Excitement on hearing about rains back home, requests to
view photographs of the pouring shower, updates by friends about the fantastic
weather, listening to mixed experiences as the monsoon casts its wet
spell - aspects like these make me realize that there is something magical
about the Mumbai monsoon! While rains do greet us with drops of happiness and
freshness here, the pouring shower of Mumbai is different in every way. An
identity to its name, it is truly loved by the dwellers of the city.
Boredom in hot and long, humid months of
summer; eager wait for the relief of rains from scorching heat, happiness to
get wet in the first shower of June, being grounded for days due to heavy
downpour in July ,perfect blend of rains with sun in August and final departure
in September mark the four long months of monsoon. Though the rains choose to
play around with this schedule, the overall sequence is well rehearsed in
everyone’s mind.
Hope for rains when sun throws heat and long
for sun when rains throw water is undoubtedly a confusing request for the clouds up
there! The heavy showers create wonderful memories during every phase of life
offering happy moments to each one. Reopening of school, meeting old and new
friends, buying bags, books, umbrellas or rain coats and hoping for a fresh,
new start decorated the phase of childhood school life. As days progressed with
increasing load of studies, sudden holidays due to heavy rains made this monsoon
totally exciting.
Be it making paper boats in the puddles or playing in the
mud, be it running around in rain coats or watching the heavy shower, this
monsoon could never go dry without punishment from parents for purposely
getting wet or a warning from teachers for not paying attention!
As elders, the
thought of heading for a monsoon trip and enjoying scenic beauty of long drives
keeps each one occupied with calendar in hand, hoping to make the most of the
pleasant weather. Though heavy rains disrupt the daily commute with delay in
local trains and traffic on roads, the sight of boiling tea and taste of
delicious hot food work wonders to calm those irritating nerves within less
than a minute. Enjoying a spicy meal with family at home, while watching heavy rains through the window, on an unexpected holiday from work coordinate into a
perfect plot of happiness, fun and joy.
These rains definitely fill the atmosphere with energy as water is life in itself. Lush green cover of plants and freshness in the air are amazing gifts that only rains can offer. Though it used to rain with the same intensity even years ago, recent cases of water logging, floods and chaos on the streets point towards the unacceptable modifications made by us on its land. It is nature's way of warning us towards the harmful effects of inappropriate garbage disposal and cutting down of trees. While it is difficult to contain these troubles within a really short time, small steps towards improvement will indeed make a big difference. Continuous news clippings of old cases of traffic and water logging by media offer little help as they only target to spread around fear making it difficult for family members back home or those residing in a different location.
Being far away from the happiness of this magical Mumbai monsoon makes me realize that it meant so much to me while I was right there, experiencing it all, under those thick, dark clouds. Though it starts to restrict movements and spoils many outdoor plans, this love-hate relationship that each Mumbaikar experiences is difficult to pen down in words. Every person of the city does complain about the rains in one way or the other, but they are the first to share stories of joy and bonding when someone else points a figure at the happily falling drops of life.
With a hope that rain god continues to bless every place on earth with showers of water in future and Mumbai monsoon sustains its magic forever,it is necessary that our kids too get an opportunity to frame stories of rains while their paper boats float away in happiness......
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