SOUND EXPRESSIONS

PITTER-PATTER! DRIP DRIP! In Gopalpur, Odisha, Barsa watched the dark sky agog with Cumulo-Nimbus clouds raining cats and dogs. Her name- ‘Barsa’ means ‘Rain’ in Odia language. 

Her Mobile Phone’s Radio played the Odia film-song- ‘Aaji aakashe ki rongo lagila?’ 
(‘Today, in the sky what colour has been put?’) This song always reminded Barsa of Aakash…

Everyone said Barsa and Aakash were the perfect made-for-each-other couple. But, they had a break-up and Aakash had left 6 months ago…

After the song, there was the umpteenth announcement- ‘CYCLONE ALERT! Very Severe! People near the shore have been evacuated. Government has planned relief measures…’

There was no electricity since the night before.

WHOOOSH! The wind blew at more than 100 kms per hour. The speed would soon be 250 kms per hour as per the prediction.

BANG! BANG! The open windows were dashing in the wind. Barsa struggled to latch them.

TAP! TAP! The Coconut Tree had bent and was now knocking at the back door.

CAW! CAW! Mad cacophony of all the crows and birds rushing to safer places, or perhaps escaping the monkey that chased them…

CRAAAASH! Barsa peeped out to find the Mango tree in their backyard had been uprooted. The same Mango-tree that her parents had lovingly planted and that had gifted tons of the sweetest and juiciest mangoes over its lifetime…

TRING! TRING! The landline phone rang.

“Barsa, is it you?” an anxious voice asked.

“What are you doing at home? Take Uncle & Aunty & vacate immediately. It’s unsafe. Storm-surge expected…” It was Aakash.

“I have no reason to live…” Barsa sobbed. SOB! SNIFF!

The landline went dead.

Then, it struck her. Aakash still didn’t know that her parents were no more…they had passed away in the Kedarnath flash-floods four months ago. Barsa had not accompanied them on their Char-Dham Yatra, else even she would have perished. But, had she been dead, Barsa would never have known that Aakash still cares for her…

The Radio was now playing Hindi-Film Rain-Songs.

‘Tip Tip barsa pani, Pani ne aag lagayi, Aag lagi dil mein to, Dil ko teri yaad ayi…’

(‘When it rained, it set my heart on fire. I remembered you…’)

The song was interrupted as her Mobile Phone’s battery got exhausted. 

Barsa suddenly felt very uneasy. What is this dilemma between wanting to live yet willing to perish? Strange are the ways of the heart. She found herself praying to Maa Durga. 

“Oh Maa! The Cyclone is the Mahishasura…Please vanquish it. Save me...I love Aakash…”

SPLASH! The sea-water was rushing into the land. Barsa’s home was just less than a kilometer away from the beach. All her neighbours had left with their precious belongings two days ago. Barsa stay put though some had invited her. Their home was her most precious belonging.

SPLOOOSH! The Storm-Surges’ 10-15 feet high waves were now gushing into Barsa’s home.

To save herself, Barsa ran upto her terrace. 

VROOM! A helicopter was hovering over her terrace!

Barsa climbed the ladder to safety as water rushed all over.

A friendly hand and voice beckoned…

It was Aakash…

“ If you love someone set them free; if they come back, they're yours; if no, they never were.”

The famous quote came to her mind...

(N.B- I have based my story on the Cyclone Phailin that affected Odisha amongst other states in India. As I am in Odisha currently, am now able to post my story after electricity has been restored...)

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. 
It earned itself a place amongst the WOW Winners who have won the WOW Badge here.