Jul 7, 20174 min read

Me and Bombay Rains

Updated: Jul 11, 2023

Bombay rains. You must be thinking that there are rains everywhere in the world, then what is so special about the rains of Mumbai(Bombay). Well, everything is. I am not saying this because I am Mumbaiker(or maybe I am) or anything and I know that I haven’t seen a lot of different cities’ rains, but then again, based on what I have seen, they are one of the best in the world. I know after reading the last line, some of my friends or other fellow Mumbaikers will be like ‘Really? Mumbai rains are the worst.’ But well, I love them and the smell of the ground before it is going to rain and also that wonderful feeling that I get when it is raining. This peculiarity of mine might be because of the fact that I was born in August(which, by the way, in India is in the rainy season) and the fact that everytime it rains, there is this smile on my face and a feeling of excitement in my tummy that I cannot precisely explain.

Bombay rains are no different than rains in other cities in the world. They are generated by the same type of clouds, the raindrops are all made up of the same H2O water(lame joke, I know) and they all fall in the same manner. It is just the place and quantity that differs. It is just that connection that I have had with it since my birth that makes it special for me. My mom told me that when she was bringing me home for the first time as a baby from the hospital, a raindrop fell on my face and she saw a cute smile curve on my face. That raindrop was the precedent of a heavy rain arcade for the next three days. That was one of the heaviest rains that year. So, there is no confusion in the fact that my name is Helee(which is a Gujarati word for the first rain of a year).

Some of the upsides of rain are that you can skip school or college sometimes due to too much of heavy rains and flooding caused due to that, you can have the mazza(fun in Hindi) of eating pakodas in the comfort of your home while it is raining outside, you can go on long rides and spend the entire day admiring the rain and spending time with your loved ones and you can also go to enjoy the rains by getting wet in it. My favourite place to go get wet in the rains is the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It’s small rivers(more like small streams) and Kanheri Caves are the best place to go to if you really want enjoy the Bombay rains.

Yes, I won’t deny the fact that Bombay rains have a lot of downsides than upsides like they create a lot of small and big dirty puddles, traffic is spread like fire everywhere(but well, the Mumbai traffic doesn’t ever need rain to spread like fire, if you know what I mean) and travelling is a huge ordeal for everyone especially the walkers. People who go to their work, etc. by local trains have to be prepared for the worst as you can get dirty very easily and also you’ll be touching and sitting beside all rain wet people and not to forget that you’ll be annoyed a lot by the makhhis(housefly in Hindi). Pedestrians also have to go through a lot like they have to be very careful while walking so as to not splash their feet in a puddle or not be drained wet and made dirty by one vehicle driving beside them which bounces through a puddle and splashes water all over them. Sometimes the rain can tether you to do some important work or go outside, but the Mumbaikers can never be tethered by anything. I admire this one quality of Mumbaikers a lot and I am glad I am one too. They carry on with their usual work routines and make no difference in their life only because it is raining or anything else.

But, well, everything in the world has an upside and a downside. And even though the Bombay rains have more downsides than upsides, I love them, not only because I feel a connection with them but also because the feeling of the breeze and sprinkles of raindrops falling on my face when I am walking beside the Marine Drive(not too close though, because it is really dangerous and I could lose my life) or anywhere for that matter of fact is just out of the world. I love to listen to the rhythm of falling rain. It is something which is just amazingly incredible and something that I cannot explain properly in enough words. And it is something that is really close to my heart and always will be and I will always be peculiar because of that.I am a pluviophile.

And I am sure that everyone reading this too is also peculiar due to something they like or do. So, basically, today I wanted to share this weird and unique favourite thing with all of you. Everyone has that one thing. Do you? If you do, please feel free to share it with me and others in the comment box below. If you like my blog and relate with it, do give it a like, share it with your and family and friends and also follow my blog for further blog updates. And always remember, be brave. Be strong. Be great.❤