The sky had been pouring more than usual. The rain had slowed down the otherwise busy city which always seemed to be rushing towards something or the other.
Amongst the traffic jams at several places, Vibha was stuck in one of the comparatively denser jams, the ones that have the habit of not moving for what feels like an eternity in a car.
Vibha preferred the bus to work, but her mother reported the probable rain from the newspaper and thus to escape the inconvenience of standing at a crowded bus stand amidst rain, Vibha took the car.
The car’s engine was turned off; the traffic had come to one of those longer stops. Vibha had begun to become bored of glancing at her smartphone and there was nothing else to do. She glanced around at all the cars around; there was a time when they were so less in numbers and now it seemed like cities were drowning under the waves of cars bought each year. Vibha was against the idea of getting one herself but then her uncle reminded her of how her parents were getting old and that a car was a necessity.
There was a knock on the window and Vibha saw a woman closer to her in age by what was visible, standing with an umbrella, Vibha lowered the window and the woman spoke.
“I have been waiting a long time and I don’t think I will find any bus, auto or cab anytime soon,” said the woman
“Yeah, that’s certainly a problem during heavy rains. So, you need a lift?” asked Vibha
“If you could take me to the next bus stop or a metro station, it would be quite helpful” said the woman
Vibha unlocked the card door and let her in. She did consider the risks but then again, she also got reminded of getting stuck outside in such conditions.
“My name is Meghna”
“I am Vibha”
“Thanks for the lift, I was starting to get worried out there,” said Meghna
“Part of professional life,” said Vibha
“It’s convenient to own a vehicle, maybe I should get one,” said Meghna
‘…and add to this never-ending number of cars out there’ thought Vibha and then spoke, “I love taking the bus, but whatever suits you better”
The vehicles began to move at a slow but constant pace and the road was opening up. The two of them talked about each other, their work, a bit about family and then suddenly Meghna changed the subject.
“I think I see a colleague standing there,” said Meghna and before Vibha could respond she asked, “can we give him a lift as well?”
The rainfall had stopped and the road had cleared out enough for vehicles to be moving with more speed than before. It wouldn’t be long till the bust stand.
“All right,” said Vibha and Meghna got out of the car and hurriedly walked to her colleague which Vibha felt was odd since she could have tried to call or wave to him first.
Meghna took her time to talk to the man while Vibha looked at the rear view to check the condition of traffic behind and saw two other men standing a bit far from the car and talking but for a slight moment their focus was in this direction.
Meghna was on her way back with the man and the men behind had started walking slowly towards this direction as well. There were all kinds of dangers out there and Vibha was aware of them, this could be a misunderstanding, but too much was at risk otherwise and they were but strangers.
As Vibha drove away, she took a second to glance towards Meghna and felt like maybe for a very minute moment that she could see the woman behind the pretence.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 
One response to “On a particular rainy day”
What a beautifully crafted and quietly unsettling story by Anuran Chatterji. 🌧️ The atmosphere of this piece is vivid and cinematic — the rain-soaked city, the suffocating traffic, and the sense of isolation that comes from being surrounded by countless people yet feeling utterly alone. The pacing is masterful — slow and deliberate at first, mirroring the stillness of the jam, and then tightening with subtle tension as Meghna enters the scene.
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