Prisoner in Paradise

She lifted the curtains a teensie bit on the side, and looked through the window yet another time. It sure did sound like it, but she couldn't make out if she saw the pitter patter of drops or not. She let the curtains fall, and went back to writing on her laptop. Three words, and she was reaching for the curtain yet again. She almost let it fall back, when she noticed it. The unmistakeable lighting up of the whole street by a lightning.

She left what she was doing as it was, and ran to the door. Quickly unlocked it and stood still in her verandah. The smell of the rain and the winds surrounded and engulfed her. Zoe had waited for this for so long. She pressed her face, to see through one of the petal shaped apertures of the metal gate - Part of the iron frame surrounding her verandah, a detailed flower garden pattern in metal.

Since he wasn't in town, and it was quite late in the night, the gate was already locked. Not bothering to open it, she rested her chin on the cold iron and looked at the rain fall. It had been so long. It almost looked like the reunion of two long lost friends.

Was it about a month back? She was watching some movie, where there was heavy rain in one of the scenes. Just that made her so nostalgic, and desperate for rain. And now, it was finally here. It had drizzled a couple of times the past week. As good as that is, it was no rain.

For some people, rain means sadness. For some it brought the urge to dance. Some were happy, and some became poets. For Zoe, the rain was all that and more. It lit up her world like no other. She almost shared a bond with every falling drop. In spite of all this, she was more than content just standing where she stood and  looking out.

She had felt that this rain would bring with it a lot of thoughts, as so much was left to be figured out. So much left to do, and so much to sort out. But she found herself comforted just by the feel of the cold iron. For someone who was allergic to metal, she sure loved the feel of it.

The droplets of water prancing on the wind-shield of a car's  parked ahead caught her attention. A little beyond, to her left, the asbestos of the car park had water falling from it in several parallel streams. Sliver of streams that changed direction of flow along with the rain itself. The street light above not just shed light on it, but also seemed to be enjoying it's first row view of the little water works. The trees that had already closed their leaves for the night were elegantly letting the water drip from them. 

As she looked on at the rain changing directions with the wind, no gushing thoughts, and no surge of solutions came to her. Those issues would have to be worked on slowly, and with efforts. But it didn't feel so walloping any more. The future was still as dubious as it was, but it wasn't dark and disheartening.

The rain always brought with it a promise of hope for brand new beginnings. It also brought with it a beaming smile for Zoe's face. Which she kept on as she watched the rain till it slowed down ... and even when she went to bed that night.