beyond drops of rain

When it rains, it pours. Past some days it has been raining very heavily every day. Yesterday, when I was crossing the road in the heavy rain and stiff traffic holding my umbrella...suddenly some strange random thought struck me. 'Umbrella not only shelters us in rain-showers but also when the sunrays wallop hard on head, it gives a soothing swathe.’
Every umbrella has its own story.
My umbrella too had a story or should I prefer to say my story too had an umbrella.

~ rachi creations.. (c) Under my Umbrella ~

It was commence of the rainy season and my paa brought a beautiful orange-red with polka dots print umbrella for my mother and a blue-floral shade colour rain-coat for me. I was so excited. And often little things make me so happy. I was hardy ten years old then.

Other day after coming from school I had my evening snacks quickly. My mom was doing some work in the inner room. Soon I hastily held the new umbrella in my hands and rushed outside. I shouted, “I will be back soon mom, I’m going out to play...” And before my mom could see me with an umbrella I ran away. Griping a new umbrella into my hands made me feel so happy. It wasn’t raining heavily yet it was nice to shield under the umbrella. I went to my friend’s home and screamed her name outside her home gate. She came running and was excited to see my new umbrella. We together under the umbrella, half-side slight drenched went to a nearby park to play.

This park was ‘My Alice in Wonderland’.
The park had a tiny hill kind of the steep where we often run on the top of it and slide along. This is where I could unfold all my imaginations and fly along the colours of the nature. It was slightly drizzling making the aura more enchanting. We gaze upon the tiny caterpillars move stealthily on the shrubs, sluggy with shell small snails camp under the leaf, watching keenly very tiny eggs of the bird in the nest hidden in the leaves, delicate fine climber holding firm the branches of the tree stems, flowers with rain-droplets rolling over the petals, gape ground soaked and damp, green lemonade colour grass carpeting all around covered with elusive drizzles and little tadpoles, mini fishes, soft leaves floating in the rainwater accumulated near by the road...each and everything in rainbow colours studded beyond sparkling drops of rain was adding to the excitement and curiosity of my imagination skiing in monsoon. I wished if I could hide myself into the leaves.

We took off our shoes and kept my new umbrella near that tiny steep and played in the garden. Running here and there catching butterflies, observing birds unfurling the wings and looking up at distance grey fluffy clouds in sky feeling the cool breeze with open arms made us so delighted.

For hours we played merrily forgetting all. Everything amazed me though every day I saw the same thing, there was always something left to learn, to smile and ponder upon. I was so interested to know the enduring nature and learn more. The park was a perfect combo of imagination and practical life. I wanted to know it possibly all, ‘What created this beautiful rainbow in the sky with so prompt seven colours?’, ‘How long the tiny butterfly lived?’, ‘How the humming bird flew backward and so swiftly too?’ And above all the company of my best friend, who equally participated in being playful, curious to know things and planning mischief on every notion, was so alluring.

It was rainy evening turning dim. We decided to go back home. Again on the side-streets, under the reflection of street-lights, splashing the water, jumping, running, trying to catch each other and kicking each other’s back we reached our home.

As I opened my home’s gate, suddenly I realised I didn’t had my new umbrella in my hands. I got so numb for a moment. Instantly, I ran back to friend’s home and called her. I asked her if she could accompany to go back to the park to get my umbrella which I forgot there. It was almost dark with violet sky and I thought she might deny coming with me. But to my surprise she right away agreed to come with me. I could see she was more nervous than me for the lost umbrella. We ran rapidly back to the park. We went to the steep hill to get my umbrella but it wasn’t there. She asked me confirm if I have kept the umbrella there. But we could not see it. We together searched each and every hook and corner of the park, behind the trees, below the branches of the shrubs, under the bushes, around the big rocks and everywhere. But we could not find the umbrella. Soon she said, “I think someone must have picked up the umbrella from here”. I apprehend with pounding heart-beat that “I lost the new umbrella which belonged to my mom.” I was very upset and very afraid to go back home. It was getting dark and difficult.

On the way back home, my friend backed me with kind words, “Everything will be fine...don’t you worry!” She asked me not to panic and tell everything to parents. “Admit the mistake and confirm them that this won’t happen again in future” she affirms. I just wished her simple sympathetic words may turn into blessings!

As I reached home entered the hall, I noticed my father had come back from office and was watching television, sipping the evening tea. My mom was busy in kitchen making some evening snacks. And I was so scared. And shortly standing, slightly hiding behind the big chairs, I started crying in fear.
I wondered, last day only I lost my pencil box and a water-bottle in school and every now and then I lose my pencils and erasers in school...today I lost the umbrella, moreover a new one which above all belonged to my mom, they are going to be very upset and angry on me. A strange cloud of fear and distress encircled me. I was so much in an apprehensive mood, to take up this dreadful incident.

