A day without Rain

2007 May 4th
0001 hrs

“Hello “
Her voice echoed in my ears
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY “
“Wooooww dear thanks a lot; you are the first person to wish me as always, so when will you turn up?”
“I will come there in the evening “
“Okay, so 8pm fixed, and don’t dare to make other programs”
“Yeah sure I will be there, good night, take care, bye”
“Good night dude, take care”
I hung up the phone and went near the table took one cigarette and lit it. I tried to make rings out of it, but as usual I couldn’t do that.
Darkness; I love that, it feels so good; it’s an amazing feeling-it falls on everyone and don’t dare to light up, let it be for some moment. But street lights and moon makes the darkness to converge.
“Dude what are you doing at this part of the night?” my roommates voice pulled me back from my thoughts. The smell of cigarette may be the reason.
“Nothing “I told with a weird smile, I doubt he didn’t see that smile, as it was dark every where.
“You are such a nuisance” he said and lit one cigarette.
He’s a good boy, but sometimes acts childish and I feel like he’s an idiot. No he’s a damn good friend.
“Dude, I am going to sleep, tomorrow I have office” I told him and went to sleep.

0700 hrs

I opened my eyes, my cell phone was ringing, and no actually it’s the alarm. I checked the time.
“Shit, its 7“I screamed and found there was no one to hear that. The door was open and I could hear water falling on the bucket
I took one cigarette and lit it, a few puffs passed and I was talking to myself: ”oh today also I am late, I won’t reach office by 8”
“That is not a new thing dude, daily I wake up hearing your alarm and you keep on snoozing it till 7, actually I should say you are early today “ my roommate came after his bath and was laughing at me.
“Fuck off” I told to him, took the towel and went to the bathroom.
“Dude, come fast I am waiting” his voice came from behind.
“Oohh yeaahhh…you wait for me idiot, you could have woke me up”

0815 hrs

I parked my bike and ran to office. I have to swipe.
“Shit, fuck…” I was cursing myself. Today also boss will catch me, I wonder why he always comes out when I am coming running. I was about to get inside, suddenly I heard someone called my name, I turned back “oh Sam is that you, Thank god today I got a company” I told with a smile.
“Yaar, my bike got a flat tyre, so have to catch the bus, and you know how Bangalore sucks when you are in a BMTC bus”
“Yeah, I know yaar, and it fucks too!” I added
“Well well, today we got two late comers, and Anoop could you give a reason as always, but give a new one, I’m fed up of flat tyre, traffic, no water, no electricity etc etc..” Boss was standing at the entrance.
“Idiot, why he’s not having a flat tyre or may be his wife could prepare a late breakfast.” I thought and gave a weird smile and looked at Sam. He was about to say something, but he was out forced by the so called boss. “Ok, it’s a routine now, but don’t worry I won’t leave you, so at 9, you come to my cabin with all your status reports, I want to have a thorough check, and no excuses, call your friend also”
“Yes sir” I told
“And, when you will finish those planning, I want that, its urgent, take that also”
“Ok sir, I will be there by 9”
I looked at Sam, he was keeping quite. Boss walked out for his routine checks, after all he invented
ISO 14001. Sam and I walked inside. He went to his table and I went to mine.
Sushil was early today; oh that’s not a big deal. He is my colleague and sits next to me. Cool fellow and a good friend of mine.
“Good morning Sush” I told
“Yeah, good morning yaar, and I have told several times that don’t call by that name you idiot”, he gets irritated when someone calls him like that, but he won’t tell me anything.
“What were you doing?” I asked curiously as he was scratching his head and cursing someone and his head were two inches from the book he was looking and yeah today also he forgot his specs.
“Nothing yaar, that idiot came here and told me to take all those planning and progress reports, and yeah status reports, looks like he wants to screw us today and be there by 9; man, I told you he is the original blended son of a…. “Sushil told and his voice rose slightly. He was as angry as always, can’t do anything about that.
“Yeah, I know. And by the way those reports were ready and it’s on my drawer.”
“That I know, but he wants to know what happened till 6am”
“Fuck him, how the hell we know, he could have checked the job cards and all”
“No man, he won’t do that, you know he wants someone to scratch his ass, usually Praveen used to do that, today I think he’s on leave and he knows we won’t do that, so he wants to screw someone, yeah we are the better options.”
I gave a weird smile to Sushil.
By 0830 tea came, and that’s one of the moments I like, to have a hot cup of tea.


