During my extremely short visit to Mumbai, I was happiest not only to meet my family but also be there to welcome the father of all seasons as it made its way into the city. The wet, the mushy, the slushy, the…..Rainy Season!
The monsoon in Mumbai never fails to intrigue me. They say the migration of certain birds is a harbinger of the monsoon but to an average Mumbaite, to whom the only known bird is the ever indolent crow, forget migrating, the only harbinger of the monsoons, is the sizzling, the sweltering, the stinky, the sweating summer. By the end of May, Mumbai is nearly in flames. Temperature rises, skirt hemlines rise up. Suddenly, the shakes at McDonald is out, the nimbu pani shop is in. This lemon juice street-side vendor is the cynosure of everybody’s eyes. Down come the first showers and Lo Behold! The entire landscape changes – Mumbai looks…..and smells good!
Everyone is happy. The children are happy. The frogs are happy. The earthworms are happy. The raincoat and umbrella manufacturers are happy! Suddenly, moods change. Up comes the umbrella! Everyone talks about the massive thunderstorms and lightening that precede the showers. Time for the nimbu paaniwala to pack his stalls and here comes the chaiwala! Fashion changes too and gumboots become the coolest footwear! The more you dress down, the smarter you are!
It is also the time when the immune system of average mumbaites gives them in through keeping pace with all the flus, influenzas and hepatitis. Not to mention one of the terrifying days like the July 26 ('05) rains that have left nightmares in the minds of many a city travelers, one would be cautious of the water levels. Also, such heavy downpours undo all the efforts (if any!!) that the Government has put in to fix the city roads. The cycle of road repairs and reconstruction is thus a permanent event post-monsoons.
I remember during my college days when train journeys during this season would be most fascinating (clubbed with some yukky feelings too!!). Standing by the doors taking on the face, drizzles of the showers with the wind and not to forget, that suddenly, the lady in the train is most willing to 'sweetly' offer the window seat. Several 'harbor line' travelers would complain of all the fish vendors that increase in numbers thus creating a mess in the compartments.
It is also THE time for romance. There is a sudden surge of estrogens and testosterone everywhere. It becomes a ritual for the young and old (at age and heart both!) to visit Lonavala! However, my personal favourite in this weather is to go to Goa where the deadly combination of the beach and the rain can be breathtaking or maybe even trek up the hills of Sahayadari - Matheran or Bhandardara. It is also the time when Mumbai exhibits the feeling of oneness. People share everything – their umbrellas, their miseries of waddling through the gutters, the rickshaw fares back home, thyphoid!
I cherish the monsoons of Mumbai and simply the bestest place to be inspite of all its heart-rendering idiocities.
