Careless laughter.....

It was raining heavily. The trees were dancing with the wind.The raindrops splattered on the muddy jheel water creating tiny whirlpools. The narrow uneven lane , strewn with leaves and broken twigs, was desolate. The wind and rain increased the loneliness of the broken path. The age old mechanical department building stood beside the jheel like the sturdy old support witnessing the changes through the ages.

Through the windy rain, came the sound of careless laughter. A bunch of kids perhaps. Were they kids? No they looked like adults , boys and girls yet such careless laughter. It seemed the entire place was waiting to hear their laughter. It seemed the nature was carefully creating the scene to allure them, to make them laugh, to hear the sound of joyous hearts.Their laughter added to the serenity of the place.


It seemed they had not seen the rough stormy life yet. They were enjoying the wind and the rain. There was absolutely no reason for their laughter. The very thought of getting drenched in the rain, brought smile to their faces. Smile was not rare in this place. Not within the walls of what they call their alma mater or perhaps more easily  their second home, an abode of joy, laughter, careless lives.The walls of their favorite abode made them feel secure from the complex world. It kept them away from the journey of life they were about to embark upon. It made them feel careless and happy, the two emotions which cannot exist in unison in this world. They knew never again can the rain drops feel so sweet. The careless laughter rang in the trees , in the jheel , in the grass of the maath, in the old departments. It kept reverberating through time, again and again and again.


Two years later, a broad street filled with dust, lined with some of the best cafes and bars , with huge office buildings on both sides and crowded with similarly dressed people. There was a humming sound of serious discussions, punctuated by snobby laughs and perpetually held smiles added to the monotony of the place and time. A lady was waiting with a heavy bag ,carrying her laptop back home so that she can work again.Her eyebrows were hooked together showing her growing concern, her lips were pursed. A strong breeze was blowing, the sky was red, she was worried how to get out from this place and return home, before it starts raining. Suddenly a drop of rain fell on her nose, she looked up and another drop fell on her forehead . Instinctively her legs responded and she tried to move away but for some reason she stood rooted to the spot and the fat rain drops were drenching her. The narrow uneven lane , strewn with leaves and broken twigs, the muddy jheel , the old buildings came back, she was back there in her abode of peace, she was back there drowning in the careless laughter of  the days of her youth.