It’s Raining

This too is close to two years old.. Had written for my project's newsletter..

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It’s that time of the year again when we take out our long forgotten umbrellas and raincoats; time when blazing sun takes a back seat as clouds take over the reigns of the sky and flashes lightning covering all the horizons to reinforce its supremacy. As I look out of the window at the dark, gray clouds, I can’t help but marvel at the spectacle that the nature unfolds.

I won’t say that rainy season has been something which I really liked and waited for. It has been more of a love-hate kind of relationship with rainy season in childhood days; hated it when ever it used to play spoil sport by pouring hard in evening, which was our time to play cricket after coming back from school. On seeing the dark clouds in sky we just used to wish, “rain- rain, go away”, but it used to rain hardest when we used to wish least for it and so in the process dampening all our enthusiasm and spirits. But really loved it when it helped in coming up with an excuse for not going to school, but that was not the case always, specially when it used to drizzle light, for someone had devised damn raincoats and umbrellas as well. I have always strongly felt that apart from defining Newton’s Laws of Motion; Frames of reference also fit perfect while defining Monsoon. What I mean to say is; perception about monsoon depends on particular perspective from which it is observed. I will just try to recount few of the perspectives which I have had.

It’s one of the most beautiful feelings to sit at the window and stare through its pane with a steaming cup of strong ginger tea, watching the clouds downpour as soft and cold wind brushes your face lightly. And in these perfect cozy conditions, one should be forgiven if he slips back into the old good sweet memories. There are certain things in life for which there can never be a replacement. And without any doubt, without any second thought, childhood days comes as the first thing when we dig in deep to find out the precious things of our life.

Now a little confession; despite all precious hours of cricket which I couldn’t play because of rain, it has been so special to me. After the killing heat of summer, monsoon with all its beauty has always been a welcome change. Usually monsoon used to arrive just after the reopening of schools after the long summer vacations. As cold breeze replaced burning heat, with raindrops taking over the sunrays, I used to look in awe at sheer beauty and variety that the nature has to offer. Monsoon meant eating “garam pakode” on the verandah, monsoon meant getting drenched in rain even after getting scolded and then catching cold but never regretting, monsoon meant playing barefoot in mud and water and soiling the clean clothes, monsoon meant floating “kagaz ki kashti” over accumulated water in the courtyard and watching it anxiously float safely, monsoon meant surrounding granny with other kids before sleep and insisting to narrate the same story which we had heard several times.   

Not much has changed except, we used to enjoy monsoon with more freedom which now has become somewhat difficult, if not impossible, with a cell phone always in the pocket. But nothing can take away the freshness; the charm which comes with monsoon with rain drops injecting life in the veins of everything dried up and drained with warm summer. The noise of whistling wind and heavy raindrops rattling the leaves sounds soothing and is music to ears.  The best thing about rainy season is the ocean of changes it brings with it; and completely mesmerized, I look at the quick transformation it brings about with it with dried water sources swelling up and the nature which was a sort ago deprived of vegetation, getting engulfed and enveloped by rich greenery. 

So it is that time of the year again; when at times everything looks so serene, so lucid, so calm, so tranquil, and the next moment sky opens up to downpour the world with sudden but  incessant rain as if it would never stop and again all of a sudden, nature pulls out another magic and sunlight breaks through the clouds in beams of silvery white shafts of light and paints a beautiful rainbow in the clear expanse of the sky like a masterpiece made by some artist and I look perplexed in awe, completely mystified and spell bounded. It’s that time of the year again, which brings back the “short winter”, when we long for a warm cup of tea or coffee and roasted corns taste heavenly. Yes, it’s that time of the year again, Monsoon has arrived..