Monsoon Romance : a drive in the rain

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A DRIVE IN THE RAIN

MONSOON ROMANCE

LOVE STORY by VIKRAM KARVE

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A DRIVE IN THE RAIN

Romance Story by Vikram Karve

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Pune

Circa 2006

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The monsoon has finally arrived in Pune.

It is the first day of the monsoon — but it’s been raining incessantly all morning.

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Ideally — at 10 o’clock in the morning on a working day — I should have been safely ensconced in my office.

But today — I sit in the driving seat of my car — slowly negotiating my way in the torrential rain — because I have an important appointment to keep.

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Suddenly — I see my ex-husband Avinash — half-drenched — shivering under the bus-stop at Aundh — trying to protect himself from the pouring rain.

Avinash sees me too.

Our eyes meet.

I wonder who is more surprised at this unexpected encounter — Avinash or Me…?

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At first instinct — I feel like ignoring Avinash and driving away.

But then — my humanitarian side takes over.

So — I stop the car near him.

I lean across — open the car door — and I beckon him to get inside.

Avinash seems hesitant to get inside my car — so — he declines my offer speaking in a cold formal tone.

“Thanks — but I’ll take an auto-rickshaw — I am going to Deccan…” he says to me.

“Come on Avinash — get in fast or you’ll get wet — you won’t get a rickshaw in this rain — and — I too am going towards Deccan Gymkhana — I’ll drop you on the way…” I say to him in a convincing voice.

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Avinash gets in — and — he sits besides me in the front passenger seat.

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For a while — we drive in silence.

Then — Avinash speaks.

“It’s been five years…” he says.

“Yes…” I say, “Quite a surprise — seeing you here in Pune...”

“Yes. I just came in from Mumbai by the Volvo bus and got down at Parihar Chowk. And you…? What are you doing in Pune…?” he asks me.

“I relocated to Pune six months ago…” I say.

“Oh. So you live in Pune now…” Avinash says.

“And you…? Do you still live in America…?” I ask him.

“Yes. But maybe I’ll come back…” he says.

“Homesick…? Or is the recession still not over…?” I ask him.

“Not really…” he says.

“So you’ve come to look for a job in Pune…?” I ask him.

“It’s actually something else. A family matter…” Avinash says.

“Family matter…? In Pune…?” I ask him, curious.

“My wife is from Pune…” Avinash says.

“Wife…? You remarried…? I ask him — a bit surprised.

“Yes. Two years ago…” Avinash says.

“And — I didn’t even know that you had remarried…!!! You didn’t even bother to inform me…” I say, angrily.

“We decided — didn’t we…? Do you remember…? We decided to move on in life. We decided to go off on our different ways and not look back at our relationship…” he says — emphatically.

“Yes. We lost track of each other completely…” I say — wistfully.

“That was good. Isn’t it…? For both of us…?” he asks me.

“Yes…” I say — mechanically.

“And you…? You married again…?” Avinash asks me.

“Yes. I got married too — soon after you left for America after our divorce…” I say to him — matter-of-factly.

“On the rebound…?” he asks — with curiosity in his eyes.

“Maybe…!!!” I say — laughing.

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Avinash has not changed.

He still has the knack of saying these devastatingly rude things in such a naïve innocent manner.

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Soon — we are near the Pune University circle.

Avinash hasn’t told me where exactly he is going in Deccan — so — I decide to find out.

“Where is your wife’s house…? I’ll take the road accordingly…” I ask him.

“It’s okay. Just drop me wherever convenient to you…” he says.

“Come on. Tell me. Just see how heavily it is raining. Do you want me to go via Senapati Bapat Road…? Or — do you want me to drive straight ahead — via Fergusson College Road — or — should I drive via Jangli Maharaj Road…?” I ask Avinash.

“It’s okay. You drive to wherever you want to go in Deccan. I’ll get off there…” he says.

“Oh. So — you don’t want to show me your wife’s house…?” I say, tongue in cheek.

“No. No. It’s not that. I am going somewhere else. Actually — I am going to the Family Court…” he says.

“You are going to the Family Court…?” I ask — taken aback.

“Yes — I am going to the Family Court — it is located beyond Deccan — past Lakdi Pul — near Alka Cinema…” he says.

