Romance of the Rain

Who doesn’t love the rain? Who doesn’t want rain drops to fall on her/his head? Why are the rain gods crying? Are they tears of joy or tears of sorrow? How come the rain gods are unfair and don’t send rains to our farmers? Of course, they do expose shoddy jobs undertaken by government contractors. Thanks to the rain gods there are more cuddles and hugs. Real ones ( I am sorry for the ones who believe in social media hugs. Please get a life as fast as possible ). Even Pandas and Teddy Bears of little kids receive more affection during rains. How about a universal day for cuddles during rainy times ? It is a human right after all! Books, scrabble boards, snakes and ladders, card packs, chess boards, monopoly come out during rainy times. Once again it’s for the real people of this world and not for the ones living in a virtual world far faraway. Sorry, folks!

Colourful umbrellas of tiny tots, fashionable ladies parasols and golf umbrellas make vibrant dots on the streets. Little Sri Lankan Eskimos walk about in their rain coats from and to school. Cobblers and umbrella repairmen have more work these days. Rain brightens up their lives.

Bus shelters are damaged. People run inside shops to escape from the rain. Cars, SUVs, busses and tuk-tuks don’t slow down. They splatter mud on white uniforms of school children and speed away. But, the children with good hearts enjoy those inconsiderate acts. Parents worry. Lipstick and make up gets washed away. Men and women with hair dyes becomes cautious. Rain gods don’t allow any cover ups and make shift operations.

How many of you have danced in the rain? I have done so and loving doing it.

Hindi films are incomplete without the main actress dancing in the rain. Ok. We all know the Hindi rain is artificial. Cunning directors are more interested in showing the curves rather than the rain. But, I go for the rain anytime even though it’s artificial.

I know of several people who danced in the rain. One girl from the Mountains once danced in the rain. She was all alone at home and thought nobody was watching her. But, to her utter surprise she saw a squirrel, a parrot and her two dogs watch her dance. They all had come to her verandah to escape from the rains in the hills. She told me how surprised she was by the look of the animals and the parrot. She sure had a wonderful audience. I won’t be surprised if the squirrel later danced in the rain. There is also music in the rain drops. I saw rain dance pictures of an Indian actress friend I interviewed recently. She said it was in Mumbai and it was roof top dancing captured by her domestic aide. Beautiful!

People have written so many stories and songs about the rains. One of my favourites is ‘Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain’ sung and made more famous by Jason Donavon. These days, I hear the radio stations playing that song more often. Madonna joins with her rain song. For once she looks ladylike. May be the wind shares a secret romance with the rains. I loved the rain as a child and continue to love it even as an adult. Nothing has changed in my life. I can easily walk in the rain or run to my vehicle in the rain while others wait for hours until the rains go away. I have seen the surprise look of people when I turned down the offer of umbrellas while running to my vehicle. I have told many of my friends and strangers, “Just go home and have a shower. Rain drops or rain wouldn’t make you disappear. Don’t forget to have a cup of ginger coffee or ginger tea after your shower”

Flowers bloom. Rains spread green all over. I have to remove more weeds. Rainy ideas come to my watery mind. To join the Green Movement and march with nature. To sing and fly with butterflies and bees and to walk beside an Amal Biso or a Modern Day Mona Lisa.

Helen Steiner Rice’s ‘The Legend of the Raindrop’ says it all.

The legend of the rain drop

Has a lesson for us all

As it trembled in the heavens…

Questioning whether it should fall

For the glistening raindrops argued

To the genie of the sky,

“I am beautiful and lovely

As I sparkle here on high

And hanging here I will

Become part of the rainbows hue

And I will shimmer like a diamond for all the world to view”

But, the genie told the raindrop

” Do not hesitate to go

For you will be more beautiful

If you fall to earth below

For you will sink to the soil

And be lost a while from sight

But, when you reappear on earth

You’ll be looked with delight

For you will be the raindrop that quenched the thirsty ground

And helped the lovely flowers to blossom around

And in your resurrection you’ll appear in queenly clothes

With the beauty of the lily and fragrance of the rose

Then when you wilt and wither you’ll become part of the earth

And make the soil more fertile and give new flowers birth

I am madly in love with rain.