It was around 3 p.m. Asrar was sipping tea and chatting with his mates. The clouds rose from the Arabian Sea and covered the sky over Mumbai. The sky was pitch dark. The roaring thunder and lightning created chaos among the sleeping insects that lived in the depths of the drains which ran below Mumbai. On seeing the clouds dance over the city, the mice which lived on the footpaths vanished immediately. There was a message in the sounds made by the mice which was deciphered by the pigeons, eagles and doves. The wind was strong, and it made the trees bend in surrender and move this way and that. Asrar’s workplace was near Haji Ali Dargah. The pleasant weather made Asrar decide that he would go for a walk and then head to Kamathipura and meet Shanti. He had made plans to meet her many times but had not been able to do so. This time he made up his mind to surely meet her. He had been meaning to discuss a dream that he had seen some days back. He did not know why he wanted to share it with Shanti. He called Mohammad Ali up and told him that he would be leaving early. Mohammad Ali said, ‘It’s not a problem at all. I’ll finish my work soon and return at the earliest.’

Asrar came out of the shop. The road to the right went towards Haji Ali. He lifted his head to look at the sky and could see only a small section of it which was left open by the tall buildings. The sky looked more like a black umbrella which had deep coloured spots. The clouds danced at a great speed. They rose from the Arabian Sea and fused into each other to form this umbrella. They looked like patches from the ground but were actually like large lakes roaming over a huge area.

He crossed the road when his attention was caught by the television screen inside an electronics shop nearby. He read with full concentration, ‘High probability of heavy rains in Mumbai and other parts of the state.’ He smiled. His experience told him that whenever there was a forecast of heavy rains, it generally never rained. He had recently bought a black umbrella from Grant Road. He held it under his arms and walked towards Haji Ali Dargah.