The King is Dead, Long Live the King!!!

It’s been quite a reasonably long hiatus from the blog. Well, attribute it to a busy schedule, etc etc… And guess what!!! The rains are here!!! And my city is drenched, as usual. Seems so funny of people to wait so ardently for the rains, and then criticize it saying, “Oh, but my clothes get dirty, blah blah!!!” Hypocrites, of the highest order!

Meanwhile I enjoy drooling in the rains. The first time it rains and you get wet, nobody complains at home. I guess even they realise the fact that the first rains are more than enjoyment. Its about one’s submission to the monsoon. You know the feeling of immense tranquillity, Joy and freedom. The tranquillity of nature, the Joy that the long summer wait is over and the freedom of well……One can’t explain in words, its best experienced. The sudden chirping of birds, varied vibrant colours playing so evidently, into a nice soft shade of green, nature portraying itself in an urban jungle. It’s all so sudden, yet all so beautiful. I visited a friend’s place this weekend, someone who has recently shifted to a better location. But then, I guess better would be an understatement. This lady gets to stay at an apartment facing the hills, wide open terrain with little apartments in front of the balcony, generous bursts of chilly winds readily entering the house and above all, the rain kissing your cheeks while you earnestly sit on the French windows in the balcony. One would be ever pleased to stay in such a place. Above all, the clouds playing and moving across on the hilly terrain is simply stunning. One moment you see the clouds, the next moment there is ample rain and all the hills vanish from sight. (It does pour quite heavily in these regions).

And everything changes…even the pretty ladies walking on the road seem to be gyrating with enormous ease, your walk becomes a hop, and jumping over puddles of mud avoiding the slush is an enjoyable thing. The wind becomes so chilly, that you start wearing extra clothes for a change, and above all, it is the ‘Return of the umbrella and the windcheaters (that’s a popular term for fashionable raincoats!!!). Playlists change to ‘Saawan Barse, Tarse Dil….' or the evergreen ‘Tip Tip Tip Tip Baarish Shuru Ho gayi…’ And of course for the Anglicised elites – ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head'…..or Madonna’s lovely rendition of ‘Rain’; Personal Choices…whatever!!!

This morning I happened to fall prey to the perennial habit of taking an auto rickshaw. It’s the kind of feeling when you tell yourself, ‘hey what the hell, its raining today, so I don’t take the bus’. Once you convinced yourself that, there is no way you can revert to the Bus. It becomes a distant memory and you settle down comfortably within the ease and comfort of the Auto rickshaw. Now apparently just at the onset of the first rains, the Rickshaw guys from my own went on strike. The apparent issue being that a local driver did not ferry a lady passenger to her destination. And of course the lady complained. And the rickshaw wallahs blame the New Colony for their woes. They say that, Its because of the New Colony that they fall into trouble and get ‘harassed” by the “Conspirator” Citizens. Hmm, but guess what ? Our Champion driver however disagreed. He said that the Rickshaw guys are to blame. He says, why does one drive a Rickshaw in the first place, if he has to say No to someone? I mean isn’t that kind of stupid? I hummed my appreciation and approval. Though I had a point to make that they ought t o have their freedom too, but maybe yes, its once too many that I have also been either fleeced by some scoundrels or maybe just felt frustrated to wait, especially when I am in a hurry. So the debate continues but for once the Driver was fined. Are we staring at Obama’s ‘Change’? Maybe Not quite there, but still there is hope. And all this is happening in my City :))

This morning also brought the Sad News of the untimely death of Michael Jackson, King of Pop. Never could imagine how the King could die so suddenly. He leaves a legacy behind, a legacy where every kid in the 90s regardless of whether he is a heavy metal fan or a country music fan always has heard and enjoyed MJ. His theatrics were talk of the town, no doubt but his music was unique and fascinating. He was called the King for a reason. The moonwalk and the imitation tried unsuccessfully a zillion times by so many. And now his death leaves a void. Something, which may never be done away with. Somehow newer artists lack the approach or the charisma that MJ commanded. I can never forget the craze that MJ had when he came to Bombay a decade ago. The people who got him here or were directly responsible for it eventually got elected to the Legislature. Now that’s the power of a King. He was Special, in his own way.

One can only say: MJ, we will really miss you!!!