“9 meters per second.
That’s how quickly the memories fell, torrentially, throughout the morning. I lay drenched between the folds of a blanket, shielding a hint of sunlight, deep within my ribs.”
Rain turns most of us into poets. It warms up deep corners in our chest, as we drink through our eyes and taste the flavor of the earth. Memories of yester-years swirl in our mind along with the aroma of ginger tea and deep-fried fritters. Outside my window, I watch drizzle turn into a heavy downpour. As the water starts collecting in the backyard, I am glad that I don’t have to turn the sprinkler on for a few days.
But I wonder if my mom shares such fond memories. Does it remind her of a village swallowed by flood or the ravenous river that burps out remnants of thatched roofs the morning after? What does rain mean to someone who had washed utensils sitting on top of a table as the water flowed underneath them, through the living room? Does it bring back the smell of mud-plastered bamboo walls as she builds her home year after year?
“Assam floods” is breaking news yet again. I watch houses, bridges, and livestock wash away in blurry videos. The soil erosion has threatened the existence of Majuli, the largest river water island of India. My Dad hails from Majuli. He studied in a school which is currently located in the deep depths of Brahmaputra. This cultural nerve center is reducing day by day as we helplessly watch its slow extinction.
Maybe that is a reason why I have never seen her sitting by the window, enjoying a light drizzle as most Millenials do. Never heard her cherish fond memories of the rain. Instead, she would be in the kitchen, brewing red tea and frying onion pakodas for the netizens busy writing prose for their 24-hour story.
I love the sound of raindrops falling on the window sill. There’s a rhythm to it, almost soothing as if consoling your heart, just in case it opened doors to places you closed years ago.
Photography: All photos were taken in my backyard through Oppo R9 Plus
I received this tag from Suha Vijay at https://shravmusings.com/. It’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Suzy at https://suzysomedaysomewhere.blogspot.com/. There are 47 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 2, 3, 4 August. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be surprised!
Linking to Wordless Wednesday, All Season
Your dad is from Majuli? Wow! I loved that little island. Reading this post, I could imagine what your mum goes through when it pours. Assam floods give me jitters too even when I have only read about them.
Watching rains is good only when one is safe. This was a beautiful piece, Raji! You made your words matter. Thank you for joining!
P.S. reading you via phone. My laptop keeps blocking your blog 😦
What a poignant thought. Though we love the idea of rain, nature can be at once giving and destructive.
Such a brilliant writer you are! Beautifully done. I’m one of the “oddballs” that loves the rain. Something about it to me calms the soul and inspires creativity. But it was so touching to read of what your mom endured and how her perception is entirely different.
Thanks for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading ♥
Beautiful rain drops! Water can be beautiful like here, and the waterfalls I visited a few weeks ago in Yosemite Nat. Park, but can also be so forceful and barrel through everything, and devastate whole villages., like you say. Many thanks for sharing the beauty of rain with All Seasons, and have an adventurous week:)
Like it’s said that excess of everything is bad. Incessant rains make the poet’s heart weep.
Loved the images.
I love rain but heavy down pour causing devastation hurts lot. Loved your photos, fantastic clicks.
I love sitting and watching the drizzle. 🙂 Or hearing it too. It’s beautiful to hear it pitter patter onto a tin roof.
That last line sums up “rain” for me too. I can’t imagine the dread the flood victims feel each time it rains. It’s not a memory that anyone would want to live with.
I can only imagine what your mom must be going through. It is not easy to forget some painful memories especially when reminders pour down.
As much as one appreciates rain, there needs to be a moderation in everything.
Love your pictures, the detailing is so good 🙂
Besides learning a new word today, I also got to see the extreme sides of the rains. We can feel all romantic watching it rain from inside the house, hate it when we are out on the roads battling the traffic and then there is the extreme to learn about or experience flooding. It is sad to know about your Dad’s native disappearing under the water and your mum’s village getting flooded.
This year it has been raining heavily in various places of the UK time and again bringing flash floods. The low-lying parts of my own city have seen flooding. Thankfully, I live on a hill and have been spared.
