Colour Palette

By J.Jeleena

The heavy rain had passed, left its trail everywhere. The air was crisp and fresh, infused with the earthy scent of damp soil and the subtle sweetness of blooming flowers. Puddles glistened on the ground, reflecting the colourful sky and the occasional fluffy cloud. Translucent droplets of water everywhere that sparkled in the sunlight like tiny diamonds.  The birds, previously silenced by the downpour, began to sing again, their melodies filling the air with a renewed sense of life and hope. The heavenly sky was painted in the hues of orange, yellow, and purple, which gave it an aesthetic vibe and acted as an inspiration for any artist. In the distance, a rainbow arched across the sky, its brilliant bands of colour from vibrant to dull, acted as a cherry addition to the painted sky.

Such a perfect evening for everyone, to spend their time in the outdoors, doing their favourite things. That’s why, the park transformed into a vibrant scene of renewed life. Children emerged from their homes, their faces alight with excitement as they splashed through the puddles, their laughter echoing through the parks and their parents scolding them. Some lovely couples having their sweet moments, an eyesore for single people. Some people strolled leisurely, pushing strollers or walking dogs, their footsteps creating soft, rhythmic squelches on the damp ground.  

All the people in the park looking so happy, cheerful and alive except one old man who came to the park along with his grandson. He was looking at the sky, with a frown on his face, from the moment he entered the park. If someone saw him, they would say he was looking so lonely and dejected. Little did they know, that was so true.

“Penny for your thoughts, grandpa,” his grandson, who was in his late teenage years asked him. His grandson sat beside him to accompany his grandfather. “Oh! Felix, you got back soon. Any luck today?”  The old man asked him, as his grandson went around the park in hope of finding some insects for his science project. 

“Yeah! I found something like two or three, nothing much” he shrugged. All the while, he was searching for insects, Felix observed his grandpa, and he saw him looking at the sky with grief-stricken distant eyes, so he dropped his hunting and thought of giving company to his lonely grandpa 

 “Oh! Ok” came a short reply from the old man, then he continued to look at the sky and once again started to get lost in his thoughts. The younger one knew that something was troubling his grandpa, he also knew that his grandpa would talk to him eventually, if he sat patiently with him for few minutes. He too looked at the sky and got mesmerised by God’s natural gift.

“Beautiful, right?” the older man whispered. If it weren't for the silence around them, the younger one would not have heard it. “Yaa, the sky is so beautiful today,” he too whispered in his low voice, trying not to break the tranquil atmosphere around them. 

“What about the rainbow?” Grandpa asked his grandson. “Well, that too, looks so beautiful,” he replied sceptically, because he knew his grandpa was trying to convey or implying something. 

“Which is the most beautiful the sky or the rainbow?” once again his grandpa posed a question to him. “Well... both are beautiful, but I know, there is a veiled reference in your question”

The older man didn’t say anything, he just smiled knowingly. “Have you ever fallen in love, dear?” Now, he can guess where the talk was going, but he didn’t give any comment about it and replied to him, “Nope! I am too young to fall in love.” 

On hearing the answer, the older man chuckled, “Ha! Ha! Ha! That’s right, you are still a hatchling, when it comes to love,” then he became silent, once again he started to look at the sky, as if it was his only solace. 

Felix knew the gloomy eyes of his grandpa very well; he also knew what his thoughts would be right now. But he hesitated to inquire about it with him. “Hmm... Grandpa you are missing Granny again, right?” 

The old man didn’t utter any words, he just continued his sky-gazing. The younger one also didn’t complain about it; he knew how heart-breaking the topic was. So, he gave his grandpa some time. After a few minutes, his grandpa just sighed, he took a locket from his pockets with his shivering wrinkly hands. Felix knew what the locket holds, he had seen it multiple times, whenever his grandpa talked about his grandmother. The locket had a picture of a man with a stoic face and a woman with a small gentle smile. It was their wedding picture in black and white. 

“Beautiful, right?” he uttered while caressing the tattered picture. Felix knew answer for this question. “Indeed, granny is so beautiful.” Felix said, while looking at the picture and reminiscing his memories he shared with her. He also knew how sorrow-stricken his grandpa was at her funeral. His small brain at that time didn’t know how to console him, but now he has grown up and will give his comfort to him in whatever way he could do, though he also knows how pointless it would be. 

“You know, at first, during my early stage of married life, I was so stoic, the one who always care about business, like a typical man. But she made me realise that life is not all about business and money; it’s about family, living with them, cherishing them and so on. She was with me all the time through my highs and lows, and gave advice as well as comfort to me,” he rambled to his grandson. He heard all this quietly and observed him silently. Even though he had heard this story many times, he knew it’s better to let out, than confide in all. 

“I think you know how our society worked during my time. At that time, education was refused for women, only some high-class women were educated. They were only for doing household works and taking care of the family. Like most of the women, she too didn’t have any perfect education. She wasn’t allowed to study, though she loved it very much. Her parents and the society didn’t allow her do any higher studies, after she finished the school. So, books and imagination were her only companions. Even after marriage, the only thing she frequently asked for, from me would be the books. Those books gave her the knowledge, and with that knowledge, she would try to help and advise me in my business” his grandpa talked in fascination, recalling all those memories with his wife. This made him Felix to realize, how much his grandpa respected and was in love with his grandmother. 

