Today

I saw her on my way to the lab. I walk or cycle nowadys as the weather is simply brilliant. Warm and sunny, albeit a bit too dry for my taste. I saw her as I walked down Neil ave and she was crying.

She pointed towards a kitten lying motionless beside the sidewalk. It was a furry little thing, light brown with tiny little paws. It had succumbed to the carelessness of some reckless driver on the road, and this girl, seeing it lying injured on the road, had stopped to help it. She had taken it to the sidewalk and was looking around for help, but the kitten was already dead by the time I met her.

Then we tried to look for its owner in the neighboring houses; a kitten this small couldn't have gone far from its home. But no one answered to our calls. Everyone seemed to be sleeping tight on a holiday or away somewhere. After a futile search we finally came upon an old couple who promised to bury the cat at their backyard.

-----------------------------------**-------------------------------------
I was on my way back home after a long day at the lab. Its been pretty dry and hot for the last few days though its still nothing compared to the severity of Chennai.

The nights are better though and I love walking back alone from the lab in the cool dark night. The air was heavy with sweet smell of flowers, and it was just beginning to rain. The smell of damp earth mesmerized me, and reminded me of days gone by.

It reminded me of my days in school when I used to walk back all drenched, my bag soaking wet, and my shoes and socks brown and muddy. Mom would scold us for spoiling my school uniform, so I and my sister would try to wash them before she came back home. Now, I am sure she wouldn't scold me for anything. She misses me far too much for that.

The smell reminded me of the days back at IIT when we used to play footer in the rain in our little hostel quadrangle. It reminded me of the walks I used to take sometimes with Setia, just to get drenched, and then go to Gurunath for a cup of steaming hot tea.

It reminded me of the times I spent sharing an umbrella with her, for more than two years. We always used only one umbrella even when we had two. Heavier the rain, better it was. We made ample use of the deserted streets and umbrella, warily looking over each others shoulders in case someone spotted us :P

It also reminded me of the day I had my first flight while coming here to US. I was finally in the clouds, nervous with excitement as the plane swayed and tossed about in the inclement weather.

I am so glad the wet earth smells the same everywhere.

















Photo: A footer match in the Godav quadrangle.