It Rained

She peered out of the window. Late afternoon, the sun was beating down heavy and moist on the cracked, barren land. Crops had failed this time, families were upset and silent at dinner time and nobody smiled as much as they used to any longer. It was as if the delayed monsoon clouds had snatched away all traces of hope from the village.


She hadn't seen him either. Not in twenty days.


He has sent word that he was planning to move out of the village, head to the city, use his education to find a job. She has decided to not think about that. If she could just assume that he would be right here, fighting the dry spell by day, letting her make him happy by night, she would be fine. Just for another day.


He has said he would come tonight.


He had said he would come to spend that one last night in her embrace. One last night before he would go away. One last night drowning in her scent, one last night listening to her breath come in sharp gasps, like it did every time he touched her where he knew there would be rain.


There would be water enough for crops around the year, there would be parting enough to let her land ready for his seed.


One more night though...and there would be a flood, there would be life, there would be love, again.
When he came that night, there was despair in his lovemaking. There was hopelessness, there was that strong fight against succumbing to staying back in the silhouettes of her hair and skin, under the unwavering gaze of her almond eyes. There was a recklessness, uncaring if they were discovered, her pleasure escaping her lips in sounds louder than usual.


There was fierce passion, there was anger where his teeth left blood clots on her smooth skin. There were tears, tears of pain, of joy, of loss, of separation, of there being no tomorrow.


Not now. Not ever.


When he came in her, she wept, quietly, holding herself from making her clasp stronger than usual, stopping her chest from heaving from suffocation. Tears streamed down her cheek, dropping softly on the barren earth they lay on, begging for mercy, begging for another chance.


Begging. No relief.


Not now. Not ever.


A heavy price indeed, to pay for the soil that fed them, she thought, when he got up, kissed her forehead and walked away into the dead of the night. She wiped her tears, the sky welling up, miserable and defeated.
It rained that dawn.