I'm overwhelmed. I went to college. It rained heavily all day and I was out in the rain and I got completely drenched in the rain while I went and returned and it was overwhelming. I've always loved rain - whether indoor or outdoor am I while it pours. But I am disappointed because I see it everywhere, not everyone have the same outlook (of course, they are not bound to; but why not) and the day has been described extremely wrongly (in blogs and status messages) as per what it actually deserves to be!!!
I hate going to college, I hate the stretch I have to walk to get to the place where I avail my daily conveyance, I hate availing the auto-rickshaw or bus (whatever that takes me to the Metro) and then I hate going underground and boarding myself into the ultimate ride of boredom through the darkness of the city's "pride" tunnel along with thousands (that's what it looks like) in the same compartment. But today, I walked out with no inhibitions and hesitations in my mind. I didn't care if nobody else attended class and they declare it a no-lecture day in college, although every other "perfect" day I fear that the same would be the destiny I'd reach out to and decide I'd better not go. No wonder my mother was as surprised as could be, that I stepped out on a day as "dull and messy" as this. As for me, how could I stay back home on a day like today. My mother insisted I must take the parasol with me and use it. I didn't mind, for I knew no umbrella on earth could stop me from getting soaked in the rain today. I was so right. I used the parasol and I was as drenched as I could get by the time I reached metro. I saw brimming puddles flooding the pavements, messy traffic, not many people around and the ones around had a very I-am-doing-the-world-a favour-by-venturing-out-today look on their faces. As for me, I was delighted. I wished the path to the Metro went on and on and on and on....... And then once inside the Metro, it, of course, wasn't possible to enjoy the rain in there, but it still continued to delight me. First of all, it wasn't as crowded as it generally is at that particular hour. Secondly, the seats were soaked. So there were empty seats all around and now the people had a hell-the-underground's-not-rain-proof-either look. Shitheads!! I, like a few others wiped the seat with whatever I could and seated myself (it's not everyday that I get a seat).
"It has been pouring all day. It’s been a long time since I’ve woken up to such a dull morning where even the crows refuse to execute their morning orchestra." - A fellow blogger wrote.
Back home, I found this kind of a description everywhere about the day. It broke my heart. You know what, the city has prayed every single day for a cooler morning since February and the monsoon glory has not settled yet. Scientifically speaking, it's climate change crisis that we do no longer have monsoon as a season but occassional heavy downpours. Even with monsoon taking such a moody plight, we are endangered of being submerged and way underwater in a century or less. Even if it does not rain we are about to be flooded. Settlements both coastal and fluviatile will be washed away with no role to be played by monsoon whatsoever. It's time we prized our existence on the surface of the earth (I am not complaining that not many try and make a difference for a better future) with whatever Mother Nature provides. What I am trying to say is, what is it that makes everyone treat a rainy day like severe pain in the ass??? You know not what Mother Nature's fury is like. So why not enjoy a climatic event that is so trivial and exotic in the context now. Specially, remember if it does not rain, it's humid and hot beyond tolerance and any day, the wrath of the clouds is better than that of the Sun.A: "I got soaked on my way to work! Is it ever gonna stop raining??"
B: "So it's raining there... can't believe it still gets flooded knee-deep like they used to when I was in cal."
Such is a conversation on a social networking site.
I'd say, A is such a baby and B besides being a cynic and a critic is also so unromantic.
I wouldn't blame it on the present generation. I had heard that Rabindranath Tagore had been severely critisised for romanticising rains in his poems. They said he should channelise his talent to pen down stuff adding to the uproar for freedom of the nation, something with a social relevance and it's only possible for a rich lad like him to find beauty in heavy downpours because for everybody else rain only adds danger and scepticism to one's treading out. So even the Nobel Laureate couldn't induce the social appeal he intended to through his poetry saluting the beauty of nature. It really doesn't take us to stop and stare, what it takes is acceptance of things around that are hardly heeded but they have their importance, grandeur and beauty. That we co-exist.
And metaphorically rain is always used for bad days, hopelessness, misery, sadness. ( e.g : But it rained by Parikrama, Here comes the rain by A1)... why??? Do you not like to feel the water pour out of nowhere to your sleeves and replace the sweat on your brow??? Do you not like it how the water, absent otherwise, shoos off the summer heat from every nook and corner??? Do you not like the smell of quenched country soil??? Do you not like the fact that you don't tire easily at work in such a pleasant weather??? Do you not like that you don't feel like getting out of bed when the rain makes it pretty dark outside???
And Parikrama and A1 try to learn something from Percy Bysshe Shelley (Ode to the West Wind).
I'm being romantic and I cannot understand why most of you don't afford to be..
