Rains reign supreme over all minds

But first things first. The very same men, women, children and animals who used to look for a place to hide from the sweltering heat, are out to enjoy the cool showers. Especially if there are early showers, almost half of the city is out on the streets, wanting to get some respite from the heat.

Also, it is probably the best time for dogs and pigs whose multiplication in this season can be compared only to nuclear fission.

Then as the season progresses, the number of people hanging out decreases, except for those street urchins, who strip down to the bare minimum while playing in the rains.

There are also those young women who do not dare to go out in the rains and prefer to stand by a window watching the rains, putting themselves in shoes of the actress in a Hindi movie, and those other more active ones who venture out with a raincoat or other protective gear.

There is also another set of people, who neither have raincoats nor roofs for shelter, but have that immensely useful brew available at Rs 10 in a transparent plastic bag, popularly called the potli. In this case it is to generate enough body heat and make a person oblivious to whether he is lying on the roads or in a drain.

There are flip sides to the seasons too. Like those who have to walk develop a `justified’ envy for four-wheelers and their owners because they do all the splashing on the roads. And the affected ones swear not at the vehicle driver, but target his mother, sister and the entire family tree.

Added this clothes don’t dry fast and even if they do, a typical damp smell lingers on the clothes. Cricket matches being washed away is yet another instance when the season itself comes in for some collective cursing, along with the umpires, who at that time are counted as abettors in the crime.And then living for almost four months under the threat of a dozen water-borne epidemics is also considered some of the demerits.

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