“You are right, grandpa. If only the society allowed her to study and work during her period, she would have been the best teacher. Granny was so good at teaching me than my mother. Sometimes she would sing rhymes for me” the younger one jabbered on about his grandma

“Huh! I am going to tell Ruth about your backbiting” his grandpa teased him. “Grandpa! You can’t do that to me,” Felix retaliated him, waving his arms animatedly as if to show his protest. “Ha! Ha! Don’t worry, I won’t. This talk is between men,” he assured his grandson. Again, the silence surrounds them, but it’s a peaceful one, both of them had a gentle smile on their faces. 

“Grandpa… I know you always look at the locket... whenever you miss Granny, but today you are looking at the sky and not at the locket. Not to mention, you asked me some cryptic question at the start of our conversation, but you haven’t answered it yet. I also knew there is something bothering you grandpa. What is it? Grandpa questioned him Felix curiously. 

“I know I have told you many stories about your grandma, but not the story of when and where I fell in love with her. And for your information, I looked at the rainbow, not at the sky” he replied in quizzical tone once again puzzling him further. “Don’t wrack your little brain, young man. Eventually, I will tell you.”

 “Your grandmother always loves peculiar things. She always begs me to take her outside sometimes. So, one day, we went to the park which was near our home. You know it was our first outing as a couple after our eight months of married life, because I would always get drowned in the sea of business and have no time for entertainment and funs.” Felix looked at his grandfather in an emotive gaze, because this news was new to him, and not only that, eight months was a big time. Though he wanted to question his grandpa, he didn’t. He just looked at him, who was narrating all the while looking at the rainbow. 

“Somehow, I managed my time between my hectic schedule, we went to the park in evening time. She silently walked along with me, all the while observing the surroundings lively moments in a quiet manner. All along, I just watched her and tried to guess about what her thoughts would be. We spend some time at the park. After few hours, the sky started to turn grey and I knew it would rain. So, we thought of going home quicker than we thought. But she started to protest and want to stay for some more time. As I was a short-tempered man, I got so angry at her protest and left from there.” His grandpa said, with a strained voice. He stopped his narration, release a sigh of frustration, while looking at the rainbow. “So…what happened next, gramps?” Felix drawled; he was really anticipated to know what happened next.

“Well…  On my way home, it started to rain, just like I predicted. I got worried about her and was in dilemma whether to continue my journey or to return. Eventually, I gave in to my first thought, as my temper was in a pinnacle state, and I went home and the-” “Grandpa! How could you do that to Granny?” he interrupted and shouted at his grandpa. “I know it was wrong, young man. Yea! don’t shout and interrupt me!” he complained and continued his story. 

“After I realised about my deeds, I went back with an umbrella, as an action to redeem myself. But to my luck, the rain stopped, on my way and when I reached the park, I was bewildered.” He paused his narration to look at his grandson and ask, “Can you guess what happened next?” “Don’t tell me that she was not there or that something terrible happened to her.” His grandson deadpanned at him. The old man just chuckled and continued. 

“Nah! When I reached there, I got gobsmacked. I never knew that she could smile like that, because in my eight months of my married life, I haven’t seen her smile so brightly like that. Along with some more people, she stood there in the park, drenched in rain, while looking at the sky with a big grin. I, followed her gaze to see, and looked at the sky in wonder, to find the reason, behind her smile. Now, guess what I would have found.” 

“Don’t tell me, it was the rainbow?” he narrowed his eyes, at his grandpa. 

“Indeed, that rainbow with vibrant colours was the reason behind her smile. Then I started to stare silently at her jubilant state and the rainbow. Then I noticed something. The hat, she had in her hand was red colour. Her attire was orange colour with a floral print of yellow and green. The cardigan, she wore to protect from the cold wind was blue. The pussycat bow of her attire and her sandals were indigo. At that time, I realised how much she loves simple, peculiar things and not materialistic things. This made me understand her, and then my knowledge of her on that day made me fall deeply in love with her. It was so silly and cringe, right?” the old man probed him for details.

“No! Grandpa, it shows how much you love her and understood her. What about the last colour, grandpa? You didn’t mention it,” Felix inquired. The old man spoke with a playful grin. “I too searched for that colour around her to complete my poetic imagination, but I didn’t find anything. Later, a realization struck me. What is your grandmother’s full name?”

“Wait, let me remember,” he said then he racked him brain to remember it. After a few seconds, he gasped and shouted, “It’s Grace Violet Davidson. Grandpa! You are so genius.”  

 “No! I was a man who found love on that day” he concluded to his grandson. “Let me tell you, another one secret of mine. It was also the reason behind my nickname for her. Iris, which refers to rainbow in Greek mythology. Like a colour palette, she became an embodiment of colours in my colourless life, that day onwards.” 

“Wah! Your love story is truly very beautiful, grandpa” Felix remarked at his grandfather. Now he could understand how his grandpa’s loneliness. 

The serene atmosphere they had after that heartfelt conversation was broken by the ringtone of Felix’s Mobile. “Mom called Grandpa. I think dinner is ready. Shall we go?” The old man nodded and looked up at the sky for one last time, to catch a glimpse of the half-faded rainbow, before going home.

By J.Jeleena