Magical Monsoon and Delhi

Half way there in the challenge today.

Day 13. Letter M.

Staying in Delhi blesses you with seasons. Yes, I wrote we are blessed. Because many cities across the globe either never come out of the hot spell or are almost always under the snowing. However with global warming and environmental changes, the water compartmentalization of the seasons too around the world is getting blurred. So the summers start as early as March, monsoons go on till September-October and winters are shrinked to December-January. All said Delhi still sees all the seasons and you will always find people who have one of the seasons as their favorite and the one they hate putting up with!

So, being a true Delhiite, how could I not have my favorite?! And, given the title of the post, no prizes for guessing. I heart monsoons!

In Delhi, we are a very different lot. By the time it is June and the temperature is touching 50 degree Celsius, we pray to the One Above for rains, pray for an early monsoon. And when we see an over-clouded sky followed by a downpour, we update our Facebook status with the first rain pictures, about how the weather is so romantic that we want to go for a long drive, at that very moment all we want is a kadak masala chai with pakoras. This romance doesn’t last long though. We soon crib about the water-logging, traffic snarls at major traffic intersections, power-cuts and many other things that can possibly be blamed on the monsoon! Then, we start praying for the rains to end and winter to set in.

I agree there are problems when it rains in Delhi but the same happens in Mumbai too and Mumbaikars (atleast all those I know) love the monsoon there! My point is why to crib and sulk and blame it on the weather, when you know there is no escaping the thundering of clouds, the pitter-patter of raindrops and the water-logged roads.

All the seasons would have different emotions attached to them; monsoon is about romance and old-fashioned love. It doesn’t mean if you are single (like me) you don’t enjoy the weather. It is about feeling happy and comfortable around the familiar. The over-cast sky, unpredictable rain, the smell of earth soaked with rain, a nice song playing on radio with a coffee mug and some fried goodness in your hands, it is such a feel-good and comforting weather to be in.

 

Some pictures I took at different points of time in monsoon, almost 3 years apart:

Majestic Connaught Place on a beautiful rainy evening. View from my office situated at the 12th floor.

Rain washed India Gate.

And moi, on my birthday last year when it rained all day! Could I have asked for more?? :-)