Rendezvous with Mother Nature

Yesterday night was my first official encounter with the rain. It had rained only thrice since I arrived here. It was 10:30 at night and the town was half asleep. Usually these initial rainy conditions are accompanied with power-cuts, mosquitoes (Himesh Reshamiya’s fans!!) and hot humid weather. We had just ended with the discussion that Indra’s job should be handed over to the queen of soaps, Ekta Kapoor...she handles this rain thing very well in her serials...heavy rains and a story in each of them. Indra devta seemed not to be happy with this idea!! And to make his position secured, he demonstrated a tiny version of his power...well, our idea worked...and we were on our way.

Sitting in the rain with head tilted above, I realized how much I wanted to see it...and how much I miss those rainy days of my childhood. It used to rain heavily in those days...heavy enough for my heart to be content. We were the lucky ones. If the rain started at 3 or 5 in the morning, which would mean school’s ground must have been filled with it and...what else...chhutti!!! Praying this and secretly and devil-ishly smiling in our minds we used to just lie down and listen to the “tup tup”...when woken-up by mother, we used to rush to the window just to have a look at it...and the street of course, just to analyse the situation!! A secret smiling code transmitted to the other...Dressing up for school had never been so fast and interesting on any other day. A childish cosmic energy would help us to get ready for school in spite of knowing that the school would be closed today! It was a chance for us to be in rain...a chance to see the principal standing at the gate under her umbrella and asking children to return back. We would go all the way back to home through a different route (a long one) crying to other students, “wapas jao, chhutti hai!!” no matter which school he belonged...:D

Sometimes, we were not that lucky...going school in car is not always a boon...we were the dry ones and had to attend school in little less rainy conditions. Ahhh...par class mein kiske man lage jab bahar barkha rani nach rahi ho...dark and gloomy class...yellow and boring bulb lights...a teacher speaking some strange language...and restless heads turning left right, sometimes to doors, sometimes to windows...and the best part, when at dismissal I used to think, “kash mummy ne ye banaya ho” and to my surprise there it was already served before me...Maybe this is why rain is an answer to a child’s prayer...

I remember when I was in my first year in hostel...I was a lone lonely loner for the first time ever...it had rained so beautifully...a depressed dry heart of mine got so elated like it had found the thing it was looking for. With umbrella in one hand and shrinking to my half volume to avoid getting wet, I called home (I don’t know why). I told father suppressing my tears, “it’s raining heavily here”. He just laughed. How stupid I was...it rains heavily everywhere else...what’s the big deal...

I just wanted to share the rain with someone...just wanted to tell how beautiful I was feeling...just wished someone to see the rain through my heart...for the first time in my life rain had brought such strange feeling to me...to be with someone...Maybe this is why rain is an answer for a longing soul...

Now sitting here in the dark and feeling the rain on my skin, I wondered how it used to be fun, and then an emotion and how it has become an escape. I questioned myself why doesn’t the bathroom shower gives this kind of pleasure...after all it’s just a matter of getting wet from water falling from a height and giving you a tickling feeling behind your neck. This is Mother Nature...something inside you is connected to her...It’s like the relief you get whenever you see your mother’s face...the assurance you get in her presence so that your heart can say everything’s fine...the refuge you get in her arms...The same is with mother nature...No matter how old you get, every time it rains you will feel the love and blessing pouring down, every time you feel it you get to know everything’s fine, the assurance you get that you are being listened...Maybe this is why rain is a refuge to a tired mind...

Akele hain chale aao, jahan ho,

Kahaan awaz de tumko, kahaan ho..

Good work Mr. Indra! But you could have done better!! :P