My Complicated Relationship with Rain (Atomic Essay Day 11)
While growing up, monsoons were quite interesting for my sister and I. I remember she and I sued to waddle out way back home from the bus stop. Our lane used to become a river so yes we would actually waddle. We would come back home, for some strange reason get dressed in our costumes and head to our terrace. We would spend the next hour or so dancing in the rain and guess what? Cleaning the terrace. We would get a wiper and drain the terrace. Rains were my favourite because it would mean going to school in scandals and eat hot paneer pakodas with green chutney.
Then I went to college in Pune. Rains on campus meant lots of mud and clothes getting dirty. Clothes that unfortunately I had to wash on my own. And unlike the drizzle I grew up with Delhi, Pune experienced downpours like I’d never seen before. Those 5 years I used to hate the monsoon.
And now, I love the way my balcony transforms when it rains, I love petrichor - the smell of rain, I love sitting with a cup of tea and a book on a rainy day and I get the best sleep with the constant pitter patter of rain.
I'm in Bombay as I write this and it has been raining non-stop since I landed 24+ hours ago. Everything is wet and somehow it is still hot.
Wait a minute, maybe I should come back and revise this once I leave - going back to my chai now!