BEAUTIFUL
She ran up the steps to the roof. She has completed her Student Council work early today and if she made enough haste she might be there in time to see the sunset. It was the most beautiful time of the day. A transition from day to night takes place with the sky playing with a plethora of colours- from mysterious violet to fiery red, from calming blue to generous yellow and with the occasional cloud bringing in that wild splash of gold. It was that mystical time when the world seems suspended between day and night. She opened the door to the roof and nearly groaned aloud. That Outer-space Alien was currently occupying the roof. Yes, there was enough space for the said roof to accommodate her as well but she was not going to underestimate the powers of the said Alien. She almost backed out when she was caught transfixed by the sight of him. He staring at the sky, almost without blinking, as if there was tomorrow's Mathematics test question paper printed on the sky. Usually he would always detect her, with the help of his strange powers of course, whenever she was within fifty miles of his radius and wouldn't let her pass without an embarrassing comment or a know-it-all smirk or a piercing look thrown her way. How come he still hasn't said anything to her yet? Didn't he know that she was here? Her curiosity piqued, she walked towards him.
"What are you staring at, idiot?"
He turned his head towards her almost in slow motion as if he just realized she was standing there for the past one minute and was talking to him, which maybe he had.
"Huh?"
"I asked what are you staring at?"
He just smiled in that annoying way of his and said, "Hey, beautiful. Welcome to the roof."
She blushed at his comment.
"Don't call me that. I am not Beautiful." she snapped.
He just smiled at her and turned towards to the sky.
"And to answer your question, I was taking a class."
I was taking a class?
"What?", she asked, confused.
"I was taking a class when you politely decided to interrupt the lesson."
She felt the tiny tick of annoyance flare in her.
"Yeah? And who, pray may I know, was teaching?" she said in her most sarcastic voice.
"Mother Nature."
"Oh, I see. May I also enroll?" If only sarcasm could kill, world would be a much better place.
"Sure. Any time, Prez."
"I am glad to know that. And what are subjects she will be teaching?"
"All."
"Great."
She could see that he was trying very hard not to laugh.
"Come on. Let me give one demonstration." He pulled her to the railings. She quickly took her hands out of his loose grasp. He gave her a tiny smirk as if to say he acknowledged her action.
"Now Prez, look at the sky and tell me what do you see."
"A setting sun."
"Very good. And now look to your left and tell me what do you see."
"Our school's Administrative Block."
"What is common between them?"
"Common? There's nothing common between them." She frowned.
"Change. Change is what is common between them. Change takes place in both of them with respect to time."
She stared at him. He smiled.
"Now tell me what is the difference between them."
"One has fire in it and the other, thankfully, hasn't."
"The rate of change." he said, his voice soft.
She looked up to see him.
"The rate of change taking place in them is different. One takes 12 hours and the other, years. The sun you saw couple of hours ago does not appear the same now and the building you are seeing now will not remain same a couple of years from now."
She stared at him speechless.
"And what it is that Mother Nature is trying to teach us?"
"What?"
"Frame of reference."
"Huh?"
"Frame of reference. With respect to the sun, the time seems to fly away, and with respect to the building, the time seems to move so slowly, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"And finally, what do we learn from it all?"
"What do we learn?" she asked, breaking out of her monosyllabic trance.
"That it all depends on our perspective. Everything. The things that we see everyday may or may not appear same to everyone."
"I never saw things that way before." she said, wonder plain in her voice.
"Precisely."
He took her chin between his forefinger and thumb and tipped her head. He leaned in and said in his husky voice, "You don't see the beauty that I see in you. Therefore, you are forbidden to contradict me when I appreciate your beauty in future. Ever."
He lightly pressed his lips to hers before releasing her. He smiled at her stupefied expression and lightly chucked her under the chin.
"See ya, beautiful!" he said and walked towards the door. He glanced back and saw her standing exactly where he left her. He chuckled to himself.
"Mother Nature is a wonderful teacher."