“I know where the Family Court is …” I say to him.

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I am curious and want to find out why Avinash is visiting the family court.

So — I decide to ask him directly.

“Why are you going to the Family Court…? I hope you are not divorcing your wife…?” I say to Avinash.

“Yes. I am divorcing my wife. It is happening again. First — it was the Family Court in Mumbai with you. And now…” he stops speaking — and — I see tears well up in his eyes.

For a moment there is silence — then — I speak.

“I too am going to the Family Court…” I say, sensing a lump in my throat.

“What…? You are going to the Family Court too…?” he looks at me, startled.

“I am divorcing my husband. Today is the final hearing. Hopefully…!!!” I say — trying to hide my emotions.

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I slow down — I stop the car near the pavement past E-Square Multiplex.

I wipe my eyes with tissue.

Then — I hold the tissue box towards Avinash.

He too wipes his eyes.

Ii is a poignant moment — both of us — wiping our tears together.

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I look at Avinash and speak out my emotions.

“Maybe we should have stayed together — we should have tried to make our marriage work…” I say to Avinash.

“Yes. It all happened so fast. Maybe we were too hasty, too impatient, too headstrong…” he says, looking contrite.

“Yes. We could have tried to make it work…” I say to him, with genuine regret.

“I think we sought the easy way out. We were too young — and — unrealistic, immature, impetuous, volatile…” he says.

“Yes. Ours was a tempestuous stormy relationship. A terrible marriage. But — there is one thing I always liked about you…” I say.

“What…?” he asks me.

“With you — I could be myself — no mask, no pretence, no forced geniality…” I say to him.

“Me too. With you — I could truly be myself. No contrived feelings. No holding back. I could never be like that with anyone else. Even with her — I never felt the same genuine unselfconsciousness that I experienced with you. The way I could naturally be with you — totally uninhibited and comfortable — I think we were a “made-for-each-other” couple…” he says.

“Maybe we should give it a try. One more time. We can try our best to make things work…” I say to Avinash, in a sincere voice.

“Are you serious…?” he asks me — with a curious look in his eyes.

“Yes, Avinash. Let’s “empty our cups” and start afresh. Like you said — I think we are “made-for-each-other”…” I say to him, with genuine feeling.

“Okay — but there is one thing…” he says.

“What…?” I ask him.

“Is it allowed to marry the same person twice…? Can we get married to each other again…?” he says.

“I don’t know — but — I think it is okay. I will ask my divorce lawyer. She will know…” I say.

“Yes. I will confirm at the Family Court too…” he says.

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Avinash remains silent for some time — and then — he speaks.

“One more thing…!!!” he says to me.

“Now what…?” I say.

“This time — we will have No Expectations, No Disappointments and a Happy Marriage…” he says to me.

I lovingly put my hand on his hand — and I look into his eyes.

“Yes — No Expectations, No Disappointments, Happy Marriage…” I say to Avinash.

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Suddenly — I notice that it has stopped raining — and the sun is peeking through the clouds.

I feel good.

I start the car — and — we drive on towards the Family Court.

Now — we will try to erase the second chapter of our marital lives forever.

And — we will begin rewriting afresh the unfinished first chapter our inchoate relationship.

Maybe — we can have a Monsoon Wedding.

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VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve
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Disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

Link to my original post in my Blog Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-drive-in-rain.html

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

This story was written by me 18 years ago in 2006 and also posted online earlier on my creative writing blogs a number of times including at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/05/monsoon-wedding.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/07/monsoon-story-drive-in-rain.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/05/monsoon.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/06/a-drive-in-rain-monsoon-romance.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-drive-in-rain.htmland http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/06/a-drive-in-rain-short-fiction-love-story.html and https://karve.wordpress.com/2020/10/13/a-drive-in-the-rain-romance/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2020/06/18/a-drive-in-the-rain/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2021/06/09/monsoon-romance-a-drive-in-the-rain-2/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2022/05/19/a-drive-in-the-rain-2/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2022/07/06/monsoon-romance-a-drive-in-the-rain-3/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2022/09/16/a-drive-in-the-rain-3/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2023/06/24/first-day-of-monsoon-a-romance-story/ etc

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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