MIDWAY : Rain dance

The smell of wet mud, everything clean, beautiful green trees and the streets full of brollies of different sizes and colours — this season is simply spell-binding. People may despise this season but I belong to the opposite group.

As there is reason for everything — from dusting a clean table to reading old newspapers — I have cooked up an inexplicable one to back up my liking. When the tiny drops hit the earth, memories of yesteryears come flooding back. During my school days, the thing I liked most — apart from bonfires and parents’ visits to school — was rain. It was not until the 10th standard that I had the freedom to get wet.

The season has its share of disadvantages too, but not even the slimy leeches deter us pals from frolicking in the playground. Even during the drizzle we hit the road, our school building a clean 15 minutes’ hike, making our way between the pine trees along the sides of the road.

The trickle would take its own sweet time to subside. Meanwhile, we pranced around as if the road was our private property with no teachers in sight to stop us from sleeping on the road or performing the rain dance.

By the time we reached our destination, we would be dripping wet. It’s not that we couldn’t afford an umbrella or run but the feeling of tiny drops touching bare flesh surpasses heavenly bliss. One needs to feel the spirit of the season. The thought of our teachers taking us to task wouldn’t matter much as long as the drops rejuvenated the parched earth. During my study in Delhi, the rainy season never seemed to end. Back then we had to think twice before venturing out. Even if we summoned enough courage to do so, we were allowed out only under the watchful eye of the local guardians.

An edition of Chicken Soup states that life is a chain of rainy days as rain helps shape up our lives. The most hated season is like sugar that makes food tastier, even while it’s not as important as other ingredients like oil and salt.

I don’t mean to entice people into running out in the rain. But seasons are like different flavours provided by the grace of the Almighty to spice up our lives. As tastes differ, so do the seasons.