The arrival of the monsoon rains

Back home in India, the monsoon rains have arrived with a bang and flourish. Sheets of rain come down and soak into the parched earth releasing a heady aroma, awakening a symphonic chorus from the birds and giving respite from the scorching heat of the summer sun. Mangoes and jamuns spill onto the roads in gay abandon in every streetside market. The heart rejoices and hums a joyful tune, threatening to be overwhelmed with the intensity of emotion. Rush hour is more of a challenge, pedestrians stand like drenched crows in meagre bus shelters and under torn awnings of shops lining the street but there is a shared relief that the unrelenting heat of summer has been doused by the monsoon rains. The heart has songs to share...