June is ending, and it still hasn’t rained. We complained about rain when it was raining in summer, and now we are complaining about it, which still hasn’t come. There is no end to our desires.
Sometimes I wonder when exactly we disconnect from nature? Why do we feel that we are separate from nature? When exactly we lost the language of nature, Songs of birds, calls of insects, touch of Earth, murmurs of trees, whispers of wind? The coldness of night.. the warmth of dawn.. a million and a trillion other things.
These thoughts came into my mind when I was standing under the nearly leafless tree.
On this harsh summer afternoon, this tree was my only companion. I don’t know why I felt that time that I could feel that tree and I put my hand on
the trunk of that tree. I closed my eyes and after some time I smelled the fragrance of wet hot soil.. when I opened my eyes it was raining.
I convinced myself that it was only a coincidence or maybe dehydration, and I stood still where I was. I felt at peace.
Everyone nearby me started panicking, they grabbed their laptops, smartphones, and bags and ran into shelters, some enjoyed it, some cursed it, some surrendered themselves to the rain and got wet, and some just waved their hand outside the shelter and felt raindrops on their skin. It rained like it was never going to stop. After some time, no one was paying attention to the rain. It seemed like they were irritated by it. They all stopped looking at the rain and the rain suddenly stopped! And then there was a horrible silence.
Suddenly, someone tapped on my shoulder. I opened my eyes.. and I realized I was still under that nearly leafless tree. My hand was still on the trunk of that tree, it was still that harsh summer afternoon, and the fragrance of wet hot soil was coming from nowhere but, the gardener was watering the lawn, it was he who tapped on my shoulder and said: ” thoda bajula vha ” (step aside).
I stepped aside and started walking, trying not to disturb people studying, working, playing, and laughing, under the limited shadows of trees,
paying no attention to their surroundings.
But I was feeling different, maybe joyful because even though there was no rain outside, I had already experienced the very first rain inside me… But one thing from this incident troubled me and made me sad and that was,
We all desperately wait for rain. but when it actually rains.. we hope to stop it..Do we need everything calculated? Even life?
Is there any end to human desires?
Are we afraid of rain…?
Are we afraid of life…?
Are we afraid of the last rain? Or
Are we afraid of the first rain ??
– Sachin Swami