Of rainstorms and reflections

I love the rain. It always makes me go slightly mad. Maybe it’s because of the association with my name, maybe it’s because I’ve always lived in Tamil Nadu where there’s never been enough water to suit anybody, or maybe it’s because it’s such a sensual thing, the rain…the cold droplets on your skin, that enticing smell of wet earth, the pearly, splashy, rumbly music the rain makes…I love the rain.




I’ve heard of April showers, and how unexpected they are, but today, I actually watched one as it sneaked stealthily up behind us on tiptoe and sprang out, screaming, “SURPRISE!!!” at the top of its voice...I was sitting in my room, sipping my coffee, when I heard the coconut tree outside swaying. It had become really windy all of a sudden, and I was thinking how nice it would be to go up to the terrace, and before the thought even finished telling me what it was, there was a flash of lightning, a rumble of thunder, and with no further ado (except a rather dramatic drum roll on the roof), down came the rain!

That reminds me of a rhyme we used to sing at school…

Incey Wincey Spider
Climbed the water spout;
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.

Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain;
Incey Wincey Spider
Climbed the spout again.

I was always rather impressed by that spider’s irrepressible endurance and its incredible tenacity of purpose. I mean, if you ever scaled a sheer vertical surface about five hundred feet high (that’s how high it must be to the spider, relatively speaking, don’t you think?) and were washed down in a sudden avalanche of water, broken tiling and dried leaves, you’d give up in a huff.

But trying again does have its merits; sure, you have to work your way up all over again, right from the bottom, while all the other spiders’ve scuttled away to greener pastures (or should I say, insect-infested-er corners), the entire arachnid family tells you you’re wasting your time, and even the tiny mites who fall over their own four left feet all the time laugh at you for being such a fool…but in the end, I must say, the view from the top is worth it. College, here I come!