0900 hrs

We reached near boss’s cabin. He’s lucky to have an air-conditioned cabin in this month of May, lucky idiot. His secretary was sitting outside his cabin.
“Ma’m is he inside?” Sushil asked
She nodded without looking from the computer.
“Good mood or what?”He was not leaving her.
She tilted her face and smiled at us, “yeah he’s ok now, and for God’s sake don’t change that.”
We smiled and went pass her table, checked the cabin and Sushil peeped through the glass.
“Oh shit, he saw me” Sushil whispered in my ears. We went inside and he signaled to take our seats.
Wow, it was great to sit in an A/C cabin in this hot season.
“Yeah gentlemen, now let’s review the progress, so tell me where are we?”
“We are in your cabin, Sir” I wanted to tell that but I didn’t.
“Here is the progress Sir” Sushil gave the register he was keeping.
“Ok, just tell me in brief, I don’t have time to go through all these”
“Please accept that you don’t know any shit about this crap” again I was having those weird thoughts.
“Yes Sir, all those gauges and tools for Lucas TVS has been dispatched and they have approved that, and about the five tools what we are doing here. Three, we took the trails and other two is having its final inspection” I told him in one breath. And after a gasp I continued “those trails were ok, little corrections were required, but now it’s completed and is running in CMD”.
“Hmm, ok so what about the previous tools, 53445 to 53449?”
“Sir, they are still under manufacturing, actually sparking is left out, and electrodes are ready.”
“Oh yeah, for the past one year you are telling the same thing, you are an useless fellow”
“Those moulds were in a pathetic situation when I joined and I came to know it was like that for the past two years and how can you blame us “. I slightly raised my voice
“Yes sirs, when we joined those were pathetic, and were suggested to the red tag area.” Sushil added.
“Ok, now what CMD wants, did they require this of what?”
“No, they don’t want that except tying band, actually they got the modified moulds which started after the issue of the raw materials of those moulds and also the old drawings are not available.” I continued.
“Ok boys, you contact TRD and CMD and do as they suggest, take Mr. Ramesh also”
“Ok Sir, we will make a move”. Sushil told and we both came back.

Mr. Ramesh, he is a man of character, very cool, peaceful, hard working, and yeah he’s our manager.
And a little consideration will show that, all the above words mentioning Mr. Ramesh is absolutely wrong, as he is the most irritating, lazy, crooked idiot I have ever seen, in fact we have ever seen, and sometimes I feel like he an asshole or whatever you can call it.

We came back to our seats. Sushil cracked some idiotic stuff and we laugh in loud voice.
Anil, Dinesh and Sam were busy working. They sit towards the left side of the portion where Sushil, Radhakrishna and me sits.
“Yaar, where is our Anna” Sushil asked.
Everyone calls Radhakrishna as Anna, but Anna still doesn’t know that.
“He’s on leave today, he went to his place, will be back on Monday.”

