Its 5:30 in the evening and by the look of the sky it seems it s going to rain crazily. It’s been my second stay in Bangalore and the weather here never fails to mesmerize me by its charm. Every evening, the small droplets shower on the earth, soaking them in, giving out a heavenly fragrance which is more fulfilling than any known sensation of pleasure.
So I stand in the balcony, sipping hot coffee, taking in the beauty of the serene beauty around me, feeling the joy of every leaf as it baths in the water from heavens, listening to the music of joyous grass when it hungrily gulps the rain.
I can smell green, I can smell damp and I can smell the infinitely sweet soil and the flowers swinging with rain.
They say idleness is the biggest crime, but I totally enjoy committing it today, the weather and the surroundings being the perfect ingredients and adding to the setup.
I chat a bit, gossip a bit, and catch up with long lost friends on phone. All the while this moist fragrance of water lingers around me, compels me to take a walk and to bruise the soaked soil under my feet.
So I take my umbrella, and slowly climb down the stairs, my footsteps drowned in the thundering noise outside. It is around 10 at night, the empty damp road seems darker in the streetlamp. It is parallel to the main road and is mainly residential, canopied with flowering trees, creepers and bushes, which make it look murkier in the dark. The downpour has changed into a sporadic drizzling.
I try to avoid the puddles which flash here and there in rare patches of light and take a sigh of relief, successfully avoiding stepping into one, when suddenly a hairy stray dog comes and shakes off the water on me. By the time I shirk it away, a car splashes into the same puddle and a fraction later I am covered with muddy water. And I really don’t mind. For once, I want to be a part of this magic.
I try to avoid the puddles which flash here and there in rare patches of light and take a sigh of relief, successfully avoiding stepping into one, when suddenly a hairy stray dog comes and shakes off the water on me. By the time I shirk it away, a car splashes into the same puddle and a fraction later I am covered with muddy water. And I really don’t mind. For once, I want to be a part of this magic.
The scents are getting headier now; I start to find its source. At a distance I see a tree drowning under the weight of its lovely white curious looking flowers. I don’t know which flower it is. Never seen it before. It emanates a fragrance so heavy that my head starts spinning. It’s intensely sweet, as if passionately expressing its love for the rains. Suddenly I see a lightening, and then it merges with a sound of thunder. I quicken and retrace my steps, hurrying towards the house. But the rains come down as if the skies have exploded .I can taste the rain on my lips, slowly gulping the water while struggling to make my way back. Looks like it will rain all night.
There is a strange chucking sound in my window. I have been hearing it since last 3-4 days, especially at night after 11. I curiously yet cautiously flash torch on the wire mesh and find a small lump of hay and dried grass. On closer inspection I find a small fur ball in it. Suddenly there is a swift motion and the furry ball runs away. It has a bushy tail. All the while I thought it was a bird. But it is a baby squirrel apparently abandoned by its mother. What can be done for it will be decided tomorrow morning. Its time for a steaming cup of caramel bournvita and a deep long sleep.
What a date it has been, with the rain and the nature at its best. One doesn’t have to go out searching for the proximity with nature. It is very much there. Just find out some time.
Oh my God, this stupid but poor lonely squirrel is making weird sounds now and then and scaring the hell out of me. Somethings to be done tomorrow....
