Kolkata Rain

Heavy rains since yesterday. There is a feeling of wetness, even though one is dry. This constant, incessant downpour with intermittent periods of relief sets your mind to a different rhythm. Going out is not very easy- the umbrella becomes an extension of your hand, and coming back home is not easy too. You can't think of sinking into a chair till you have thoroughly washed your rain soaked feet off all the muck that stuck on to you from the wet world outside. And once you are done with it all, you sit and relish the sound of the rain- pitter, patter, pitter, patter- that rhythmic fall, soaking up the earth- and together with the wind- making the plants and trees dance with joy. Joy is the word that comes to mind when you watch the rain from inside a moving vehicle, the brightly lit up night world reflected in the big and small poodles of water on the road, and when you watch the drizzle from the window in your home, and look at the drops of water cling on to the window pane; and the joy that you feel when you wake up next morning to find the window pane dotted with rain drops from a rain that stopped long ago. Kolkata rain- even when it stops, it stays with you.