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Then the breeze suddenly dies down. The chirping of the birds suddenly stops. There is now a pronounced silence.
Before you know it, dark ominous clouds gather in the sky and the bright sunlight is enveloped by moisture-laden, low flying, dark clouds. A drizzle begins. Soft beads of water begin to cover the earth.
And then, its not a drizzle anymore. It's a full-on attack of huge water droplets that begin to fall with increasing intensity; only to stop when the earth is drenched in the downpour!
Yes, that's rain for you!
Did you know that there is actually a term for people who love rains? Yes, they are known as pluviophiles! They are the people who enjoy rains, who find joy and peace in the rains.
Also, there is an actual word that describes the smell of rain on dry earth! This smell is known as petrichor. If you really want to know in detail; this is a smell that results from the release of a certain oil by the leaves of trees when it starts raining.
Blessing for some, inconvenience for others; and essential for all - the rain is fascinating!
It breathes new life into the earth parched by the summer sun. It stands for everything that is fresh, and new. It is the harbinger of new life and new hopes! It is also associated with love and longing. And the most amazing thing? It means different things for different people at different times!
For a child, rain brings joy and happiness! From paper boats to getting down and dirty in the puddles, it is the child, that enjoys the rains most unabashedly!
For a mother, rain means piping hot snacks for the kids and hot cocoa! But it is also a cause of worry for her. She can already see her children enjoying it and playing in the puddles it creates. And the germs they breed, bother her immensely.
For a newlywed, rain is a welcome respite. An excuse to stay at home and skip work. An excuse to spend some lovely time with his significant other, the rain for him is a real blessing.
For a nature lover or an adventurer, rain is the perfect excuse to take that trek he has been longing for. To go on that camp that is so much fun in the rains, with gushing waterfalls and unrestrained rivers flowing to full capacity!
But rain is not always associated with happiness. The rain that evokes yearning and desire in someone fresh in love, also generates the sadness of missing a special person in someone hurt in love.
For a poor homeless person, rain brings a whole different set of problems. From having no shelter from the downpour to losing what little possessions he has, these are problems that can be incomprehensible to most!
For worker bees who cannot miss work, rain spells a whole new set of problems that range between heavy traffic to flooded roads to delayed trains and much more!
Sometimes, rains take on a more dangerous avatar. It rains too much and creates havoc. Nature unleashes its fury and there is widespread destruction. Most times heavy rains are accompanied by strong winds; and together they can take down houses, mountains, create landslides and flooding on a large scale.
But then it all ends as abruptly as it began. The winds die down. The heavy rains reduce to a drizzle. The impossible chill in the air is reduced. And the sun-rays fight their way through the dark clouds! New leaves are born from the bare trunks of trees left standing after the storm. Soft breezes rustle, whispering to anyone and everyone, new hopes, that all will be well now. Birds pick up twigs and fallen leaves to put together a new home for their loved ones. The earth is happy again. Soaking in the love showered by the rains, drinking in the life.
Rain brings happiness, rain brings joy. It also brings memories - some good, some bad. At times it is destructive too. But most importantly, it breathes a new life in life.
Yes, that's rain for you!