her some time to come back her senses and then dutifully, she gave her order in a singsong voice and quietly sipped the glass of water and threw a glance all around her
..
Happy people. Sad people. Angry people. But, most importantly there were conversations. And, smiles.

She swallowed in the snippets of conversation from each table.
She stared away in the loneliness. Looked out of the window some more breathing in and out the silence all around her.
The silence that made her want to scream. Scream so loud that everyone present gets an earful of it.
The silence was just too loud.

It was going to be harder than she thought..

'Why did you leave without saying goodbye?'

She stood there with the blue umbrella as if she owned the world.

Stood right there over the pavement in the sensitive chaos of the evening with drops of rain washing down the streets and drowning away the unbearable quietness of the road.

'Would it wash away her pain too? Would it give her freedom from the hackles of being caught up in a life that hasn't been her own till now?'


She wondered with amused eyes looking ahead. Looking ahead to the future.. the freedom that came with it.

Beside her a train of people went along. With their umbrellas protecting themselves from the rain.

Not even letting a drop of rain come in contact with their body.

She laughed to herself. 'What are they scared of?' She thought.

It was time.

Eighteen years of sheltered protection. She could wait no more.

And, just like that she threw away her umbrella and let the drops of rain adorn her body.

Looking up to the sky.. she closed her eyes. And, felt the drops of water trickle down her face and give her freedom. And, some more

A smile curved her lips into undefined glee.

Lonely the umbrella stays. Neglected beside the pavement. All alone.