A WALK IN THE RAIN

A WALK IN THE RAIN

Yesterday I was caught in the rain while on my evening walk and I loved it. I knew it would rain for it had become cloudy when I left home but I went anyway despite warnings from my wife (don’t get me wrong on this, she only said I should avoid going out, for it may rain). You see I love to look at the sea at such times, the sound of the waves and the cool breeze blowing across my face. By the time I reached the beach, the clouds had grown ominously grey and while I was at the end of my first round I felt the first drop of rain on my head (I could, you see I have no protection up there), then on the tip of my nose. A slow drizzle started and I initially sought shelter underneath the lone abandoned bus stop. This was a relic,  for no bus has ever plied on that road and for that matter the road along the beach is not a thoroughfare and ended at the fishermen’s colony, may be after all it is only a sit out with a shelter. I usually walk while listening to music from my ipod and today I was listening to Mohammad Rafi. I have a collection of nearly 200 songs of Rafi and around 150 of Kishore Kumar in the ipod, apart from my other favourites. As I stood beneath the shelter I decided to walk in the rain and get wet. I wanted to relive that moment of exhilaration when as a child of five I was out dancing in the rain. Of course I got scolded by my mother for having got myself wet, after all that was parental concern that I may catch a cold and possibly end up with fever. Today I knew that this would come from my wife, of course again out of concern. But my mind was set, for not only did I want to relive the exhilaration of childhood but also the romance of youth.

I stood under the shelter for a few minutes to finish my conversation with a friend on the phone and then selected one of my favourite songs of Rafi from my ipod and stepped out into the rain and resumed my walk. As the rain hit me, Rafi was singing in my ears –

Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi vo barasaat ki raat
ek anjaan haseena se mulaakaat ki raat

There has been no anjaan haseena or a mulaakaat on a barasaat ki raat, but I lived that moment in my fantasy world. The feel of the rain on my face and the music in my ears was sheer bliss. I stopped once or twice below some trees on the roadside on my way back home to wipe the water of my spectacles.  The rain did not last long and had stopped by the time I reached home. When my wife opened the door and before she could say anything I said “It was great”. She did not say anything except that I should dry myself quickly. She knew that I was a hopeless romantic.

It is not that I have not got wet in the rain before. In fact I remember the 26^th July 2005 when Mumbai recorded the highest ever rainfall and nearly all parts of the city were flooded. I was there and had waded through waist deep water to reach home the next day. There have been similar such moments but they were not out of choice. Your only concern was not to get wet and reach home as soon as possible. This was different, I chose to get wet and I chose the moment.

I have always loved to see the rain fall, at such time I would sit by the window watching the droplets dancing on the ground and listen to its patter. As a child I remember making small paper boats and watch them move along with the stream of water. Who does not savour moments like this especially with a hot cup of coffee or tea accompanied by hot pakoras or bhajjias. I know you will say yes.