Hot and hotter

The month of May dawned on us hard and bright, without a trace of mercy. Although it is the month of searing heat in the northern plains, wi...

The month of May dawned on us hard and bright, without a trace of mercy. Although it is the month of searing heat in the northern plains, with mercury seldom falling below 40 degrees in the shade, Kerala8217;s sticky, humid air saps the energy even more. With the heat comes the water shortage. Potable water must be transported in country boats to the villages bordering the back-waters.

The water shortage in turn brings in its wake a host of communicable diseases. 8220;Take all possible precautions,8221; I advice my patients but cross my fingers. Often there is a hint of rain in the air, but no respite. The weather forecasts bring even less cheer, only the sunny smiles of the telecaster.

June 1, the proverbial start of monsoons on the west coast. No luck. The rain gods still play truant. And the days, hard to bear, simply get longer. Just when all give up, and the weather bureau gets it all mixed up, cloud- bursts come on with little warning.

You are caught unawares. In God8217;s own country it never rains, it pours. Daily schedules go haywire. Routine car journeys take on a touch of adventure tourism. My daily journeys through Aranmula, on the banks of the 8220;Pampa8221; river and famous for its mirrors and the Parthasarathy temple, become a dicey affair. The road gets flooded in a trice. But the co- operation from the local people is a saving grace.

One eventful day, I had to try as many as four routes to cross Aranmula. Going through knee-deep water, and praying that my car does not stall. Yet another day an ancient teak tree that stood as a landmark got uprooted and caused a roadblock. A serpentine queue of vehicles had to wait for hours in the downpour before it was cleared. Had it fallen on my tiny Maruti it would have been smashed to smithereens.

One is not all that cosy at home either. A drove of insects beat their way to your door. If you cannot go out to commune with nature, she comes to commune with you.

Most graciously, nature gifted us a pleasant Onam day. Well, I am not too sure. A second arid season seems to be in the offing. After all, as the sahib once remarked: 8220;India has only two seasons; hot and hotter.8221;