Monsoon is here and Mumbai looks it’s prettiest in the rains .One of the reasons for it is that all the dirt and filth is washed away through the drains which are not cleaned all around the year the way they are supposed to be.
Mumbai looks cleaner and greener. We inhale the smell of wet soil and while travelling, the eyes take in the beauty of the flaming red gulmohar trees, the yellow marigold flowers, and the pink and purple gladiolas, in full bloom.
Rains bring happiness, songs are picturized with beautiful heroines in chiffon sarees portraying sensuality with lustrous wet locks being wooed by handsome heroes and children are seen playing and stomping feet in the water. Madhuri Dixit has already tweeted how she loves rains and remembers “Chak Dhum Dhum’ song from the film ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ which was shot in the rains.
However, there is one sight that will stay and one ghazal that will remain evergreen and hummed forever. Children make paper boats and release them in these waters while the seniors sing ‘bhale cheen lo tum meri jawani,magar lauta do woh bachpan, woh kagaz kii Kashti ,woh baarish ka paani!!”sung by Jagit Singh.
Abundant rains prove to be counterproductive for crops. Let’s hope for a good monsoon which is beneficial for crops as it will help the rural economy and curb farmer suicides. Rain Forests which are called the ‘Jewels of the Earth’ give us more oxygen, the green canopy of leaves we see all around makes you want to go on long drives with friends. May be you can drive down to Lonavala via the Mumbai Express Highway and stop a while on the ghats, to see some magnificent waterfalls flowing on the hills. The foliage seems thicker inviting more birds from far to come, perch and create some kind of flutter in the hearts while we sing “Rain on.”
This is also the time we can flaunt our styles by wearing long floral or printed skirts- in case you have to wade through the water then they are more manageable than jeans- bright colours like lime greens, dark greens, maroons, coffee browns, oranges, Hawaiian print shirts with slim skirts, and carry your lovely umbrellas. Be careful about your expensive bags and shoes however unless you are travelling in the car. Check out those stores that import goods from Bangkok and you will find some very pretty rainy designer wear in shoes and bags. Raincoat and shoes available in Neon colours really do stand out.
Another thing to be careful about during the rains are the clothes in your closets and stuff you have stored in your suitcases. Pick up silica gel cachets, available at any chemist shop and place them in all corners and between your clothes. It will help you to prevent the formation of fungus due to dampness.
On the flip side trains could be delayed, waterlogging will happen because cause water is not discharged properly from the drains. However, these incidents should not spoil the brighter side of our lives and let us enjoy this monsoon and sing rain duets.
Allka V Aswani
