Monsoon rains in kolkata !!

 Just look outside the window right now while you are reading this. You can see people rushing along with their colourful umbrellas and the clouds darken the sky, a strong wind blow, accompanying it with thunder and lightning. And as you let the cool breeze in, you will definitely start singing the song “Pagla Hawar Badol Dine.....!”

 But these early rain showers and the cloudy skies in Kolkata has got a lot of us confused... is it time to sit with a plate of pakodas and hot coffee enjoying a book while the rain pitter patters outside? The weather has strong food associations in all of us. Having fun in a cool drizzle with a bunch of friends, a cup of hot coffee as we take shelter in a coffee shop to avoid getting wet are memories most of us have. 

 Really the Kolkata rains are a thrill, not just because they are a joy but also because they are feared! When we talk about the wonderful rains around the city, it also reminds us of those traumatic days when the whole

waterlogged street in front of our hostel

city came to a standstill, those days that no Kolkatans would dare to forget. Keeping aside memories of that, we have moved on and continue to enjoy these days just like we did before.

 Kolkata now has accepted the rains with the floods and waterlogging that goes with it. We continue to live with usual cheer despite the fact that we get drenched with random drizzles, sweat caused by the massive humidity while we  are trying to keep up with the local trains that run late! Yet we refuse to complain and just shrug it off saying “Eta to rozkar baper, notun ki?”. This blog post is dedicated to this very never say die spirit that lives in us.

 Let the traffic jam up for hours, or roads get submerged beneath tonnes of water, a true Kolkatans would never press the panic button and that is the Spirit of Kolkata!

 Every season brings us into a particular 'right mood' - a mood where we truly enjoy the weather and wait for it to come again next year! In the monsoons one such occasion can be -  walking on a cloudy day with your girlfriend, college friends or even pet dog and having a great time. It is the ideal way to spend such a day, but then it starts raining when you are least expecting it to and instead of running for cover, you enjoy the drops of rain falling on your body and even break out in a dance! It may sounds like a cheezy bollywood flick, but its still that much fun :D

 What is not cheezy or unrealistic is the urge to have hot pakodas with a cup of hot tea during the rains! You would be on your balcony, sitting and enjoying your evening cup of tea on a weekend and the heavens open up. Almost instantaneuosly as it starts to pour, the first thing you want more than anything is that plate of hot bhajiyas!and a spicy chutney to go with it makes the evening perfect!(..really missing all this!!..as i am currently staying at hostel.)
 
  You are probably already waiting for the next rains to come when you can have this hot, oily treat! Well, your wait will be short lived as Kolkata is getting a lot of rains now a days! And Don't forget to share your pakoda experience with me in comments.

Enjoy the monsoon......have loads of fun :-)

~Arin.