THE GOLDEN SHOWER TREE: SUKOR OS BY VANSHIKA

"Pizza delivery!", the delivery boy shouts as a girl opens a door. After giving her the pizza and Bill payment, the delivery boy comes out of the building only to find heavy rainshowers wetting whole nature around him.

"Shit! I had to report and submit this bike! It's about ten now", the delivery boy filled up with tension as he cannot afford to miss his class. He was preparing for medical entrance. And his entrances were near.

Like god was hearing this, he made matter worse. It rained like it would flood the crowded city in seconds.

Suraj Rajvanshi, a boy with a name as of a king, but life no where near it. He was a struggling but ambitious boy. He was living in Delhi away from his parents who were in the village. He had come here to pursue his ambition to become a doctor. But his financial conditions never allowed him to do so. But he was very determined to change his life and his parent's. Here, he did a part time job as a pizza delivery boy, so that he can at least put up with his own expenses.

There was not a single chance of how he could move out of the situation. With his orange and blue pizza boy suit fully wet, he was stuck in the rain. Irritated and exhausted by the day's work, he sat under the bus stand. There were many who had to take shelter there. But he felt as if he was in the deadliest situation.

Waiting desperately for the rain to stop or lessen a bit, his eyes fell on something captivating. More precisely someone. A girl, was standing near the other end of the bus stand, in her raincoat. Her hairs partially wet and drops of water spread on her cute little face. Her eyes were the most beautiful part of that face, dreamy yet catchy. She looked at the sky triumphantly as him she was the one who invited this rain.

Suraj was busy admiring the girl. The girl made him forget the rest of this world. His coaching, his pizza delivery, his ringing phone and the crowd there everything vanished. All he could see is her. However her movement stirred him and he was back to this world. She took in her stretched hands and turned in his direction. He saw her extremely beautiful face completely. The eyes like ocean, the lips like sky, the cheeks like cloud..and the smile...wait! She smiled! She smiled at him. The million dollar smile..the smile like no other. Smile that got inscribed in his heart. She was still smiling at him. Did she catch him admiring her!? What is that smile?

His reverie was broken when the bus horned!

She turned suddenly, the conductor came up shouting, "Bada chauraha! Bada chauraha!" Hearing her destination, she walked towards the bus. The conductor offered her hand and she held his hand and got onto the bus. She sat at the first seat near the door, still smiling.

The bus went away and took his heart with it. The girl had an unleashing impact on him. He couldn't concentrate on anything. After the rain stopped and his heart gained it's original pace, he picked up his bike and went on his work.

It was a night like never before. He had to everyday play several tricks to remain awake and study but today the sleep had no trace. He even tried sleeping but that heavenly beauty surrounded him from all side. She was like a GOLDEN SHOWER TREE under which he felt as if life is a mere moment. Just live it and forget it. Was this love at first sight! No!!

"Stop it! Suraj! You don't even know who the girl was! What is her name! And you have started dreaming about her! Stupid!" But then that smile crossed his smile. "May be that feeling is mutual! Why she smiled then!?" The girl was not just a girl but a riddle too.

Next day!

The original life began. After attending his morning class, he left for the pizza delivery. The weather was good but there were chances of rain. Inspite of knowing this, he didn't bring any umbrella or raincoat with him. The reason was unknown to himself even. The girl he delivered pizza yesterday was a pizza addict. She again called up and Suraj was again in the same locality. After delivering the pizza, he started his bike to reach to his coaching. As he passed the bus stop, he turned unintentionally to see something, no! Someone. And that someone was again there. The girl was their probably waiting for the bus. He took his bike to the other end of the bus stop and started admiring her. And the rain started. All scattered like pea beans to find a good place for shelter. But Suraj wanted to just see her.

After the bus arrived! The conductor came up, "Bada chauraha! Bada chauraha!"

Finding the girl at her original place, the conductor said, " Aayiye CHAKOR JI! jaldi chaliye warna barish tez hojayegi!"

(Come up CHAKOR JI! Fast else the rain will get worse!)