1015 hrs

Anil rose from his seat and was typing a message, I suppose.
After a few seconds my cell phone vibrated, it’s a message and the sender was Anil.
“Coming out?”
I looked at him he was smiling and I shook my head.
We both came out. This is the time where Anil and I go out of the compound to have our first smoke break.
We came out of the building and gave a thorough look.
Yeah no one in sight, we slowly walked out to the out gate and reached to a small shop, where we used to have one cup of tea and cigarette.
“What was there in the morning with CGK?” Anil asked
CGK is our Boss; it stands for C G Krishnamohan
“Nothing new, as usual, he wants to know about the status.” I told and laughed.
“Ok” he told and joined me in laughing.
We bought two cigarettes and two cup of tea and started enjoying it. After we finished, we had minto- fresh and walked back.
There is a belief in all the smokers that after each smoke try a minto fresh, it will fresh up your mouth and you won’t smell smoke when you talk. Telling the truth, it sucks, I hate minto-fresh, but we all have our own beliefs, so I don’t want to take a chance.
When we are near the in gate, my cell phone vibrated to tell me there is a message. It was from my girl friend.
“Do you love me?”
Gosh, why does this girl always ask the same question?
“Yes dear” I replied.
Again message came.
“I am going to call you now; I want to talk to you”
“No dear, now I got a meeting, I will call you after I finish that.” I typed and send the message and within seconds I got a call from her.
“Hello, I told you I have a meeting now, and I am going for that, can we talk afterwards”
“So you don’t love me, I know all boys are same, can’t trust anyone” she told in a rude way.
“Ok tell me what you want to take about?”
“Oh ho, so you want to know the reason, why can’t I call my boy and simply talk for some time?”
“You can call, but now I am in office so I am working, may be busy, I want to attend meetings”
“That’s not a big deal, why can’t you talk to me if in office, so you don’t love me”
“Ok tell me, why you won’t take your cell phone from your bag when in office, only on breaks you will take that and message and I know there is no restrictions in using mobile in your office“
“Oh, why are irritating me, I don’t want to shuffle personal and official together an I am a trainee, I’m learning”
“There you are, ok bye dear, we will talk afterwards,” I hung up the phone without hearing what she was telling.

She is my girlfriend. Like all girl friends in the world she also screws my life. I don’t know why didn’t god created a third category apart from man and women, GIRL FRIEND. I doubt he didn’t have one.

By that time I reached my seat and Anil was there in his seat, working.

1205 hrs

By this time I got more than 25 miss calls from her and some 5 messages, for the first one I replied
“I will call you, now I am in meeting”
My phone vibrated, it will be a message from her, I thought and took the phone, and it was from Dinesh.
“Lunch?”
I looked to my left side; I can see Dinesh waving at me. Sushil was not there in his seat, that idiot will be the first one in canteen on all Fridays. I stood up from my seat and walked towards Dinesh, and we both walked to the canteen.
“Today is Friday know, so what will be today, any guess?” Dinesh asked
“Hmmm, may be tomato rice, last week it was pulav, and before that puliagaore, whatever it is I hate Friday lunch from here” I replied. He laughed and we were at the entrance, Anil, Sam, Sushil and Reddy were waiting for us.
We all walked to the canteen, and it was pulav, I hate that stuff; yuck..!
After that we all walked out, and in between Reddy skipped from the gang, he had some work it seems. We passed the out gate and went to the shop for a smoke. Anil and I took cigarettes others took some chewing gum, toffee etc. we all enjoyed the lunch break here, it was fun to have a smoke, do some chit chat, it feels good. After that we walked back. Time for continue work.





1515 hrs

“Hello”, her voice was rough.
“Hallaaa” I replied.
“Why you called?”
“Simple, now it’s a break, will have to join after 15 minutes.”
“Oh ho, ok, so had food?”
“Yeah, “
“What did you had, did you thought of me any time when you were having food, I was waiting for your call and didn’t took the food.”
“Hey, I didn’t have any time to call, and I have told you a several times not to pull me inside you food timings, you have food when you are hungry.”
“Oohh..! So you don’t love me, yeah I know, all boys are of same type, before everything they will call for everything, and when a relationship is build up, they have their own ways for easy going”
“Aaha, ok we will talk later, so nice of you”
I ended the call and looked to my left side as someone calling my name, it was Anil, and he was in the gangway.
“Coming?”
“Yeah, one minute, “
And I turned to Sushil and told “Sush, be right back and keep an eye on my things”
He nodded without lifting his face, may be busy.
Anil and I went out as earlier had our quota of tea and cigarettes and came back. Sushil was not there in his seat, and all my things were scattered on the table. I cursed him for a while and started to arrange all the things.

