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| Photography by Purnesh Bhattacharya |
July 02-2020/ Blog #1
It is not my nature
to complain against
Mother Nature.
Turning a new
leaf of the calendar; stepping into the new month; breathing in a new aroma; it
is time to embark on a new journey. No, if you think, I am going to step out;
it isn’t practically possible or advisable at this moment. We have to practice
patience for the good times to make a comeback. The agents of change are
working towards it. Let’s have some faith. Let’s strengthen our belief.
July’s advent at
this moment seems a bit odd though. If you’re in Mumbai right now, you should
be knowing that July is one of those months when the clouds are in good mood. But
this time, the clouds seem to have proceeded on an undeclared holiday. The
skies are clean. This morning, we did see some clouds hovering around. But like
a misled fleet of birds, they left almost immediately. The atmosphere somehow
continued being fragrant. This fragrance seemed to have traveled our way from
a distant place.
At this juncture,
I would like to say, I had really wanted to begin writing this piece by seeking
your attention and mentioning Greetings
of July. We can still wish the same to each other; isn’t it? Greetings of July. Why should we leave
the month feeling discriminated just because the first signs of a healthy
monsoon are fading out fast! Let’s leave it to Mother Nature. She might have
her own plans to organize the entry and exit of clouds. I hope when the clouds
come next, they take a pause for some while. They can simply spend quality time
with the skies, which spread over our city.
Our city comes
alive in rains; I have been witnessing this phenomenon for the last four
decades. Wouldn’t you like to see it come alive yet again? In fact, few days
back when a storm had developed on the western coast, I had pulled out an
umbrella. I had also sought the assistance of a friend to cover certain parts
of our home’s exteriors with the blue colored plastic sheets. Our only goal was
to protect those certain parts from leaking.
Speaking about
leakage, mom and I sat discussing those days of our lives, we spent in heavily
leaking homes. We would not dread the monsoons; but, we would certainly dread
the repercussions of rains. You may also laugh at me, while I confess that I
still see those homes in my dreams. Even in dreams, I see them leak, a lot more
profusely. The leakage was rampant during this particular month of heavy
downpours; the month of July. Now, here’s this July. We are waking up to
sunshine every morning; bright and happy sunshine. Am I complaining against the
sunshine? No, it is not my nature to complain against Mother Nature. I am just
wondering, if we are missing the rains or the rains have given our city a miss.
This prolonged phase of cloudless skies and rain-less surroundings leaves the
heart wrenched. Since we are still inside our homes; just imagine staring out
of the window to catch a glimpse of the rains and its unmistakable melody.
The month of July
as we have known it throughout our lives has always packed a surprise. Maybe
the July of 2020 too has some surprises in store for us. So, as I reach the
last part of this post, I am staring out of the window. Our gallery is looking
brighter; not because of the sunshine alone! The picturesque bloom of fresh
marigolds has changed the otherwise somber mood. Just like the marigolds keep
coming back to make us smile; this month of July shall also return to its full
bloom. The clouds would return; so would the rains. Till then, let’s celebrate
July and be happy about turning another leaf of our lives.
- Virtuous
Vociferous | What If | 2020