So glad you decided to write about this side of rains! I saw it first hand when in Kerala last year and I know how terrible it is. Hugs, Raj ❤
Thanks for participating in the bloghop. Hope you had fun!
It must be heartbreaking for you all to watch the devastation. I feel for your Mom, it’s so hard to recover from traumatic experiences like hers. As someone said, the rain is lovely to watch from the warm confines of your home.
Sorry to hear how your dad’s place is disappearing!! Yes, when we know that very clearly, all we want to do is close windows and screens and pretend as though its not raining! Your pictures are really beautiful
Sorry to hear about your dad’s place and how it is slowly vanishing. Rains while beautiful when you are at home can wreak havoc. And in India, even more messy with overflowing drains, all kinds of diseases and the worst of it all — floods. I can completely understand what your mum feels. My heart goes out to everyone in Assam, seeing the pictures of the flood. Last year it was Kerala and Coorg.
Being a pluviophile is all very nice and romantic if you are not out there battling against the elements.The struggles of people in Mumbai and NE during the harsh monsoons is not an easy one. We have to be thankful if we have the luxury of calling ourselves pluviophiles!
Loved this photographic post. All the greens clicked by you are refreshing.
Your writing is lovely and poetic beginning stole my heart.
It’s sad to see old memories dying. I can understand why your mom don’t like rains similar is with my mom who had experienced and suffered a lot in the flooded house back in 1978 in Delhi floods.
Stay safe dear in rains.
I had to google pluviophile. You taught me a new word today. But you make a poignant point, while we enjoy the rain sitting from the comforts of our homes, there are places where rain wrecks havoc. It pains me to say that even the response to such natural disaster is so selective in our country. I still haven’t seen a corporate email to contribute for the Assam floods but I digress. You did some magic there with your words, Raj.
The greenery.. the smell of the rain and wet mud, if these sights are what asre outside a window, life is indeed blissful 🙂 And your pics speak volumes. They are WOW!!!
I have experienced the havoc caused by Mumbai rains from close quarters, so I can relate to the feelings your mother might have about rains. I now love watching rains from the comfort of my home only and hate venturing out! Loved your pictures from your backyard!
We are privileged to enjoy rain with a roof, full meal and more luxury. My grandparents and uncles living in village are worried when there is less rainfall leading drought or when it rains heavily flooding rivers washing out our paddy fields. I could relate your mother’s worry.
Your pictures are as always, breathtaking. I can understand why your mom doesn’t appreciate the rain as much – it probably brings sad, terrifying memories.
My mom loves nature… the flowers, gardens, rains… there are a lot of memories for both parents associated with these rains.
Hope your loved ones are safe during the floods…
Godyears.net
Loved your refreshing photographs and can really understand your parents indifference and probably fear of the rain
We never realise but it is such a contrasting idea you presented today. We might me enjoying a slight drizzle here but on the other end people might be deprived of living. 😦
I gazed at that first pic for a very long time and wondered where you got it from – WOW!!! you clicked it! Thats an awesome shot of the clover which I have never seen in this colour. Good going gurl!
The two POV of the rains in this post is heart warming Raji – hugs for the chaos happening in your home state. I hope your family there is all well and safe.
Our greed for natural resources has led to nature raging out on us now. We are still not learning or doing anything to stop this. Sad but true.
Loved the poem on the top – beautiful imagery in it!!
I am not a fan of the rains to be honest but I know we need them. You have a way with words and your photos are lovely!
We didn’t have water running through the kitchen but my mother made lye soap in the back yard in a large kettle.
Your post made me think, we have the privilege and the luxury to enjoy rain, sipping coffee, writing blogs, or reading,however, there are people who dreads the rain because it causes havoc in their lives. My father bought a house in a low lying area and every year it used to get waterlogged causing him trouble and he stopped enjoying the monsoon. How the same thing brings about different experiences and memories. Beautiful post. I am becoming a die-hard fan of your writing style.
I lke the rains because I know they are needed but never loved them because of their destructive nature. I can relate to your mom, I prefer to close the curtains and read a book when the rain thunders down.