1705 hrs

“Yaar, did you know, our Ramesh is not coming tomorrow”. Sushil told as I was playing with my cell phone and I suddenly realized that I’m in office.
“Aaha, who told?” I asked.
“Sreenoop,” he told and took one gasp and continued “you know, all the idiots who are sitting in top are on leave tomorrow, so let’s enjoy “
“Hee hee “I just laughed for his comment.
“Yaar, all companies are like a tree and we are all monkeys sitting in the braches, when the top management looks down they see monkeys under them and laugh at us, and the funniest part is that when we look up, there’s no monkeys on the top level management, we see only assholes above us”
And he burst into laughter, even I also couldn’t control. I wonder how he manages to crack those jokes, which are witty and thinkable.
By that time our shift ended, and slowly every one left. Sushil and I were still left out. We slowly walked out of the shop floor and went to parking. I took my bike and Sushil sat on the back. We went to the shop outside for a smoke break. He won’t smoke, but eats very well. I got a cigarette and lit it. By that time he finished one burger and went for the next one. We got our tea and I lit up my next cigarette.
My cell phone rang, I took it from my pocket and saw, and it was my friend.
“Hello”
“Yeah hello, dude are you free tonight” he asked.
“Yeah till 8pm, I got a program at that time”
“Oh! Now its 5.30, could you come here at 6. A toast awaits you, last week Anish came from Goa and he got some stuffs, blended exclusively for us “
“Excuse me, what’s that, are you talking about Feni”
“Nope yaar, he got a bottle of black label, Johnny walker, so we expect you by 6, and tomorrow is off Na”
“No yaar, I got office tomorrow, it really sucks, and ok I will be there by 6 and allow me to leave by 7.30, ok”
“Ok done”
I kept my phone back, and looked at Sushil; he was enjoying his evening snacks.
“Ok yaar, I will make a move” I told him and went to my bike.

1825 hrs


“Sorry guys, I’m little late” I told when I entered the room.
“Fuck you, is this 6 o clock, man you are 30 minutes late.” Sandeep told in a loud voice without looking from the television. He was onto ZOOM, latest gossips may be.
I smiled at him and went inside. All things were kept ready for the prestigious bachelor party. Two bottle Johnny walker, one bottle Pepsi, two packs of cigarettes, snacks, pickle and yeah four glasses. I stared at the arrangements and by that time every one came. We sat in a circle, not exactly, but it looks like a circle. Glasses were filled with Johnny walker and some amount of Pepsi.
“Cheers” everyone said and took a sip.
After some time, the room was filled by smoke and glasses were used as a supporting medium from the bottle to mouth. I looked at my watch, it was 7pm. “I still got some time”, I thought.
“Damn, this girl is too hot” Prasobh told as saw Rihana’s new music video umbrella on VH1
“Yeah, she’s hot” Sandeep added
“Nope dude, Beyonce is hot that her “Anish wants a fight.
“I’ll go with Alizee” I told and sipped my whiskey.
“Yeah, whatever, and are we mad enough to fight for some stupid chicks, who doesn’t even know us” Prasobh was right. We all kept quiet, and Rihana was awesome.
Time was not in a mood for stopping, it went in its way, why doesn’t time wait for us?
May be it doesn’t have anyone for waiting, may be single, I suppose.
“Hey pass on that cigarette,” Prasobh reached for the cigarette I was smoking. I gave him the half burned one and pour some whiskey onto my glass, and added some water (Pepsi got over by that time).
I finished that in one sip and lay on the floor. I felt the world is revolving, I wanted to close my eyes, but if I had, I will be late for the party. I struggled to keep my eyes open. Now I am feeling lot better, whiskey reached all the cells in my body, I feel like flying, my eye lids were struggling to meet one another and I lost.

