The Girl with the Pink Umbrella

I knew this would change everything but as I stood there transfixed, I felt helpless. Even the unpredictable mumbai rains which was now a drizzle but threatening to turn into a downpoar didn’t force me to move away from the open space to the shelter of the bus stop. I have replayed that moment a thousand times in my head since that day but never have been able to remember what was it about her that had me transfixed and reminded me of Riya. Was it that pretty scarf around her beautiful slender shoulders which seemed to have been casually worn but gave her a scottish village charm or was it the book that she was carrying in her hand (“The Fountainhead”) or was it the oversized goggles or was it the pink umbrella? Or was it the graceful ease with which she was able to give an impression of sophistication and innocence, of intellectual and feminine at the same time, something which was so typical of Riya?
All I knew was that the past was coming back to haunt me. Images of Riya flashed before me and I felt a strong feeling of déjà vu. Althought it was more than 2 years since I had lost my Riya, I had only recently come to terms with a life without her and would still often wake up with a start in the middle of the night, frantic on not finding her beside me and then cry throughout the night.
All I knew was that I wanted to befriend this girl, this stranger. She loves books and more importantly she loves reading Rand, I thought. That was a good enough omen for me. But the pain of loss had such a sordid grip on me that I was scared to fall in love again…scared to again lose a loved one.
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I regularly saw her for the next few weeks in the morning at the bus stop..from a distance, never exchaging a word. Unknown to her, she made my day cheerful, just the sight of her in the morning. I painfully realized that as much as I wanted to get to know her, the irrational fear of losing her meant that I would probably never even get to talk to her…..
Till one day…..she walked over to where I was standing, smiled at me and extended her hand of friendship…
“Hi!! You are also a regular at this bus stop like me…I am Riya..and you are?”…..
Everything changed after that..just as I had imagined when I first saw her!