Chequered Battlefield

The summer has been unbearable this year, and uncharacteristically humid too. Even the bed at night oozes heat. But today it rained. It rained after a brief thunderstorm that blew so much dust into the air, that almost everything was rendered invisible. Then the rain, with its aroma arrived and washed over everything. Right before it, as the rainclouds gathered together, as lightening struck, as leaves floated busily in the air speaking in their whirry voices, as twilight trickled into oblivion, everything seemed dramatic, filled with a sense of anticipation for the unknown. The glass offices reflected the changing faces of the sky, witnessing and accentuating the event. The Indian monsoons bring with them joy. They beckon us to come out of our homes, to see the event as much as to feel it. Getting wet in the rain is always special.

Even the water from the tap when I reached home, that threatened to scald my hands yesterday was a cool trickle now and took me by surprise.

I also played a lot of uninterrupted table tennis today when the day ended. It was great to let off some steam. I think men have a need for such activities, that involve direct and open competition, something that involves physicality, almost like a battle. Given the number of silent battles we fight each day, a direct one can do us no end of good. And this pent up energy, if not dissipated often manifests in a lot of undesirable behaviour.

In relationships, if one finds out the secret of what to take on face value and what not to, this battle is won. But such knowledge often takes a lifetime to acquire.

Much more to write today, but I should stop.