2300 hrs

I opened my eyes.
“Where am I “I asked myself. It was dark out there, and I could see the other three were sleeping in their bed. I checked my watch.
“SHIT…” I screamed; it was 11 pm. I wanted to go as early as possible. I reached for my cell phone, it was in silent mode, and it showed 32 missed calls, and few messages, and I went through them.
“Idiot, where are you?”
“You are making me mad.”
The messages went like this.
“Oh god, today I am a dead man” I shouted as I moved to door. I opened the door and went to my bike. Suddenly my phone rang. I checked the screen, it was from my girlfriend.
“Hello”
“Where have you been, I am keep on trying for you from the evening”
“See, I was little busy, tired now”
“Oh, it’s the same excuse for the whole week, would you change it at least for yourself”
“Please, I am not in mood for fight, I even forgot to attend one party”
“Oh great, you remember parties and not me, yeah I should learn “
“Oh please, stop it, I am going to hang up, I want to leave”
“So now I have become a nuisance, ok fine”
“Good night” I didn’t wait for her reply; I wanted to reach her house at the earliest to save my ass.
I took the helmet on and stated the bike…
Thump thump…..

2335 hrs

I parked the bike and ran to the door. I couldn’t hear any noise inside, but the light was switched on and vague noises from television, I suppose reached my ears. I pressed on the calling bell and was ready to let my ass kicked, and yeah I have got a present too. Footsteps approached the door. It got opened, she stared at me. I gave a weird smile.
Slap Slap, my face did an oscillatory motion as it turned to left and right in a millisecond. I dint spoke a word and the door was shut in front of me. I stood there for a while and pressed the calling bell again.
My phone vibrated
“I don’t want to see your face, asshole” it was from her.
“Sorry” I replied.
No reply came from her. I stood there for a while, my eyes were trying to asleep, and I was trying hard to keep them opened. We struggled for some 20 minutes or so. And finally I lost.

2007 May 5th
0210 hrs

“Dude, get up” I heard this and someone sprinkled water on my face. I opened my eyes, again
“Where am I? “
I am in the verandah of her house. “Shit” I told to myself and tried to raise and stood in two legs.
My head was spinning, I felt like some 1000 kg weight on top of my head, yeah it was really heavy.
I tried to walk, but struggled and I fell down. She helped me to get inside. I fell on the couch and I still held the present which I bought for her. Television was switched on and “Sweet November” was playing. It’s our favorite movie, and we had watched it together more than 10 times, may be she’s Sarah and I am Nelson.
“Happy birthday” I told and only half of the words came out and gave the pack to her. She took it and opened it
“Wow, it’s so nice of you” she was excited; she came and kissed my cheeks.
“Blah, you stink too much.” She told.
I smiled with my eyes closed.
“You want to take a shower”
“No, tell me where I can sleep”
“Yeah, come over” she pulled my hands and took me to the bedroom, it was painted light pink, I just love that color.
“Here it is, sleep tight, and get ready to face terror in the morning” she told.
“Yeah yeah, hey you got any cigarettes”
“No” she told and turned towards the door.
“Oh great, I have two in my pocket” I told and took two cigarettes from my pocket. The condition was horrible, but still it’s okay, better than nothing.
“At least a lighter or match box”
She laughed and reached her table and gave me the lighter. I lit it and saw her reaching for the other one. I gave that to her, her eyes were shining, I didn’t find any tiredness in her eyes, and as always they are fresh.
“Ok dude good night” she told as her cigarette was over.
“Yeah good night” and I fell on the bed.
I heard her footsteps away from me and closing the door behind her. Is she moving away from me? Slowly my eyes were closed. I wanted to talk to her. I tried to open my eyes. Now also I lost. I owe my life to her, she changed me, a change was inevitable, and for every cloud there is a silver lining and for every life there is a hope...
Hope..??
Yeah, sure I do, now I live life, and for some moment I feel like Mr. November, Nelson in her arms, yeah in Sarah’s arms. And I completely closed my eyes. Let it be.