Rainman

This year the rains are very late. But thank god they are finally here. It hasn’t been raining much these past two months during the calendar peak of monsoons. This first week of September is supposed to be the time when it stops raining and starts becoming slightly chilly in the morning. But for the last three days its been raining like cats and dogs, night and day.

I love the rain; the harder, the better. True, it does come with its own set of problems but overall, of all the seasons, my heart is happiest during the rains. The sheer power of the thunderstorms, the lightening, the winds and the oceans of water – its humbling and gladdening. Nothing compares to being able to sit outside in the driveway during a big thunderstorm. It just feels so right to be doing nothing but just sitting around drinking hot tea and eating samosas in the evening. The weather is also perfect, there’s strong winds lashing all around, there small drops of cold water tingling against the skin and there’s the power of the storm.

Plus my mother is visiting from Ahmedabad. It just adds to the magic sitting outside with her while she’s playing with Anya. Both my daughters love the rain like I do. Though I get embarrassed running around in the rain, they have no such inhibitions. They love playing in pouring rain, getting totally drenched and then being forced to come inside after sneezing their heads off. The surprising part is that no one gets sick playing in the rain. During rest of the months, we all catch a cold at the drop of a hat. But not during the monsoons. Its part of the magic.

The sad part is that with the intensity of the rains in the last two days, the road in front of our house has washed off completely. They are concretizing all the roads here in Bhopal, but our turn has not come yet. We still have the tar one. The government is doing it in phases so concrete roads are there on all sides from our house, but not the road that is just in front. I guess they will be doing it now after the rains. But that’s ok, ours will be done soon enough. It just means a few extra bumps while backing out on the road or coming in to the house. I’m not really into politics or political comments but one thing is sure, the current government has done an excellent job of taking care of its citizens. Almost all the remaining tar roads (the concrete ones are maintenance free) are regularly kept in repairs, especially after the monsoons. Outside the monsoon, there is regular cleaning and the administration is much more receptive and cooperative with handling of suggestions and complaints.

I also love riding a bike in the rain. I am not a car person, its too claustrophobic for my taste. I only drive my car when I am with my family or if I have to go some ways around the city. But when I am moving around on my own around the neighborhood, like to office and doing chores by myself, I take my bike. It is pure freedom. And nothing beats riding a bike in the rain. All my tension and fatigue seem to melt away when the water and the wind beat against my face. It’s a clean refreshing feeling car drivers can never understand.