My father noticed my tears in my eyes; he immediately called me near him. He asked me the matter and why was I crying? He soon checked my elbows and knees to see if I’m hurt by falling down while playing. Nothing like that happened I told my father. He kept asking me the matter and I kept weeping badly.
Soon I said in a low tone, “I lost an Umbrella”, in expectation that now I would get the tight slap.
To this he replied, “It’s Okay!”
I thought maybe he didn’t hear anything properly.
I repeated saying, “I lost a new umbrella, which you brought yesterday”.
He again calmly replied, “That’s okay”.
I wasn’t sure why my father was not reacting aggressively or scolding me despite my mistake.
I got confused and still crying, yet ones again grasping a breath and repeated, “Papa, I lost a new umbrella, that umbrella belonged to Mom, that you brought yesterday...she will be very angry on me”

To my surprise my mom suddenly came there bringing a glass of water for me.
My paa took me into his warm arms and made me sit on his lap. This wasn’t planned at all. I believed that my parents would scold me but this wasn’t the case. In a little while, after I gulped some water, my father said, “Firstly, we are a family. Everything present in our home belongs to us and not to an individual. If something good happens we will celebrate together and if something bad happens, we shall deal and manage it together...so basically that umbrella belongs to everyone and not just to mom or one person”
He continued saying, “We as a family with our strength together shall hide an individual weakness...it’s okay if you have lost it...She won’t scold you, don’t you worry..”

And very unexpected my mom replied then, “Care for things but don’t cry for things, for those things shall never cry for you”

Latter to lighten up the air my father said laughing, “And moreover until you don’t lose things, how will you get new one...”

We together laughed, and soon I comprehend it all, “We are one Family of course!”

“ Ever since then I don’t fear to tell the truth or share any thought with my family. I became more cautions when dealing with things though I don’t cry over the Non-living things. Those are luxury to be cared yet not be cried and crippled upon I learnt. The emotions are more essential and crucial to be taken care than sheer shedding a tear over an object.

I heartily appreciated the unconditional love and support my parents have for me! They gave me a freedom, perhaps even a freedom to commit mistakes. They stand firm supporting me and helping me to learn from every bit with a realisation of responsibility.

Further, the kind empathetic words turned into a blessing from my friend had immense power, which still echo. She gave strength to take up things and face the consequences freely and fearlessly. Sometimes, we are afraid and we think this is what life holds as an ultimatum, yet we must strengthen our beliefs than our fears.

One incident and so many lessons...

“ Yet if I was told all this today...I would have questioned back...
 “sheer philosophy, but when it comes to practical life things s**ks hard” or
 “a friend plays as a host at great good times yet does not shy away to excuse thyself from the odd moments of your life...” or
“What the hell family support, if you committed the mistake it will be you an individual who will face the music and not other family members will pay for your sins/mistakes!” or
“Do you know how much that costs, perhaps the bill makes me cry?”

I grasped each and every word being a child without asking any question or verification to prove the implementation believing as a universal truth...which even over decades and passing eras...won’t change.

As a mature human, we have this strange tendency to calculate each and everything how, what, why...perhaps couldn’t have implemented some basics to lead a meaningful life.

...under my Umbrella
the Life is unconditionally pouring bountiful bliss
just beyond drops of Rain..

“ Life is beyond counting and calculating the hum tune of happiness in the moment by adding or subtracting the grammar and vocabulary, we least mean.
It's more in bits of beauty in daily delights and tints of joy in every sight.
It’s more of simple living being with high thoughts and surrounded by the best people around, who loves, cares, supports you ‘unconditionally’!

~ Just like an Umbrella, protects you from unreserved rain and redundant sunrays.

Hope as holding consistent reasoning trait being an intelligent human we don’t calculate and consider as 'Condition' of "being Unconditional" as an excuse to hold on to a relationship and loving emotions for the beings!

NOTE:

• Hope you enjoyed this journey in monsoon slide of my post!
• Thanks so much Mahesh for suggesting the beautiful title of this post :))

• The friend I’m referring in the post is my childhood best friend, ‘Hirna’. We have spent many enthralling moments together in the childhood. During school-days we shifted to different cities thus we were not in touch with each other for more than a decade. Though very recently we got in touch through face-book and just few days back I met her too co-incidentally. Yes! The Destiny definitely holds the best and better than the best people in life. Interestingly we still share the same vibe and amazingly our wavelengths matched after such an expanded time. We chatted and tried to recall as many incidents of our childhood, and this post story is one of them! Thanks to her recollection, we have quite same “Memory like an elephant” :)

• This post is for you, Hirnu :))