About half a decade back when we shifted to Maximum City…Hold on… that sounds quite ancient, though it actually means just 5 years. And I believe, by saying so, it puts me in fossil category as well, as I am referring to the past tense rather than present or future. Isn’t that the mark of attaining the full crown of grays on the top and displaying many a medallions of glorious memory in heart?
Whatever…
Let me come back on track from my derailed train of thoughts, before you leave my post and catch up with the rain and rainbow at another post in the #WordsMatter blog hop!
When we shifted our base to Mumbai one of the things that I was warned of in the sea of many other cautious warnings, was that of rains. I was told that I would learn the phrase “its raining cats and dogs”, first hand. Rain in Mumbai, it turned out, is an experience to live for. And I am proud that I am now the author of “My theory of Empiricism, when it rains”. Sharing its postulates and random outcomes of this yet not published but self proclaimed theory with you here…
When it rains, invariably my house has “House full” board as the Education Minister declarers the holiday for the schools and colleges and corporate offices urge their erstwhile workforce to work from home. I then have a mixed bag of emotions…joy of having the family together on a week day at the cost of my precious sanity which I enjoy when the house is solely mine to claim sans all other members.
When it rains, the chimney in the kitchen clocks in extra work hours and is directly proportional to depleting stock of chickpea (Besan) flour. Onions, potatoes and green chilies share the same fate along with the scene that they are seen floating in the hot oil more often. This all is due to rising demand of “Pakoras” aka fritters! Surprisingly the rate of consumption of Pakoras always outpaces the rate of production. The result always is happy consumers as well as the manufacturer!
When it rains, the pages from the rough book of my daughter and some from the old news paper go missing. She turns the living room into the ship building dock and soon all the pages turn into boats which later float in the puddles around. I plead guilty on this count, as I am the main conspirator to instigate the young mind. Result- boisterous claps, giggles and laughter!
When it rains, my heart beat skips and starts running helter-skelter. Needless to say it is out of sync with pit pit patter of the raindrops outside. The root cause of this side effect is morbid fear that house help may not show up leaving me in the proverbial avatar of “Cinder-Ella“.
When it rains, the wet clothes hit the headlines in my mind as they end up claiming the most expensive FSI of the house for the season…aka clothes line. I wonder as to why do we wear so many clothes in just one day? Answer to this postulate is yet to occur to me. In case you have any clues, do share with me in the comments. Will give you due credit in my thesis!
When it rains, already busy streets of market witness ‘the umbrella attack’. The colorful umbrellas descend on the streets. The street turns a busy port where umbrellas of different size and shape throng. Some bobbing, some gliding they are a pretty sight to hold unless… you are one among them. You will need special maneuvering skills to negotiate the road with one hand holding umbrella, other bags full of vegetables and fruits. If one is not apt in this skill, its most likely that one would lock horns with other umbrellas!
To sum up I must say, when it rains, it rains postulates of “rain soaked knowledge” in the Maximum City Mumbai! The spirit is always upbeat though!
20 Comments
Esha · September 7, 2019 at 11:19 am
Haha…You have a great sense of humour, Anagha! I’m reminded of how my Mumbai friends always talk of the rains causing havoc there and I know exactly what you mean. In some ways, these forced moments spent with the family munching on fritters and savouries have their special charm too! Hai na?
Menaka Bharathi · September 7, 2019 at 11:40 am
Such a lovely read, of course the clothes that pile up is such a worry during rainy season. I would have them dried in one room after another trying to keep them out of sight from visitors yet failing miserably because my children would have instructed otherwise. And the umbrellas – yes! In our place the rains usually paired up with winds too – so you can see people holding on to their upturned umbrellas, funny when I think of it now.
And Thanks for passing on the baton to me Anaga!
Unishta · September 7, 2019 at 2:21 pm
Trust the scientist in you to come up with a Theory on rains in Mumbai. Honestly, anyone who goes through a rainy season in Mumbai deserves a doctorate in endurance and fortitude. Loved the hint of humour in your post! Keep smiling Anagha, it is wet in Paris too!
