rainman

There’s much angst about icy cold raindroplets on a warm neck as people run under shops for cover. Strangers don’t really talk to one another. Words just fill spaces, and conversation begins over the din of the rain, like quick comments uttered over a standing ovation, to the person nearby.
"Five days of cricket, and not a single drop. It should’ve rained this madly then. We wouldn’t have had to see India lose that horribly."
"Yes, yes. It was another kind of wash out, no?" (laughs at his own joke. First guy politely chuckles along)
"See now, KEB will say ‘male saar. So power cut’. Half a reason they need for power cut."
"Yes, yes. All these IT companies will have current, though. One day they don’t write a program means the world will end, no?"
"My son is in Infosys. He says they have UPS. That's why there is power."
"Oh. Infosys is very good company. They have ethics, morals. Not like Wipro and all."
"My son-in-law, who works in Wipro…"
"(very quickly) Of course, your son-in-law must surely be a gem. But every company will have crooks. That doesn’t mean there won’t be good people."
"What sir, these days government is only criminal. Why look at private fellows?"
"Yes, yes. Thank god Lok Ayukta is there in our Bengloor to catch these dirrrty officials. They forget that being government servants means they are our servants also."
"Who is whose servant saar these days? The maid in my house wears brand new sarees everyday, has TV, fridge and VCD player also. She told my wife that day that her daughter will not do housework like her. See what ego they have these days?!"
"Like that she said? Che che! Why not ask you to clean her house? Hahahahaa!"
First guy’s cell phone rings. He answers it in tamil: "Yennappa? Andha cheque paas aacha?". He looks heavenward, sees the rain has let up, jumps over a puddle and goes away. The other man looks at the first guy go, sighs and walks into the shop and sits at the counter.
I’ve decided. That shop is going to be my permanent rain-stop. Little tellable tales are born there.