AH! THE MONSOONS

The sun has been pretty merciless the last couple of months; the humidity coupled with the heat has taken its toll on mood swings and general well-being. Precisely the reason why when I took a short break from the work station last week, I was pretty much glad that by the time I am back, the monsoons would have arrived calming the seething earth. Not that I am terribly fond of the rains. The incessant downpours, the resultant squalor, forced confinement etc do not do much to my spirits. Additionally, rains also unfurl the welcome banner for all kinds of creepy crawlies to make their way into your house…all the time I lived out of home, monsoons would give me sleepless nights for the fear of serpents making their way into some nook of my room. Not that I haven’t tried to make friends with the rains. In fact, one look at all our movies glorifying the romance associated with the monsoons makes me feel rather guilty. As a student, I even attempted getting drenched a couple of times in the downpour..it is another story that I ended up with a severe skin rash each time. Being a non-tea drinker, I could never fathom the joy of drinking masala chai to the tune of falling raindrops. Or for that matter, the adventure of negotiating your way through ugly puddles while trying to manage an umbrella over your head. Romance, fun and gaiety are the last thoughts in my mind once the rains arrive. In one of those rain-induced moments of melancholy, sprung this little poem.

                                                       MONSOON SHOWER

Dark, heavy clouds loom across the horizon,

I crane my neck for a last glimpse of the disappearing sun,

Twittering birds take shelter, the peacock opens its fan in all its splendour.

As I stand by the window, in my heart echoes the clap of thunder

A wave of desolation drowns my being

The sprays of rain unearth those buried memories

Of walks on puddled roads enjoying the rain

Ah! The sensation of raindrops falling from neem leaves..splashing onto the face,

And the pleasure of seeing your delighted smile

Gave me the strength to walk that extra mile.

Your eyes mist as you sip the fragrant tea

As I sit adoringly at your knee.

The ecstasy of love, the joy of life, the feeling of happiness

Is experienced in those tender moments of togetherness.

You have now gone; a gaping void is left behind

Dark as those dark clouds and bleak as the daily grind

The monsoon brings rain, it also brings tears

The world outside and I become one,

The world outside is drenched in rain, I in tears

Mourning the loss

Of days of sunshine that have drawn to a close.

However, when the sun becomes too overbearing, one cannot help but yearn for the skies to open up and drench the earth. Once back from leave, I was pretty upset that the rains and the subsequent relief is yet to come in full force. But while swimming under the gaze of a lazy, waxing moon this evening, I was again preparing to miss those languid balmy evenings once the waters come gushing from above and force me to twiddle my fingers indoors.