I Hate This Rain
Author:-Priyanka Shah
It was fifteen past ten o'clock in the night, there was a huge thunderstorm and it was raining incessantly, I had come home from office. ‘It’s raining since morning’ said my wife Shubhasi. She was trying to inform me. ‘I know that dear, my office is just 20 minutes away from house’ I thought in my mind. ‘Oh really’ I supported her statement; I knew she wanted to tell me something else so just allowed her to complete her statement.
‘I had just washed clothes and had kept for drying in the backyard and it started raining, By the time I go and get the clothes they were all in the grass with dirt. You know I had to wash that again. I tell you this rain…….’ she finally complaint in an annoying voice.
‘Then?’ I asked, as I knew she wanted to tell me more. I knew there was no one in the home with whom she could talk. ‘There were no vegetables in the house so I had to go in the rain to bring them from the market. And on the way back my chappals broke. Why does it have to break when I am just in the rain?’ She was becoming more furious now. I thought she had a bad day. I looked at her and smiled and asked ‘How did you come back then?’ I wanted to show her concern. ‘I took rickshaw’ replied in an angry irritated voice. I knew she never loved rain since last 3 years.
‘I hate this rain’ she said. I looked at her she was all red and was very frustrated.
Her eyes were moist.
‘What’s for the dinner tonight?’ I asked to change the topic.
‘I thought I would prepare bhajiya and gota that would go with this atmosphere and Rinku liked it a lot…..’She stopped in between. She had her throat choked up. I went near her. She turned her faced acted to be normal and said ‘Make it quick, Bhajiya won’t taste good if they are not hot.’ She did not want to show me her feelings. I thought not to provoke it if she has managed to control herself.
‘Ok’ I said, and went inside. Both of us were silent were trying to behave normal. This was not first time in last 3 years.
I sat on the chair and looked outside the heavy leashes of rain ‘Pappa how we can just empty this water out of the house?’ I remembered my son Rinku asking me.
3yrs back it rained like never before in the month of July. It was rained for 10 days continuously like never before. It did not rain like that before in Baroda. Our society was flooded with water. We had water till knees in the house. My wife and I were busy shifting our furniture and other things.
‘Can I play out with my friends outside?’ ‘No, go upstairs and study’ I replied. ‘No, I want to play Pappa, I will be back in 1hour’ Insisted Rinku. ‘But you can’t play outside’ we were still discussing. ‘Can I go to the terrace then? I want to get wet in the rain. Deepak and Sammer would also join me up stairs.’ he was persistent. ‘Ok but just for 30 minutes. Go.’ I melted. He took off his clothes and went out. Both of his friends then joined him.
It was not raining heavily. Just a few scattered shower. Rain had stopped since morning.
