As I carefully walked in my sexy and flirty red stiletto heels across the paved street in the hustling Bellevue downtown with wandering solitude souls, I could feel the wind whistling through my ears. I felt a gentle prick on my neck from my hair blowing in the wind. I flipped my intricately styled hair to the left gently running my fingers through it. I buttoned my new honey colored Burberry trench coat to keep myself warm. I quickened my pace in those stilettos as I saw the gray clouds hovering over me.
I had witnessed clear blue skies with some puffs of white clouds here and there in the morning. I had checked the weather app before leaving home. There was no trace of rain in the radar. As my mind juggled through a series of questions, I could see all the fall foliage leaves fly high in the wind. The strong wind blew my hair, and stroked my face. I could feel the roar of an approaching winter storm. I quickly pulled out my black and white polka dotted umbrella from my tote, and stretched it out, and ensured that I was all buttoned up. Just in time – I heard raindrops tapping over my umbrella, and within seconds, it became pitter-patter. I quickly looked for shelter. My apartment was two blocks away, but there was no way that I could make it in the incessant rain. I quickly found myself a safe spot under a tall glass building.
My safe place reminds me of my early morning runs. I call it as a “Tropical forest” in the middle of a downtown. There are tall maple trees and some evergreen trees surrounding the glass building like pillars leaving enough space between them. In the clear space in between, there stands a magnificent fountain wearing a crystal clear water gown. I always stand by the fountain for a minute to catch my breath, listen to it as it ecstatically splashes water before I continue my run.
I was suddenly brought back to the moment when I realized a young woman trying to push me. I tried my best to create some space for her. She was drenched in the rain and looked burdened. After all, all of us had a long and tiring day at work. And now, we all were stagnant due to the rain. The least we could do for each other was to make them feel comfortable. I could hear murmurings as people complained about the rain, and getting back home!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the murmurs were replaced with a loud giggle, and howl of laughter as I saw a man and a woman running around , and chasing each other. They looked like they were in their late 20s or may be early 30s. He was tall, handsome, and wore a pair of light blue jeans, and a white t-shirt which was carelessly tucked in, probably as a result of their play. I could see his muscles undulate through his wet white t-shirt as he finally caught her, and held her tight in her belly as she tried to escape still laughing uncontrollably. I got a glimpse of the woman’s face when she was finally caught. She wore a pair of dark blue ripped jeans and a long-sleeve color block pink and grey tee with cute ballet flats. She was petite, and slim. I could see that her hair was unkempt, unlike most of us standing under the tall glass building. But, she did not care. Her hair was unruly. Everytime she tried to take it off her face, the man locked her up in his arms, and that almost made her succumb on the floor laughing. I could make out from her gestures and expression that she was begging him to let her go off his arms. But, he had no mercy! Neither of them seemed to pay any attention to the people staring at them, or the rain, neither the cold gust of wind that was bothering all of us but them.
“How crazy!”, I thought to myself. “It is so cold, windy! How can someone be this careless?” I looked around at people to make sure that they all had similar thoughts on their mind. And, I was right. After all, I was in the same league!
Finally, the man loosened his grip and the woman taking advantage of that opportunity, managed to straighten her spine. She fluttered her hands up in air, looked above, and let the raindrops drip down her cheeks. She was not scared of the storm, or the unremitting rain. She gently looked at her man and pulled him towards her. He slightly lowered his head down to match her petite stature, gently grabbed her cheeks and locked his lips on her lips. He kissed her slowly savoring every moment, as if time had frozen and they had eternity to live. For them, nothing else mattered and none of us even existed. They looked deep into each other’s eyes as they kissed, not missing out on any expression on each other’s faces. It was the “Forbidden Kiss” , yet so untamed and free, far away from the stress, perfectionism, and the guidelines of our society.
As I stood there in a corner watching them kiss in front of the fountain, it took me down my memory lanes. Wild and free; bold and unrestrained – that’s who I really was! I realized that I had buried my wild spirit somewhere deep down within my heart, trying to fit into the “so called” successful society. I had forgotten to be carefree, and did not let my true self shine. I remembered as a kid, I never gave a second thought before jumping into a water puddle splashing dirty water all over my neat white shoes and impeccable white school uniform! I remember counting till seven to hear the thunder roar after every lightning, and get disappointed if I did not hear any! And, I used to run outside to our backyard bare-footed every time it rained to perform my “rain dance”. I was always in love with monsoon! It was my true love, and it still is!
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain” – Vivien Greene
The couple kissing each other probably lived by this quote! As the downpour ceased and became light drizzle, I started heading back to my apartment. I unbuttoned by coat and let the fresh wind kiss my entire body. I no longer needed an umbrella because all I wanted to do was cherish the moment – drizzle, wind, gray skies, and the freshness that it brought with it. There was a sense of freedom! I felt like I unshackled myself from the dogma of this society. I was wild and free; bold and unrestrained…once again!
