Raindrops in my mind

I am sitting on the floor of a small balcony in a not so small building, on the fourth floor. The building is old in styles of the 1960’s when human hand could build curves with ease rather than create simple boxes as human habitat. Little droplets fall from the sky, directly on me in angles that make me wonder on the conspiracies of God! But, I cringe in a corner with a cigarette to complement the coolness with some warmth from the smoke, maybe for stimulation when the wind is making me soporific. I can see the Kolkata sky in all its dark mirth and lightning making way through it. I sit there, still, in the beauty, mesmerised and satisfied of the rain in the heat of summer. The wind smells different. It smells clean and cold with the typical smell of water on hot concrete. I adulterate it with smoke but still want to fill my lungs with a long deep breath. Perhaps I want to keep that in me for long, but I want another of that gush to keep me satisfied. I oblige myself. It gives me pleasure to look up and take a glance towards the sky which doesn’t seem too far from me. The cold droplets on my face make me happy, they carry with them some kind of message that tells my mind to fire up thoughts that I would not otherwise. I sit there and think with a blank mind!

I was lost in goodness of the spiritual cleansing part when suddenly there was a bell and my friend ran to get it, always being the humblest of all. There was a Tennessee made whiskey waiting in the hands of a huge guy with a naughty smile. I could look through the door at an angle to see it all, but could not just get up to congratulate him on his newfound kindness towards me. He took all the trouble to bring it and gave me the time to sit and enjoy my evening. I would get a sip on it without having to fight my way through, I suppose! But, I feel too numb to move, in this cool beautiful rain. I want to sit there through the evening into the night. This is one of my favourite hangouts in Sardar Shankar Road, where old mixed with the new where, I wonder when I can get all stimulants to mix together to make another evening for me, to sit, to talk, to watch, to sing and to think!

“Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
Cryin's not for me
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free
Nothin's worryin' me”

……B.J. Thomas