Rains and recollection

It seemed a perfect afternoon after a long time -  rain drenched and cloudy - brishti , shorshe ilish aar bhaat ghum, though I did skip the last one  in the end, and did my pending corrections.The garden looked good,  fresh , green - and rainwashed.

I love Kolkata in the rains...especially the tram rides in the drizzle through the  verdant maidan. Haven't done that in a long ,long time though. In college it was quite a ritual that instead of coming home from Park Circus to Ballygunj, we would take a detour via Maidan- the large stretch of greenery where boys played football, hawkers sold anything from chickpeas to pav-bhaji and lovers found their own space taking their island of refuge from a thousand peering eyes.- It was so different from the world of bricks and mortars . I would put my face out to catch the wind on my face or the raindrop and feel the gush of freedom. It was so long ago, seems another lifetime.
I remember a funny anecdote - on a trip to Sunderbans, there was this  couple who talked about how their love blossomed on the tram...She was on the footboard and he on his motorbike and their story was Zindagi ek safar as he pursued her won her heart and I sighed over  their fairytale romance. I bragged about this and told the tale  to all and sundry even to Bhaskar. Two years later I met the gentleman on another trip and when I saw him I and was so excited. I could not wait to introduce him and his wife to Bhaskar and recall the story all over again. But to my chagrin this time he was with another lady!!! I double checked their status and found out they were husband and wife ....So where did the romantic chase end ? This time I did not have the heart to listen to this love story :)!
Ah rains and Kolkata ! Nothing like listening to rain......and reminisce of a time gone by.....
The perks of getting old :)
Picture courtesy the internet