Yes, monsoon season is back. After the hottest summer where mercury touching 40°C mark, where election heat waves clashed with the IPL 2 celebrations. It is a rebirth to all. But for me still the heat is on, the thesis and project presentation. But still rain directly falls over all this. Washing out all the tensions. Accompanying cool wind makes mind cool.
Each monsoon brings lot of memories to foreground. The childhood days when I used to play in muddy rainy water and getting fully drenched. The first day in school with my mom. When she left me in the class, tears broke out from my eyes. I started crying loudly, but in the sound of the rain outside, it drowned. The view of the big mountains that I enjoyed from the classroom window which eventually becomes invisible due to heavy wave of rains. While sitting in front seat of a bus, writing name on the front glass when it gets fully covered with water droplets. Making paper boats and sail them on the flowing water. Etc etc
When I grow up the love towards rain also grown. I loved to sit in the verandah with a cup of hot coffee in hand watching the falling rain, enjoying the music of it. When the water droplets fall on face, when the blowing wind pierce the body with it coldness, awesome experience… on night, falling in sleep by listening to the rain outside. In the middle of night waking up on the sound of thunderstorms. All added to the beauty of rain.
The rain I saw in Thodupuzha while my B.Tech days was too different. The stormy, violent rain that continuously pour for hours and hours without any break. This was entirely opposite to the calm ones I felt before. But still I enjoyed it. In hostels premises we used to play box cricket even in the rains. Riding bike in the rains was a different experience. The view of rain that we enjoyed from the balcony of second floor of our college building was awesome. The unforgettable sceneries captured by my eye and stored in mind.
Each rainy season is a new experience. In last monsoon season I was in Mumbai. Where rain is a nightmare for most of the mumbaikar. The never sleeping metro takes a break while monsoon. The monsoon and floods stops all modes of transportation and makes thousands homeless. Here another face of rain is seen. In Mumbai watching rain from a high vantage point like from the 5th floor of the hostel gives another great visual. Taking a Mumbai darsan ride in a city bus by taking a window seat is also marvelous. The trekking trip to outskirts of Mumbai in rainy season adds extra enjoyable face of rain. Trekking in sahydris in rainy season is a must try if u r in Mumbai. On way back home, konkan route adds a lot to the beauty of rain.
It was in last year I got the book “chasing the monsoon”, actually It was a gift to me from my friend. An awesome travelogue that talks about different faces of rain in different regions. From the calm and quite rain of kerala to the breathtaking monsoon of kolkatha. From the violent monsoon of goa and Mumbai to the round the year pouring rain of mozintram and chirapunji. the book revelas the monsoon map of india that make you to chase the monsoon while it flies from regions to regions
Wherever it is, rain adds newer and newer levels of beauty. Each monsoon is entirely new. While I was writing this it was raining outside. The first rain of this season. I wish it would be a best monsoon season ever……
