RAINS in the Desert Land

RAINS...finally arrived early today morning after a very long time.

We had just returned home after the Christmas party and had just tucked the kids into bed when we heard the sound...the sound of rain drops on top of our AC. This sound cannot be compared to the sound of rain falling on our roofs a long way from where I was currently listening. The sound of rain falling on tiled roof ("odu") in Udaya, Tripunithura cannot be compared to rain falling on top of an AC!!.

Rain in this land can bring a lot of havoc and devastation - like what Gonu and Phet did in the recent past (cyclones that hit this land). Gonu happened a couple of years ago, while Phet happened earlier this year. Gonu was more powerful compared to Phet - but both bought a lot of destruction in this desert land.

I remember the last time I went to Kerala, I did so during the rainy season. It was about 6-7 years since I had left India and had not seen rains like I did so during my last visit.

Even when I was staying in Chennai, it did not rain as much as it did in Kerala. Rain in Chennai is always horrible - thanks to the dirty roads that Chennai has!

During my last visit to Kerala, I used to try and go out when it was raining. On one particular afternoon when it was raining really hard, my kids and I, each took an umberalla and went up to the roof of my house. We stayed out in the rain for a while and enjoyed the scene of rain pouring down from high above. My kids were running round on the terrace of the house each of them holding tightly to an umberalla. Finally, sadly, I had to come down since my kids would not stop running around in the terrace.

During my summer vacations in Udaya, there used to be instances when it used to rain. I used to sit on the door step of Udaya, watching the rain fall. Occasionally I used to go across to the ambala kulam (temple pond) just opposite to Udaya and watch the rain fall. It used to such a wonderful sight to see water falling and forming little concentric circles in the kulam.

I also used to make paper boats and let it float in the pools of water that used to form just outside the doorstep of Udaya. Sadly, most of them would sink in the torrential rain!

As a kid, I used to be scared of darkness - especially when darkness used to be accompanied by rain, thunder and lightning. I remember holding tightly onto my aunt's hand and my umbrella and chanting "Rama Rama..." while we were on way to the Statue Junction in Tripunithura (I really dont know why we were going to Statue Junction on such a night).

On a few occassions, I have been to Irinjalakuda - to my wife's house during rainy season. From the bedroom upstairs, I could look out into the backyard of the house. Lots of trees, all of them dripping water, lush green plants all around... I can never forget these scenes.

Coming to the land of the desert, these kind of joys are never found here. The only thing that we have done during the time its raining is to take our car and go for a drive with the kids. They used to be really happy and would never want to come back home.

I hope it does rain better than what it has today. At least when the weekend starts - this way I can sit on my couch at home and dream of Udaya, Tripunithura and Irinjalakuda while listening to the pitter patter of raindrops on my AC!