Monsoon Evenings

By Sherin Philip

Its 4:20 P.M in the month of June, classes are finally over and its raining heavily. Slipping fingers through the railing, sliding the droplets, you stand at the corridor listening to the thudder of water hitting the earth.

The popy nano is unfurled and like ants hopping onto fallen jaggery, people from left and right hold onto you for dear life.

A group of 3 or 4 holding on, sticking onto each other. Bags soaked, clothes drip, pulling ends of the umbrella each side, splashing puddles on the way. Running, jumping, hiding & escaping, you manage to reach the " canteen".

Mud stains all over the floor, water dripping from the ceiling, you walk forward like a soaked sponge, carefully measuring each step of not falling and embarrassing yourself, making your way between the other sponges to witness the ever-satisfying combination of a not-so-perfect rainy evening.

Oil dripped, mouth-burning crispy pazham puri(banana fitters) and choodu Chaya(hot tea). Life feels sorted!

Settled down, sipping the hot tea, calming the senses and warming the body. In the midst of couples and gangs and other few here and there, two friends resort to their daily endless conversations, carefully tearing the pazham puri and blowing onto each piece.

Its strange, how easy it is to talk about anything & everything and how difficut it is to recall what exactly did you talk about.

From gossips to studies to random facts you read on the internet to what all happened in the class to what color your teacher’s saree was to planning trips(still on) to scheduling laundry and occasionally pondering over what to do after college to discussing whether to order briyani for dinner.

The entire day is encapsulated into giggles and gossips and laughter and winks.

Clock inches towards 6, far away, the sun is setting as if giving a signal to get up and move. Alas! We surrender, rubbing the extra oil onto the hands, collecting the popy nano, we start walking towards the hostel.

With Laughter turned into smiles, Chatter to wispers, Rain to mist, and dawn to dusk.

By Sherin Philip