LIKE HOW SHE HAD DESCRIBED  HIM....                I knew it would be raining soon.The pitch dark clouds had blanketed the vast firmament and a sudden thundering roar from the heaven made me conscious of someone approaching my shop. I knew who he was.He was the same as she had described him .He was 6ft tall,lean and had a sombre expression on his face.Like she had said , he was nut brown and his eyes were auburn that showed many eons of wisdom. He looked as intense and stoic like these clouds which till now hadn’t released their love juices to drench the barren earth.Really ,he was the same as she had described him.Just the same.As he neared my shop I became a little conscious of his presence and asked him smiling a little , “ Yes sir....How can I help you ?.” He nodded quickly and produced a chit from his pocket which was a list of things he had to buy.He handed the list to me and said , “Give me half kg of each item.” I agreed and went to get his things. As soon as his things were packed, I returned hastily to the counter and handed them over to him saying ,  “ Its 150 rs sir". He paid me the amount and left my shop.I smiled to myself and pondered , “ How intense and expressive are his eyes .She was right when she said that his eyes seem like some pitchers pouring silvery elixir into whoever looks into them and wants to drink from them .”As I sat thinking about him something unexpected happened .He turned back and came again slowly walking towards my shop.He stopped. I felt he wanted to say something but before he said anything I asked him , “ do you want anything else sir?”  He was silent .He looked down and by mustering all the courage, he finally asked me , “ How is she and where is she ?” . He had left me stunned with this question .I stared at him for two seconds tongue tied and came back to to my presence of mind and answered him, “ She is fine ....absolutely fine ...But now she stays far away.” He smiled at me for  the first time and as she had described,his braces were visible but for her it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen like a rainbow that comes when the sun and rain make love in the sunny monsoons. I know he  had not got a satisfactory answer but without asking me anything  more he left and I ,out of excitement immediately called her.She received my call and answered , “ Hi ! Tell me ...How r u?”   “ I am fine...let me tell u something of your interest...you won’t believe...he had come today to my shop and you know what ...he asked me about you ,about your well being and whereabouts .He is the same like you had described him .I didn’t believe for a second that he enquired about you.” While I was blurting with excitement , she seemed quiet and sad .I asked her “What’s the matter ...aren’t you happy and feeling flattered?” And then she replied with a tone full of sorrow and resentment, “ Fine... if u meet him again just tell him that my baby’s eyes have a beautiful glittering  chocolate  brown tinge and her skin is smitteningly of the fragrant mud drenched in the first shower of monsoon.” Her voice was choked up with bottled up tears and she couldn’t  speak more than just a “bye". After she disconnected the phone ,the dark clouds roared loudly in the heavens and it had already started pouring and pelting on the streets as though unleashing their deeply hidden grief.