Late Monsoon Madness

I’ve been thinking about starting to blog for quite some time but I guess my inherent laziness kind off kept me from doing it for so long.

Anyways, I just had one of the most amazing nights I have ever had in quite some time and I just had to write about it. So low and behold, today the blog begins.

It started at 6:30 with Harsha asking me if I wanted to go Hard Rock to watch Sean Kingston perform. Obviously I did. Its because as good as Sean Kingston is, Hard Rock is basically an awesome place to hang out. So, a few hasty phone calls later the plan wass fixed. It was to basically show up out side without passes and buy ourselves in. Now till 8 this plan seemed fine, since the sky was clear. And then it started to rain.

Now when I say rain, what I actually mean is the forty days and forty nights of rain that Noah had to face crashing down in a continuous 15 minute cycle. On the way to Hard Rock we actually discovered that Pune has more rivers than the Mula Mutha, We have Karve River, F.C. River, J.M. River etc. We also found out that among these new rivers, J.M. River is the deepest swallowing up vehicles when possible!!

When we finally reached our destination, we were in high spirits. We assumed that the torrential downpour meant less people would show up and we would get in easily. The line outside Hard Rock of people waiting to get in was hence not a pleasant surprise. The four of us going were Harsha, Siddharth, Chandan and me. Now the person of prime importance, as we realized later on was Chandan. But more on that later. So as me and Chandan walked to recee the situation, Harsha and Siddharth waited in the car.

The moment I got out of the car with my umbrella and the full force of the rain hit me, I realized that trying to stay dry was going to be a pointless effort. When the powers that be decide to wash the city of Pune clean, us mere mortals rarely stand a chance of keeping dry unless we stay indoors. Nevertheless we made our way to the back of the line cramped under one umbrella managing to keep at least one side dry. Now, carrying an umbrella to a rap show and being one of the few people to have that foresight does have its advantages. As soon as we reached the line a number of PYT’s tried to squish in under the umbrella with us.

Before we go to what happened next let me explain to you the inner workings of my mind a little. The rains always bring me immense joy. I’m the weirdo that will run out onto the terrace at 4 in the morning and get completely drenched because it started raining suddenly and the smell of wet earth woke me up. I’m the guy that will sit  indoors all day but the moment it starts raining put on a flimsy jacket and go out on a bike ride just to get wet. When I stand in the rain or stare at it through a window I suddenly get this feeling of calmness, my thoughts get clearer and I feel at peace. At the same time an insatiable energy builds up inside me that makes we want to go out and play in the rain and mud with the enthusiasm of a five year old who has just seen a big pile of birthday presents. Whether I sit still or go crazy is completely unpredictable but more often then not, I go mad.

Now back to the story. As it usually happens when you are going to a party I was in a particularly “sprightly” mood. So after being pressed up against a few random girls who eventually pushed me out from under the umbrella I realized the futility of my trying to stay dry. At that very moment the five year old on a sugar high inside me took over. Then I did what I know best when that happens. I pushed my way out into the rain.

It’s an awesome feeling when you truly submit yourself to heavy rainfall. The water crashes down on you, seemingly ferocious but ever so soft when it hits your body. For me those first drops are always a truly spiritual experience. Then as I realize that I am completely drenched I feel a little spark some where inside me that builds up into a smile that is plastered on my face for the entire time I’m in the rain and for a few hours after also. In fact, even as I type this I am still smiling.

So with that stupid smile on my face and a mad glint in my eye, (I have been told of this “mad glint” but have never seen it on my own.) I started playing in the rain, waving my hands incessantly, laughing manically to my self and jumping into puddles watching the water splash everywhere.

By this time Harsha and Siddharth had already joined Chandan in looking at me with complete bewilderment. They then proceeded to smile and shake their heads since by now they have gotten used to my “peculiar behaviour” or so I like to think. As my enthusiasm grew I began splashing water closer to the people huddled under whatever shade there was inviting quite a few angry glares. But more then that what I remember the most is the smiles and looks of amusement that so many people were giving to my “playing” in the rain. I don’t think they get to see people my age act like children often. Such a shame…

Some time after that when my tomfoolery was still going on we decided to bail on the concert and go to our usual hangout. It was on the way back that I realized that Chandan was the common denominator in our failed plans from the past week including the fiasco at E-Square. That led to everyone taking his case for the remainder of the evening. It also led to the declaration that he would be sent to the opposite direction of town the next time we made plans. All in all after a few drinks and filling meals we returned home not disappointed that we missed the concert, but happy that we had such a unique experience. I for one will chose playing in the rain over any concert on any day. Such is the nature of my insanity or sanity, depending on how you look at it.

P.S. – Did my parents know of my affinity for rain when they named me Indrajit ??

Makes me wonder…..

For those that don’t know, in Indian mythology Indra is the ruler of the Heavens and the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.

Meghanad, the son of the demon King Ravan of Lanka defeated Indra during a battle between the gods and demons earning himself the title “Indrajit”

Meghanad was also named so because his birth cry sounded like thunder.

Indrajit – He who has defeated Indra in combat. 

I guess the name might just be cosmically connected…