A couple of days back in Delhi

It seems that the rain gods have finally smiled upon Delhi with monsoon eyes. It is now raining almost everyday. After a spell of long hot weather, it is finally much cooler.

I have shared many a times that I am a rain fan. The rains soothes my heart and my mind. Most people I know say that they don’t know like rains and that it is depressing. But not me. I feel that the greenery becomes more refreshing and more beautiful in and after rains. Sadly, most of Delhi lacks the lustrous green beauty of nature. My area of residence in the capital boasts of only congested concrete cages, stinking garbage dumps and broad blocked drains. When it rains, instead of the earthy petrichor, it is the stink that greets you. Our balcony looks more greener than the neighbourhood. So the rains here makes me sad and yearn for home instead. But thankfully my office is located in a plush residential area and greenery is abundant. So I am able to enjoy the beauty of nature during the rains sometimes. 

 

Today in the capital

In cities like Delhi, people dread the rains more than they long for them. A little rain is enough to cause traffic to come to a standstill. Right now I am in the office cab which is dropping us to the nearest metro station. It’s just two minutes away from the office. But as it’s raining now, I am stuck in a slow moving traffic and it is already been twenty minutes since we started. So I thought of tapping away my thoughts on the move. Two weeks back, I took the road instead of the metro and it had started to rain. It took two hours to reach home, forty five minutes more than usual.

In the month of February earlier this year, it was a rainy morning and I was commuting in an auto-rickshaw in the morning. at several places on the way, water puddles were created. At one moment, I suddenly felt as if someone had thrown a big pail of murky water at me. A sedan car had just overtaken my auto from the left, crossing a big puddle in high speed. It was winter. I reached office all wet and couldn’t even sit for a long time. I placed the portable heater on my desk and finally managed to dry myself patch by patch.

Another  rainy morning last year, I saw a family of three taking a bath with the muddy water from a puddle. As I passed them, I muttered a silent ‘thank you’ to the Almighty.

A few days back

Back home, rains are a part of regular life. We enjoy the weather by watching the rain, playing or walking in it, and savouring different delicacies. When water accumulates in the green house compound, small fishes make way to the drowned lawn. A couple of days back, my folks back home shared that a few small fishes fell along with the rain. Hailstorms are something that also excites us more. As kids, we used to collect hailstones and even eat them. I even enjoy the thunderstorms. 

But this side of the country, people go bonkers seeing the rain. When it rains heavily, people flock their rooftops or gullies to ‘bath’. You can even see people rubbing their bodies with their hands as if they are taking a shower in their bathroom. I mean, I never seen people doing that back home. The kids in my marital family defines heavy rain as “nahane wala baarish” meaning one can take a bath in such a shower. And I say in a muted voice, “What??? Why??” Dance, jump, sing, play in the rain. Why bath?

A flower in bloom today in my maternal home garden

Being born and brought up in Assam, I am used to carry an umbrella in my bag throughout the year. But in Delhi, I rarely see people walking in the rain using an umbrella. Women today are boarding the metro all wet, with no umbrella in their hands. This year I am also not carrying my umbrella so as to avoid carrying extra weight. But I think I should.

In Assam, rains came as early as April this year. But again, that is how it is almost every year. Humidity as high as ninety seven percent is experienced. But the rains always come as a respite. Oh! how I miss home during monsoons! Everything becomes so green and refreshingly beautiful all around. 

Leaving you with a video of how rain looks like back home. Not a very great video, but it gives a glimpse of how my home looks like during a spell of good rain. Do share how rains make you feel.