Image Source: Nature's Path

The pitter-patter sound hits my ear canal and 10 years old me smiles knowing the rain has come. Draping a blanket around myself I watch the raindrops fall on my windowpane. I drift my eyes around to see what my parents are doing, and sneakily search for my raincoat. With paper boats on both of my hands, I step out to meet the rain. While my parents frowned at the sight of the water puddles that had accumulated in our front yard, I smiled. With no hesitation, I jumped and splashed water all around soaking the ends of my trousers ignoring the calls of my mother that I would get sick, which I eventually did. But the paper boats didn’t sail, they crumbled down in contact with the rain and as I grew so did my fondness for rain.

When it rained heavily the streets that lead us to school would always be flooding with water some days even rising up to my knees. Cursing the poor drainage management all the passerby would roll their clothes or take off their shoes and socks. I remember someone even falling inside the manhole since it was submerged in water and I am no exception. Reaching school on a rainy day felt like an adventure, obviously not a good one. One monsoon morning I was on my way to school. Thankfully it had stopped raining but the roads were filled with mud puddles. I was just minutes away from reaching my school gate when a school bus came roaring down and passed by me. Yes, I know what you’re thinking and you’re correct. I was covered from head to toe with mud water. Standing there dumbfounded I was on the verge of tears. My mind told me to run back home but my body wouldn’t move. It felt as if everyone around had their eyes on me and were laughing. Oh how much I hated the rain. A very kind teacher found me on the way and took me inside the school. I changed into one of the hosteler uniforms and was bumped the entire day.

Ever since then I’ve found myself detesting the rain. I’ve fallen down multiple times, my entire exercise books have been wet, jumbling out all the inked words, canceled outings all because of rain. Somedays the sound of raindrops does help me fall asleep but in dreams I find myself walking the flooded path, my lower body completely numb from the coldness of rain. Well, I can’t stay angry with the rain for eternity too. Someday I need to make amends with it. Dancing in the rain sure does sound wonderful but the consequences of it also do make my skin twitch with irritation. Sometimes I wonder what the childhood me would think if she saw how my love for rain was fading. But honestly, after hearing my story I am sure she would cut some slack off. I hope for one day the child in me once again gets to view the rain as it used to in the past days and write its love-hate relationship with the monsoon rain.