Shalzzz · September 7, 2019 at 7:06 pm
Oh my my! This brought back so many memories, Anagha. I can imagine the hustle and bustle in your home during rains now 🙂 Thanks for participating in the Words Matter blog hop. Hope you have fun 🙂
Vinitha · September 8, 2019 at 1:18 am
What a great read, Anagha! You got a fabulous sense of humor. It’s true about how the rate of production of pakodas is inversely proportional to the disappearance of them. I remember the umbrella fights during the rainy season in Kerala. All fun! 🙂
Holly Jahangiri · September 8, 2019 at 6:17 am
I can’t remember the last time I used an umbrella! Seems so futile; here, when it rains, it comes in sideways and lashes you with wind. Which way would you hold the umbrella, then? I just run and pray I’m not wearing something that becomes see-through when wet. If Houston schools and businesses shut down when it rained heavily, we’d get nothing done. Snow and ice, on the other hand, you’d think frost terrified us.
Vinay Leo R. · September 8, 2019 at 7:52 am
Never been to Maximum City, though you painted a picture of it through your words. 🙂 Loved it.
Obsessivemom · September 8, 2019 at 11:27 am
You got it all down – the good, the bad, the fun, the fear – all that comes with rain. The maid not turning up is my absolute dread. This year we had four rainy-day holidays and I was glad to have the children home but then we had four working Saturdays in a row. That was the most painful thing to endure – a whole month of truncated weekends.
Shubhra Rastogi · September 8, 2019 at 11:37 pm
I loved your post and had a smile throughout while reading it. I stay in Pune and here also the same scene takes place like in the Maximum city.#WordsMatter
the bespectacled mother · September 9, 2019 at 3:28 pm
This was super fun to read. The opening line of the post caught me thinking oh it is just 5 years that is being talked about and there you were in the next line successfully having read your reader’s mind throwing in the humour. Loved that bit of ‘House full’ board and the kitchen chimney working round the clock. Not to forget the forever dampness of clothes which is not a thing to be happy about certainly.
shravmusings · September 9, 2019 at 4:56 pm
Coming back to your blog after a while and infact your sense of humor has really improved Anagha from my last read of your posts. Keep it up
Rajlakshmi · September 9, 2019 at 6:05 pm
I love how lively your household becomes when it rains. The living room must be quite a sight. And the smell of pakodas filling the house. I sometimes have to dry my clothes using hair dryer. 😛
Keerthi Vydyula · September 10, 2019 at 9:57 pm
The name maximum city is going to stick with me forever and so the ingenious thesis 😛 I had Maximum fun reading this humorous piece 😀
Jyotirmoy Sarkar · September 11, 2019 at 9:59 pm
Such a beautiful description of the effects of rains excluding any “watery” effect, almost one decade ago i used to think that “Pakoda” during rain is famous only among Bengalis but with time (Specially after starting blogging) i used to be surprised to know that “Pakoda” is most preferred in other states also during rain.
Loved this post a lot.
Sunita Saldhana · September 20, 2019 at 1:12 pm
I think all our homes are like that in the rains. That reminds me, I have to go and make some more pakodas!
arv! · September 25, 2019 at 4:06 pm
True rain is a celebration. Celebration of hope and good times about to enrol with oncoming festive season.
Apeksha Rao · September 26, 2019 at 1:15 pm
What a funny way to describe the effects of rain on Mumbaikars! Keep writing, Anagha!
Parul Thakur · September 26, 2019 at 1:24 pm
This was fun to read. I liked how you brought Mumbai rains in front my eyes through the varied examples. Thank you for joining Words Matter.
Corinne Rodrigues · September 26, 2019 at 8:19 pm
Seems like Moms have the hardest time when it rains between the production of pakodas and the clothes drying! But for the children rainy day holidays are the best!
Parul Thakur · September 27, 2019 at 6:18 pm
Did you get my comment, Anagha?