SUMMER RAINS

A pleasant welcome awaited me as I stepped out of the office…a wisp of air brought with it the smell of damp earth – the first rains of summer had arrived...The late afternoon sun was playing with the thick black clouds- the air was moist and cool and the rain drops which were falling gave a perfect start to the evening!

As I sped away in the car, towards home…there were a multitude of reflections and thoughts…thoughts on the rains itself- on the freshness it brings with it and the changes which happen in nature- how we suddenly realize the “heat” which we had got used to and how welcome the “rains” are! The air conditioner of the car was no longer required. As I rolled down the windows, it hit me powerfully that the comfort which the fresh-rain laden winds bring can never be matched by the best air-conditioning that we have created!

It was interesting to see the difference these rains made and how the world reacted to it – pedestrians and people who were travelling on the two wheelers rushed to take shelter and am sure were cursing themselves on why they did not get their rain gear…hawkers - rushing to a nearby building to protect themselves against the rain were seen complaining loudly that the rains would disrupt their business and would keep the buyers away. And of course, people who mainly live on the streets- the less fortunate and homeless - were upset the most…they had nowhere to go and took shelter and even as they did, the shelter was just so temporary!

As we drove along, I noticed the lush green lawns of the golf course and the trees on both sides of the road drenched fully in the rain….looking clean, fresh and full of life. They seemed to be brimming with new life - new energy! It was as if nature was in symphony that evening...a light drizzle of the rains..had bought such an awesome change in the nature around us!
Further down…noticed that the drops of rain showered equally on two of the most beautiful buildings – Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power and Windsor Manor- the epitome of luxury. The buildings looked “washed”…the dust which had continuously gathered over the last couple of months were removed to give a new “look” …but my thoughts did not just stop with the buildings – I wondered whether the people who are an integral part of these buildings also feel and undergo a similar “facelift” ..were their minds also scrubbed clean and did they also feel “fresh” in their thoughts and thinking?








Nature stands transformed when it experiences the “summer rain” …what do we, as humans need to have this transformation…what is our portion of this “nectar” which is required for us to change and transform….The rains which remove and wash away the stale thoughts and give us new insights- the rains which can usher in thoughts about what is really is to be “human”- the rains which can make us look at the world with more compassion and friendliness ….

As I reached home, the downpour had increased…A good cup of coffee and watching the rains cosily from the bedroom window, brought in more thoughts around the “rain” and its different facets…The beautiful transformation which was happening in nature, somehow felt very restricted as I watched it from the window…but then don’t we all watch the “panorama” of nature from our own-self created windows…this window in my room truly acted as a barrier and was keeping me away from enjoying the magic of the moment in true magnificence.
The sound of blaring TV from the neighbours’ house brought me back to reality of the world…did the world look at the rain and for a minute enjoy the feeling it bought with it…I am not sure. Each person engrossed in their own “world” who did not have the patience nor the inclination to “mute” for a minute what ever they were doing and enjoy the “tip-tap” of the rain!! The rains are not just “drops of water” falling from the sky after all…it’s a blessing which is showered on us…it’s left to us to take the cue and look forward to enjoying the world around us …a world which we can nurture with new dreams, new hopes, new resolutions…which rhymes the “up beat” mood of nature around us…which stands transformed on the arrival of the summer rains!