"Oh! So her name is Chakor! Beautiful name! As beautiful as she is!" He kept on admiring her. She took the same place as before and looked out. She smiled again and again at him! He was speechless! He was sure it's not one sided. As soon as he regained his senses, he smiled back to her and waved her a bye. And she returned a smile.

Sleepless night and countless thoughts were followed. He wanted to meet and talk to her now. She was beautiful! No doubt but her smile showed she is innocent too. He didn't name it as love. All he wanted to just be a person to whom she can smile every day.

Next day!

This time the visit to that locality was planned. He took a leave from his part time job and asked his friend to lend him his notes when he comes back. He got ready in his most expensive shirt( not that expensive though) and made the best possible hairstyle. He knew he's charming and proudly smiled looking at the mirror.

At Chakor's house,

Her father, "Beta! Bahut baarish ho rahi Hai! Aaj mat jao!" (Daughter! It's heavily raining today! You should not go!)

Chakor, "Papa! Main jaungi! Bacche Mera intezaar karenge...aur agar main nahi gayi to sab dukhi ho jaenge!" ( Dad! I'll go! Because if I don't go! The children will be sad!)

He reached the bus stop before time only to find CHAKOR there standing at the same corner of the bus but not smiling today. Suraj gathered a lot of courage and reached her!

Suraj coughing slightly.

She became alert but didn't look up. Suraj again tried to grab her attention but she didn't look at him. He then took a place near her.

"Excuse me!"

She turned her face.

What happened to her! Till yesterday she was smiling like she knows me from centuries and today she's acting this indifferently.

Is she not able to recognize me. Or she recognized me only in my pizza boy uniform. May be she smiled seeing that box of pizza with me!

His thoughts were haulted when the bus stopped! He with a broken heart looked up. The conductor came down smiling.

"Chakor Ji! Apna raincoat pehan lijiye! Baarish sirf dheemi Hui Hai..ruki nahi Hai!" (Chakor ji! Please wear your raincoat! The rain has only slowed down not stopped.)

Chakor smiled hearing him and took out her raincoat. The conductor helped her wearing the raincoat and this burned Suraj hard.

"See how she's smiling with the conductor! Mere chechre par keechad laga Hai Kya! ( Am I mud stained!)" He mumbled.

The conductor noticed Suraj and made a frown.

"Chakor ji! Thoda sambhal ke! Bheed jyada Hai aj!"

( Chakor ji! Please take care! It's crowded today!).

Chakor nodded and Suraj looked around. There was no one on the bus stand except him. This burned him more.

On the bus, Chakor took her original place. Suraj too boarded the bus, only to keep an eye on this girl who is talking so sweetly to a conductor. What type of girl she is!? She was smiling at him till yesterday and now being over friendly with this conductor!

The thoughts were disturbed by the conductor, "Kahan ka ticket banau?"( What place's ticket you want!?"

Suraj didn't know much about the city, so said, "Bada chauraha!"

He wanted to follow this girl but didn't knew her stop.

He smiled seeing her. All moments crept up in his mind stirring her making his heart smile. But this reverie was soon broken when he saw the conductor sit next to Chakor's seat. He burned in anger as if he possessed the girl and the seat beside her but somehow controlled himself.

After almost four stops, Chakor got ready to move down the bus. The conductor gave her place to go out. Seeing this, Suraj too ran to move down the bus. The conductor stopped him.

"Yeh bada chauraha nahi Hai!"

( This is not bada chauraha!)

Suraj replied in haste, "Magar mujhe Jana Hai!"

( But I have to go!)

Chakor followed by two three other passengers and Suraj moved down the bus.

Suraj looked at her whereabouts and found her moving towards a building named, "NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BLINDS". He suddenly moved his eyes to Chakor only to find her taking out a stick from her bag and moving through the footpath, feeling with her blind stick.

Reality struck him hard. The ocean like eyes never saw any color of the rainbow.

Tears welled up. And he sat at the end if one footpath.

After regaining himself, he went to a tea stall near and asked the shopkeeper there, " Yahan par chutti kab hogi?"( When will this school disperse?)

Shopkeeper, "2 baje!"(at 2 o clock)!

THE END!