The Rains Are Here!

The rains are here again. It's time to unfold/buy new umbrellas, raincoats/wind cheaters, bring out the musty old longer-version brolly (if you prefer that accessory), or, hibernate in bed with a cup of hot coffee or cocoa, whatever. This year the rain is here with a vengeance. It is beating a sedate drumroll on my windowpane today. Oh, those were the days I used to play in the water while on the way to school in the suburb of Chembur. Several things are undone in my personal and professional life. Life didn't take the course I assumed it would. It caught me with a jab into my solar plexus, and it really, really hurts. I take a vow to keep my cool this rain, as I do every year. Bombay is hell on earth during rains. Now, don't give me that bull about "Barson re megha" and all that. 

Here are my favourite complaints about the rain. This is by no means exhaustive and is subject to your ad libbing, dear reader.

Trains

When it rains, trains go to for a hike. Yesterday I spent around four hours in the train, and today, it was worse. Guess railways weren't meant to keep up with this sudden shower from the heavens. Oh! time tables are for fools. We can always explain that a cable broke or a rail got fractured.

Sweepers

Sweeper take a break from their busy schedule (which is to say they do even less than they used to do before, which was nothing). They have a few pegs of the local brew and go into hibernation when the frogs come out of hibernation, methinks. What else explains the mountains of garbage everywhere, the plastic, the paper, the fruit peels, the waste, waste, waste....

Cops

Cops also go on vacation to nearby hill stations I guess. What else explains the hawkers who have besieged the underpass at V.T.? They are not to be seen anywhere.

Rickshaws

As with cops, with rickshaw drivers too. It's their favorite time of the year. You pay a hefty fine with the fare or, "Jaon rasta pakdo. Nahin jayega kidhar. Hamari marzi."

More to come....