The day was heavy.It dragged on.Everything felt loud and fast and too much.By evening I was done.
I stepped out and the ground was wet.The sky was grey.The air smelled different. Rain had fallen earlier.The bricks in the parking were dark and shiny. Two cars were parked there.One black.One red.Water drops were sitting on the roofs and the bonnets.Everything looked slower. Everything looked quieter.
I stood there for a minute and just breathed.No calls.No messages.No rush.Only the sound of water dripping from the roof and the smell of wet earth.
The plan is simple now.Go out.Do not think about the day.Do not think about tomorrow.Just go out and let the rainy weather do its work.
Peshawar after rain is a different city.The dust settles.The traffic sounds softer.The trees look greener even though they are the same trees.People are walking with umbrellas but not in a hurry.Tea shops have more customers.The steam from the kettles mixes with the cool air.
I want to drive with the windows down a little.I want to feel the wet wind on my face.I want to stop for chai and pakoras on the side of the road and watch people run for shelter and then laugh about it.I want to sit somewhere and not check my phone every five minutes.
Life gets hectic. It steals time. It steals peace.It steals the small moments.Today it did not win completely because the rain came.
Rain has a way of washing more than streets.It washes the tension from the shoulders.It washes the noise from the head. It reminds you that the world is bigger than one long list of tasks.
So the keys are in hand.The car is there in the parking, wet and waiting.The sky is still cloudy.That is good.It means the rain might come back.
Tonight is not for stress.Tonight is for wet roads, for hot tea, for music low in the car, for walking without a purpose.
We carry a lot.But we also deserve an evening where the only thing we watch is the rain falling on the windshield.
