Good old rainy days

This year’s summer in Bengaluru was unbearably hot and we dreaded the insufferable May heat. Surprisingly, and thankfully, the incessant rains came as manna from heaven. This lovely weather upon us recently, evoked memories of the good old Bengaluru summer of the 70s.

As it pours outside, I am comfortably ensconced in the warm comfort of my home, revisiting the past as a flood of memories of my childhood and youth inundated my mind.

I am reminded of the first monsoon showers that arrived, usually, at night with our doors and windows open. Oh, the scent of the wet earth and the assorted fallen leaves sent my spirits soaring high. Our warm rooms were transformed into a cool, damp place. The occasional beauty of the rainbow was a bonus treat.

Bengaluru's rains were unpredictable and erratic. When you carried an umbrella, it seldom rained and when you didn’t there sure was a sudden downpour. It also didn’t come down same across the city; only in some parts. People joked that if someone said it’s raining in Bengaluru be sure to ask them where: which area, which road and which cross!

I remembered the wonderful charm of the clouds which came in all shades, shapes and sizes and how we sat by the window and gazed at them. No boredom there. Each cloud seemed to have a silver lining, so to say.

With the rains, our otherwise quiet ‘Garden City’ hissed and roared in celebration. The dull, black roads suddenly glistened and smiled as if their faces were wet with tears of joy. It was as captivating to watch our feathered friends wade into puddles and splash about as it was to see dragonflies in the air. Somehow, even the croak of the frogs outside our window was music to our ears!

The recent downpour brought a smile to my face. And memories of the thrilling moments of the monsoons -- running hurriedly for shelter, trying to guess the depth of flooded pot holes, avoiding splashes of speeding vehicles, holding footwear in hand and pants folded up to the knees -- came flooding back.

Amid flashes of lightning and thunder claps, some more memories flashed -- praying fervently in schools for a ‘rain free’ sports day, munching on hot fried snacks with a steaming cup of coffee on rainy evenings; of kids playing in puddles, watching paper boats sail away in little streams; or hailstones dissolving on their palms. Last but not least, of power failures, coughs and colds.