November Rain...

It's that time of the year here in US when the Christmas spirit is yet to be magical and the thanksgiving spirit is responsible for making your days all warm and fuzzy. The beautiful colors of fall have all dried up and the snow yet to come. So what remains... November rain!!
Rains in Mumbai and US are way too different from each other. In Mumbai, the rain is warm and the wind is cool, in US the rain is cold and the wind even more colder. Somehow the sweet smell that drifts up when cool water drops fall on the dried up ground doesn't exist here or maybe its just because the windows have to be closed over here all the time that we do not realize. In Mumbai you feel like getting drenched, looking up at the sky and smiling. here its so cold when it rains I go running into my closet to search for an extra jacket that would fit snuggly under my raincoat so not a drop gets through... In Mumbai i carried an umbrella and purposely closed it up when i walked back home, got wet, and told mom that the wind was just too much for my umbrella to handle. In US my only umbrella has lost its precious button and hence the ability to open. I cursed myself a thousand times today morning when i realized i had yet not yet bought a new one to replace that. Consequences of procrastination : Stuff the laptop compartment in your bag with free newsletters to avoid your laptop from taking a shower while you run to the nearest bus-stop shelter. Use your coat to cover the bag till you realize you aren't a polar dog meant to run through temperatures this low and decide to screw what happens with the laptop and cover yourself before you realize you have a few digits missing. I never knew that all the sneakers you got back in Mumbai that advertised "how your feet could breath through your shoes yada-yada" were actually true. I feel like duct taping all those tiny vents in my shoes when the wind is too cold or its raining outside, cause believe me if there was any more ventilation than this i'd rather walk just in my socks and not wear any shoes at all.
 Rains in Mumbai would mean mom is making hot Pakoda's at home cause dad loves them. In Mumbai no matter how much it rained my 'hot cup of tea' stays hot for long enough for me to sip it with pleasure, in US i have to reheat my cup of tea at least 3 times before i can finish it and not have gobbled it down.
However in Mumbai or in US, long conversations with friends over hot coffee/tea always remain the most rocking part of your day, a good book always seems to get you out of my rainy blues and into a great mood, a mushy/funny movie is always appreciated, a hot tea/coffee cup in your hand (even if its reheated a million times) is always welcome, warm socks and that snuggly jacket is always searched for, wish to meet your loved one is always gossiped over and mom made Pakoda's are always remembered.

PS: Pic of somethings that make a cold day worthwhile..

Rainy day....

Flooded roads, traffic jams, frustrated drivers is what you can see in Mumbai when the rains begin. But if you roll down the window of you AC car you will see a different site. Cool breeze just waiting for you to roll your window down, the rain that it brings along, the street kids stomping around in potholes filled with water, the desperate attempt of a saree clad 'aunty' to save herself from the big splash that the bus going along side her rickshaw is going to make, the street lights as they look from your half rolled wet window.
When it rains it makes me want to go on long walks, to pester mom to make bhajiya or just sit with a steaming cup of hot tea on my window. And when its late at night and i am at my laptop conveniently located besides my window it makes me want to get my guitar out and forget the virtual world.
A few days back i went on my terrace and got throughly wet in the rain. I stayed there till the chill had spread to my bones and i couldnt stop shivering. The only song that played in my mind on repeat was...
Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
'cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean
by hillary duff ....
Its experiences like these that take you back to your roots. Remind you of the innocent things long forgotten. Things that we dint need reminders bout when we were kids. The most simple things in life. The rainy days, when we used to run around in our building compounds fearlessly at speeds that felt as if we were flying..Where the thrill was beyond the fear in your mom's voice telling you to slow down.The victory was more than the fear of a scrapped knee. 

For some rains are bout sorrow. For some bout romance. For me they are about freedom and about being fearless about being me again. The simple 'me' without any complications. Bout waking my dreams, feeling the thunder and coming clean. 


PS : Pic taken at a traffic light on a rainy evening with the window being half rolled down.