Chapter 2: A Stranger in the Rain
The next morning, Ananya woke up with one thought in her mind.
Her interview.
It was scheduled for the following day, and she still had many things to prepare. She needed to update her resume, read about the company, and choose what to wear.
But first, she had to finish her work at home.
"Ananya, can you go to the market and buy some vegetables?" her mother asked.
"Okay, Amma. I'll go now."
"And please bring the medicine for your father. We are almost out of it."
"I'll bring it."
Ananya took her bag and left the house.
The sky was cloudy, but she didn't think it would rain. She had planned to return quickly and spend the afternoon preparing for her interview.
After buying the vegetables, she went to the medical shop. There was a small queue, so she had to wait for a few minutes.
When she finally came out, the rain had started.
At first, it was light. Ananya thought she could walk home before it became heavy.
She was wrong.
Within a few minutes, the rain became so strong that people started running towards nearby shops for shelter.
Ananya stood under a small shop's roof and looked at the road.
"Wonderful," she whispered. "Just what I needed today."
She checked her phone.
There were two missed calls from her mother.
Before she could call back, her phone rang again.
"Ananya, where are you?" her mother asked.
"Amma, it's raining heavily. I'm waiting for it to slow down."
"Don't stand there for too long. Your father needs his medicine."
"I have it with me. Don't worry. I'll be home soon."
"Okay, but be careful."
Ananya ended the call and put her phone inside her bag.
Just then, a bike passed through a puddle near the shop.
Water splashed onto the road, and Ananya quickly moved backwards to avoid getting wet.
Unfortunately, she stepped on the edge of her own bag, which had slipped from her shoulder.
The bag fell to the ground.
Her vegetables rolled across the wet road.
"Oh, no!"
She rushed to pick them up.
A tomato rolled towards someone's shoes.
Before she could reach it, a man's hand picked it up.
"Is this yours?" he asked.
Ananya looked up.
A young man stood in front of her, holding the tomato in one hand and a black umbrella in the other.
He wore a simple white shirt and dark trousers. His hair was wet from the rain, and he looked as if he had been in a hurry himself.
"Yes," Ananya replied, feeling embarrassed. "Thank you."
He handed it to her.
She started collecting the remaining vegetables, but one of her medicine packets had fallen near the edge of the road.
The man noticed it.
"Wait. I'll get that."
Before she could stop him, he walked towards the packet and picked it up carefully.
"Medicine?" he asked, handing it to her.
"Yes. For my father."
He nodded.
"Then you'd better keep it somewhere dry."
Ananya took the packet and checked it.
Everything was safe.
"Thank you," she said again.
"No problem."
He looked at the vegetables scattered around them.
"Do you always shop during a storm?"
Ananya raised her eyebrows.
"Do you always ask strangers unnecessary questions?"
For a second, the man looked surprised.
Then he smiled.
"Only when they look like they're about to fight the weather."
Ananya tried not to smile, but she couldn't help it.
"I'm not fighting the weather. I'm trying to get home."
"Fair enough."
He held the umbrella over her while she put everything back into her bag.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Near the old post office."
"That's on my way. I can drop you nearby."
Ananya immediately shook her head.
"No, thank you. I'll manage."
He didn't look offended.
"Okay. I just thought it might be easier than walking in this rain."
"I appreciate it, but I'll wait."
He nodded and stepped back.
"Your choice."
There was something about the way he said those words that surprised her.
He hadn't argued with her. He hadn't asked again. He had simply accepted her answer.
Most people in her life had a habit of telling her what she should do, even when they thought they were helping.
This stranger had offered help and allowed her to decide.
It was a small thing.
Still, she noticed it.
The rain slowly became lighter.
Ananya adjusted her bag and prepared to leave.
"Thank you for helping me," she said.
"You're welcome."
She took a few steps before turning back.
"By the way, I'm Ananya."
The man looked at her.
"Arjun."
"Okay. Thank you, Arjun."
He smiled.
"Take care, Ananya."
She walked away without saying anything else.
But as she continued towards home, she found herself thinking about the strange little conversation.
She didn't even know who he was.
Perhaps she would never see him again.
And that was perfectly fine.
At least, that's what she told herself.
---
By the time Ananya reached home, her clothes were damp, her hair was messy, and her sandals were covered in mud.
Her mother opened the door.
"Look at you! I told you to be careful."
"I was careful, Amma. The rain wasn't."
Her mother took the medicine from her bag and checked the packet.
"Thank goodness it's safe. Go and change your clothes before you catch a cold."
Ananya went to her room.
After changing, she sat on the edge of her bed and opened her laptop.
The interview was tomorrow.
She had to prepare.
She opened a document and started practising answers to common interview questions.
Tell us about yourself.
She typed a few lines.
Then she stopped.
How could she explain herself in a few sentences when she was still trying to understand who she was?
She was a daughter who wanted to help her family.
A young woman who wanted a career.
A person who smiled even when she was worried.
And someone who was slowly learning that wanting something for herself didn't make her selfish.
She began typing again.
This time, she didn't stop.
---
That evening, Ananya was helping her mother prepare dinner when Karthik entered the kitchen.
"Akka, why are you smiling at your phone?"
Ananya quickly turned off the screen.
"I'm not smiling."
"You are! I saw you."
"Go and study."
"Who is he?"
She stared at him.
"Who?"
"The person you're smiling about."
"Karthik!"
He laughed and ran out of the kitchen.
Ananya shook her head.
She wasn't smiling because of anyone.
She was just remembering a conversation with a stranger who had helped her in the rain.
That was all.
At least, she thought it was all.
Later that night, she checked her interview details one more time and set an alarm for the morning.
Before going to sleep, she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Tomorrow is a new day," she whispered.
She didn't know whether she would succeed.
But she had decided to try.
And somewhere across the same city, Arjun Varma was sitting at his desk, looking through some documents when he noticed a small tomato stain on the sleeve of his white shirt.
He remembered the girl from the rain.
The girl who had thanked him twice and argued with him once.
He smiled to himself.
"Interesting girl," he murmured.
Then he returned to his work.
Neither of them knew that their paths would cross again.
And the next time they met, the conversation would not end so easily.
End of Chapter Two
