Waiting for the Rains….

It’s almost mid June still there is no sign of the rains. Usually in Mumbai it starts raining from around the 10th of June. The weather people keep on extending the date of the first showers week after week. They say the rains are delayed due to the cyclone Aila. Sometimes I feel weather prediction is quite similar to fortune telling sometimes you hit and sometimes u miss.. 
Even though I don’t like the rains so much as I am a outdoor type of a person and don’t like to sit at home much, I look forward to the monsoons. It comes as a welcome relief after the hot summers. Also many beautiful things happen during the monsoon period.
With the advent of the monsoons the Gulmohar tree starts flowering, it looks so beautiful with the orange flowers in full bloom. Then when the first drops of the rain fall the sweet fragrance which emanates from the earth is simply awesome…I don’t have words to describe that. I am sure many of you will need no description of that feeling. I always love to take a deep breath when this scent’s on, its as if I to wish to bottle it up inside my lungs. Then there is the garam chai and pakoda which tastes better during the rains. Also we can’t forget the butta(corn) during the rains even they taste awesome. How peaceful it is to sit with a cup of tea or coffee and watch the rains and listen to the rhythmic sound of the falling raindrops. I can still remember when we were kids how we used to go and play in the rain, it used to be so much fun.
The surroundings which become barren during the summer once again come to life with new plants coming to life. It’s as if a green carpet is being laid on the surface of the earth. I remember the bus journeys from Mumbai to Pune during my studying days during the rainy season climate used to be so pleasant and all the hills looked so beautiful. I used to feel during the summer the hills were similar to a bald man, but once the rains come it regains its hair i.e green cover. The hill tops would be covered in clouds and sometimes also the roads, it all looks so good. Then there are numerous waterfalls which come on the way which are truly a wonderful sight to behold. I will be missing those bus journeys now that I am back in Mumbai.
Another thing I like about the monsoon is the lightening specially the ones that occur during the night. They just turn the night into day for few seconds. I love the different patterns they from. Some day I wish to photograph them.
I wish I could write a poem about the beauty of rains, but this is the best I can do…..and hope it starts raining soon…

PS: I seem to have written this blog very crudely please bear with me….