When the heavens pour down

Considered harbingers of doom and despair, the rains are also known to herald prosperity. They cast a spell on the young and old alike, making the human race eagerly await it, recounts Deepa Ballal.

Rain drops and dance, strange kind of romance. I don't know why (whether) to cry out loud, but I'm feeling fine. Watch the rhythm of the rain falling down…    - Colonial Cousins 
Loved, loathed and immortalised by poets, we share a strange kind of romance with the rains. Much like the guests who come visiting us. We enjoy their presence as long as it suits us; the day the lines are crossed, we pray for their exit. 

It is interesting to see how the rain takes on different meanings in different languages and across cultures. The definition of severe rain varies for people residing in the Thar Desert and the ones domiciled in Cherrapunji. Nevertheless, there is something magical about rains.

Offering respite from the unbearable summer, the monsoon showers evoke an array of emotions - ranging from hope to despair, love to deceit. “After a long dry spell, the first rains and the smell of the earth levitate one to a surreal level,” says Deepti Ashok.

Considered harbingers of doom and despair, rains are also known to herald prosperity. They cast a spell on the young and old alike, making the human race await it.

“I still remember sipping hot tea and sharing a plate of crunchy onion pakoras with friends on a rainy afternoon. It seemed like heaven; in the local lingo we referred to it as a ‘deadly combination’,” reminisces Chaya Madhav.  

Sans the rains, one wonders if those fleeting moments would have graduated into ‘sweet memories’ today. The sight of people running helter skelter, some fishing desperately for anything in the bag that could act as a makeshift umbrella, souls hurriedly picking up garments from the clothes line, lovers enjoying that first drizzle…

“It brings out the child in every adult. The experience of getting drenched in the rain can never be replaced even by the most expensive of showers in the coziest of washrooms anywhere on this planet,” maintains Divya Pai. 

Memories of playing with paper boats on muddy puddles and jostling for some headspace under a friend’s umbrella bring a smile on Vinodini Menon’s face to this day. But not everybody is a monsoon fan. Take Vinodini’s daughter Kriti, for instance. “I used to hate the rains as a child. My birthday always fell on the day when monsoon was at its fullest. I was never allowed to wear my birthday dress to school, lest it got spoilt. And when in college, travelling by bus was always a horrendous task with everyone and everything so damp,” she says.

 And then, there’s Sitalakshmi Arun, who believes rains are the “yuckiest of all seasons”. “Scientifically speaking,” she concedes, “rains are our saviors. But all our work gets stalled or postponed. You just don’t feel like getting up in the morning because of the gloomy, cold weather.” 

 Wearing white on a rainy day could offer a mighty challenge even for the leading detergents in the market. 

“I remember we had to wear white for our practical classes. Motorists on a jolly ride would lose no opportunity to empty the puddles by splashing it on all and sundry. I would hold the umbrella sideways; it was better getting drenched by the downpour than getting soaked in muddy water,” recalls Diya Thakur, with a laugh. 

It is no joke, though, when houses get transformed into dhobi ghats overnight, on account of incessant rains refusing to let the clothes dry. “For me, the monsoons were the litmus test to gauge the genuineness of leather goods, as they are the first to be attacked by fungus,” shares Jyothi Sudhir. “I have seen my mother painstakingly wrap all her Kanjivaram silk sarees in cotton dhotis, lest the moisture gnaws on the expensive fabric,” she adds.

Not just the wardrobe, the kitchen too demands a revamp. It turns into a battleground as new strategies are devised to shoo away the uninvited guest, a.k.a fungus. Metaphorically, one says “saving for a rainy day”, but in reality, when it pours all try saving themselves from the onslaught of rain.

“On the one hand, there are frequent power cuts as trees fall on the electric cables, while on the other hand, when thunder and lightning accompany the downpour, we rush to disconnect the fridge, television cables, etc from electric supply or be ready to buy a new one,” chips in Vinodini.

 Being prepared is the mantra. Cottons are neatly shoved into the back and synthetic, fast-drying outfits brought to the forefront. Pulses are sun-dried and stored in airtight containers, lest they are declared unfit for human use. “Outdoor activities get restricted, but with no rains how will the crops grow,” reasons Vinodini, the self-confessed lover of rain.

Be it cinema or Shakespearean works, the myriad shades of monsoon did provide enough food for thought. The naughty indulgences, the wait for the loved one, the lonely nights, the hasty walk to school, all of a sudden seem to look endless when the rain, thunderstorm and lightning were introduced in the scene. Either to dampen the spirits, create the oomph factor or get the adrenalin pumping, poets, authors, singers and artists have used the symbolism of rain for a long time to heighten the melodrama.

Be it Kishore Kumar singing Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si or BJ Thomas crooning Raindrops keep falling on my head, the magic of rains is recreated every time one listens to the monsoon melodies. Think of Nargis and Raj Kapoor humming Pyar hua Iqrar hua or Raveena Tandon and Akshay Kumar swaying to Tip tip barsa paani, or then, Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan dancing to Zoobi doobi, rains have always created the right mix of romance and sensuality, keeping the Indian audiences glued to their seats. One can’t help wondering though, how many gallons of water would have gone down the gutters until the characters got the shot right. 

Given the extent of water crisis we are facing, timely rains are absolutely essential to strengthen both, the back and the bone of our country.

From shaping fragile economies to evoking delicate emotions, rains, undoubtedly, have a lot to offer. Next time a child sings Rain, rain, go away, one will have to hope the weather gods don’t take it personally.