The Summer Performance

I am sweltering. There is no interesting programme in the T. V. I am feeling bored. I smell something. It is earth’s smell, the smell which emanates when water touches the earth. I go to the balcony to find my apartment under the canopy of dark clouds. They are ready, ready to give a scintillating performance.

I did not know that a show was scheduled, but then shows by the rain in summer are never scheduled. The rain performs whenever the situation is right and everybody is invited, to get enthralled or to criticize.

I can see the birds flying briskly to their nests. Somewhere I see small children and housewives picking up the sun baked clothes dangling on the lines. I see people on the road running helter skelter to find shelter. They are all getting ready for the performance. Slowly, the noise from the road decreases and lo behold! The first drop has fallen and the others follow.

I sit in the balcony of my apartment. The wind is also accompanying the rain in the performance. It is a beautiful dance and the wind has taken up the form of squalls. I see three types of people;  one, who sit in their houses and watch the rain, two , who sit in their houses and criticize the rains or have a ‘whatever’ attitude and three, the ones who come out of their houses and join the rain in the performance. My roommate asks me as to how long will I just watch the rain, why not join the rain. I do not give it a second thought. We climbed the stairs to terrace to get soaked.

I shudder as the first drops of the rain hit me.  I am shivering as the rain was cold and my body is just acclimatizing. We are enjoying, my friend and me, the rain also enjoyed by coming down hard, so much that it is painful when the drops fell on me. The squalls send the rains in all possible angles and it is a treat to watch the rain change angles by the wink of the eye. We become one with the rain. I peep onto other houses to find people soaking, watching and grumbling.

We miss the lightening, maybe because it was still day time and electric shows may not be quite effective. I look down and find the rain drops moving away from me towards the earth, a perfect screen saver.

We splash on each other the stagnant water. A small girl comes to the terrace on the behest of taking the clothes on the line but she enjoys getting soaked in the rain unmindful of the consequences. Finally, the sunrays gush out of the clouds and the curtains come down. It was indeed an experience, an esoterically refreshing one.