Monsoon romances: 'I'm living my dream'

It was August 2005 and I was in IIT Bombay (Powai) doing my Research Fellowship. I had become close friends with a French visiting student, Emmanuel. This day, his friends from Paris, Ida and some others were visiting. The moment I saw Ida, I melted -- her sparkling green eyes caught my attention. We decided to have a welcome party for her and went to a local restaurant. During the session, we had a long chat and many flirting incidents passed between me and Ida. Maybe alcohol's influence or maybe I was bowled over, but I would have done anything for her that night. After some booze and food, pretty late in the night, we headed back to our rooms in IIT campus.

It started raining and none of the auto guys were ready to take us inside. So we decided to walk. I was the only one carrying an umbrella. So it was only me and Ida walking under the umbrella and the rest of them drenched and enjoying the monsoon. Initially, Ida put her arm around mine. She kept pulling me back whenever I would walk faster. Other pals were almost running and hence headed a little far from us. Later Ida put her arm around my waist and pulled mine over her shoulder, her head resting on mine, and our palms clenched with fingers into each others.

We said nothing, didn't even look towards each other, but just kept walking. We didn't even notice that we had reached Ida's guest room. It was when our friends startled us, we realised that we'd reached there. Later all of us went near the lake. The rains had stopped, my umbrella was closed, yet we were still clinging on to each other. We were on the verge of kissing each other when the security guy popped up and we had to leave.

Although, it was the only time in life that me and Ida were together, I always remember it as the most romantic evening till date.

-- Kamath Mahendra, 28, Pune

It was July 2006; we decided to meet in the morning and spend the whole day together. I met him on that day after five months, because we were faced with a few problems that didn't make it possible to meet more regularly. So somehow, I managed to take out one day for him from my office schedule.

I met him around 10 in the morning at CST Station in Mumbai and we started our day with Dairy Milk chocolates. He gives me Dairy Milk chocolates whenver we meet. We both were really happy. We then left for Siddhivinayak Mandir by bus. We reached the mandir and spent some time there. From there we headed towards South Mumbai again.

And it started raining -- first it was only a drizzle and then slowly it started to come down really hard. We stopped and waited for the rain to let up, but it only got harder and harder. So finally we started walking from Nariman Point on Marine Drive till Chowpatty. We were walking in the rain with holding hands (just like in the Amitabh Bachchan Rimzhim Gire Sawan :-)). We were totally wet. we walked for almost two hours in the rain. We were enjoying our view of the Queen's Necklace of Mumbai. It was very wet and windy and the waves splashed across the road. When we reached Chowpatty, it was very dark and I finally hugged him and forgot everything else in the world. After some time, the lights came on at Marine Drive and the long, curved stretch of road looked more beautiful with glittering lights.

Finally we started our journey to my house in Vashi. We took a train from CST and we were in the same compartment. It was raining so heavily that the train got stuck midway for awhile. We were sitting close to each other -- we were both wet and I still remember how we were shivering. Generally the journey takes one hour, but on that day it took two and finally around 10 pm I reached home. So from 10 in the morning to 10 at night -- 12 hours with him on a rainy day. I loved that day.

Now we are a happily married couple. And every monsoon, we spend at least one day at Marine Drive.

-- Vandana*, 25, Mumbai

Hello there,

How about a current story happening in real-time?

I'm settled in Australia and my folks are in India. The quest for a partner commenced in earnest in January 2009, with my folks stepping on the pedal to get me settled in life! I wasn't all that sure though if I wanted to marry someone from India, especially the arranged marriage thing. I had never attached much stock to that!

Anyway, in Jan itself I got a message from a really delightful girl on my matrimonial profile. I was totally taken by her profile. A few hectic phone calls later and the parents talking etc, I was given her phone number. What was supposed to be a 20 minute chat stretched to a three hour conversation. It was like we were absolute soul mates to the tee. I was sold, lock stock and barrel! February 2009 saw me coming to Mumbai and getting engaged and married to this wonderful person.

I met her for the first time at Mumbai Airport when she came to pick me up. And we got engaged the next day! I'm now back in Australia, ticking away the days on the calendar to return to India this monsoon season in the first week of August, to take my sweetheart back with me once her visa comes through.

Talk of living a dream...I'm doing it this monsoon!

-- Praveen Angepat

*Name changed to protect privacy.

Share your monsoon memories with us -- we want to hear all about your romantic rainy liasons and experiences. Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'Monsoon Romance') with your monsoon memories. Include your name, age and hometown (those who prefer to keep their identities private may do so) and tell us your love story -- the most interesting ones will be published right here on rediff.com.