Sunday, May 3, 2009

The charm of an old old city shines again!

And as the Gods turned their attention towards Calcutta, they saw that the people had sufferred enough. Their suffering now outwieghed their crimes. They looked down at the people and smiled.

Thick dark brown clouds covered the sky as the light dimmed. Mid-afternoon seemed like dusk and fierce winds blew across the earth through the city blowing away all the dirt and dust. It was as if in one move the Gods had sweeped the city getting rid of all the dry dust and dirt. And then came the showers. The colour of the clouds changed from brown to grey, light and dark and it started to rain. Water fell from the heavens cooling the environment. The parched earth's thirst was quenched as it drank up the nector from the heavens. The loose dust in the air came down with the water and settled on the ground getting washed away in the tiny rivers of flowing water formed by the falling rain.

The locals ran on the streets shouting and screaming celebrating the arrival of the rains. Celebrating a break from the scorching desert like heat which had plagued this city for the past 3 months. As the cool water drenched the earth and washed it clean the whole look and feel of the city changed. People walked out into the street in the middle of the day, unafraid, carefree and with a spring in their step. A smile now appeared on everybody's face.

It rained for approximately 15-20 minutes. I write this as I sit in my verandah and feel the cool breeze hit my face as i hear the low rumbings of thunder now and then. I take a deep breath and smile wide smelling and tasting fresh, cool air. Everything suddenly seems more alive. The air is cleaner, the light seems brighter, the colours deeper and more colourful.

Kalbaisakhi has arrived With a quiet storm, a storm without warning. There was no thunder, there was no lightning. One minute it was blazing hot and in the other the rains brought cold wind. The beauty of the city shines when it rains. People stepping onto the roads enjoying a brak from the heat. Children running helter-skelter and jumping and splashing into the tiny pools of water formed on the roads by the rain and i fall in love with this city once again and Calcutta with all its faults is now able to compete with all the other top cities of the world!

-> SJ