Incessant rains

Bystander literally swam through the rushing water on the arterial highway.  As far as his eyes could see there was nothing but flood water. For the last two days, he has been forced to live like a man marooned in an ocean. He was shivering with cold and seething with anger. The second reason for his anger was, he did not know swimming and felt pathetic when he had to “hang-paddle” along with a neighbour, whom he never knew existed till now.

The third important reason happened to be that the neighbour appeared more courageous though not a swimmer. The fourth one was the sight of a stray dog lunging through the flowing water, driven by fear or courage to safeguard its life. The cumulated anger became so intense; the flood water swirling around him started feeling the heat.

Somehow he managed to reach a high ground, in this case that happened to be the stump of a felled tree. Even in his distressed state, he admired the stump which in its heydays might have supported a very big tree.

He chose the weather and rains to vent his anger, in copious measure, standing at the border of illogical reasoning. “Why the rains which usually visit in meager millimeters should suddenly decide to up the ante to centimeters? Why should it graduate from millimeters to centimeters, in a hurry,   within 8 to 12 hrs?” On realizing his futility in shouting at the rain, he directed that unqualified anger at himself.

The first shot went aiming at this impulsive decision to meet Muser living about half a kilometer away, from the tree stump where he was now. The second one was for taking that decision expecting nothing but a deluge of words to greet him on arrival, at Muser’s house. Cursing weathermen, who continued to bless the city more days of more rains, and intuitively avoiding potholes and manholes, he reached his destination without any mishap.As he had anticipated, the reception was worse than the rain.

“Are you mad and a fool to come in this sort of a weather, instead you could have called me?”

“Cell phone battery is down; the land line is dead. How could I have called you?”

This answer sounded kindergartenesque reply to Muser. Bystander felt like a frog happily croaking away, inviting the snake to complete the kill.

“The weather was worsening and had you been alert, at least cell phone would have worked till the towers shut down and electricity was cut”.

“I did not expect the weather to become so bad and serious like this”.

“So, you still don’t believe in these weather predictions! Even, after experiencing the the last month’s heavy rains?”

“You know my nature very well. I have not taken them seriously and so far had been getting away with predicted heavy to very heavy rains, lightly!”

“How are you managing for water? Did you arrange to install a hand pump as I suggested last time?”

“Not yet. But somehow we are managing with the water from the underground sump and water cans”.

“From all these preparedness of yours, I guess you have no stock of provision, milk, drinking water, candles why even a spare match box. You will buy milk at Rs 100, a candle at Rs 20 and a match box for Rs 10 or what. My dear friend when you will learn to take care of such elementary things, after another spell of bad weather?”

Getting no reply, an exasperated Muser said, “Come over with your family and stay for as long as this weather conditions last. This is the best I can do right now. Let them not suffer on account of your foolhardiness. About correcting that, we will see later. By the by, did you hear anything from Tom?”

At that moment Bystander felt “the incessant rain was better, it was not pointing out his mistakes but straight away meeting out punishments”.  Mentally appreciating Muser’s thoughtful planning for a rainy day; he started his wet walk back home.He chided himself for not even procuring a portable generator which Muser had. “Then again what is the use; he would have certainly not stocked the fuel for it!”

The realisation that the commissions and omissions committed by him have only brought him to this hapless state now, struck like a bolt of lightning. What sickened him most was, the list itself could have drowned him on a sunny day!

He was perplexed too. Why Muser came down harder at him, of all the people. Why to enquire about Tom as if it was his look out?

The incessant rain, having exhausted its resources, started abating, feeling weak. To further debilitate its weakness, the noon sun broke out through the anaemic clouds as if it had waited too long to venture out. The siege on the city has been lifted and nature in all its unpredictability suddenly decided enough is enough.

Ignoring Bystander’s habitual grumblings, the city decided to move on.With the ray of sunlight, the marooned humanity trooped out, like ants in search of food, to take a stroll, a ride or hurried out to get on with their life.The domestic & international carriers have started flight operations. Air passengers with disrupted travel plans received the news as a marooned population would greet the air dropping of relief materials, in their midst.

More than nobody else Bystander felt relieved “no more swimming in water or words, for the present”.If Bystander happens to be an acquaintance, the last phrase will be understood  as: “no more swimming in water or words, till next rains”.

If Bystander happens to be an acquaintance, the last phrase will be read as: “no more swimming in water or words, after next rains”.