It's the Small Things | First Rain

It was the monsoon many years ago.

The first showers came crashing down on Bombay. People were out on the streets, dancing and celebrating.

The power was out in my home. I was sitting in the balcony on my cane swing. Wondering when the power would be back on and I could finish my chores.

I hated the rain. It was all muddy and yucky, and caused all sorts of irritation for me. Who enjoys the rain? You get wet, the house is a mess and it takes forever to get everything dry.

One friend called another. "Bheegne chale kya (Shall we go get drenched)?" And the message reached me too.

Were they crazy? Who does that?

It was the first time someone had asked me a question like that. Obviously I could not go "get drenched". Could I? A smile crept up on my face. But no one saw it. Remember, no power.

Slowly, I started looking out the window every time it rained. And mind you, it pours in Bombay. Cats, dogs and dragons. Streets were flooded, trains stopped midway, offices were shut and the city almost stopped.

But me? I started enjoying the season. The smell of the earth when the clouds opened up, the squeaky clean trees and rooftops, the fresh air. Life was smiling, from behind a grey cloud.

The friends, who are now middle-aged ladies and gentlemen, have lots to do. A home, a hearth, loads of work, and businesses to run. I'm not sure if anyone still gets drenched in the rain, but they call each other every first shower of the season.

But no longer say, "Bheegne aata hai kya?"

Although I wish someone did.

Life, as we know it. Some things never change, and yet the only constant is change.

Brindha Rao is a banker by profession and urban balcony gardener by heart.

We’ve grown up hearing that “it’s the small things” that matter. That’s true, of course, but it’s also not – there are Big Things that we know matter, and that we shouldn’t take our eyes, minds or hearts off of. As journalists, we spend most of our time looking at those Big Things, trying to understand them, break them down, and bring them to you.

And now we’re looking to you to also think about the small things – the joy that comes from a strangers’ kindness, incidents that leave you feeling warm, an unexpected conversation that made you happy, finding spaces of solidarity. Write to us about your small things at thewiresmallthings@gmail.com in 800 words or less, and we will publish selected submissions. We look forward to reading about your experiences, because even small things can bring big joys.

Read the series here.

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