“Tommy is barking since morning. First I thought he's trying to wake me up, but when aai started shouting in her scratchy voice "Shubham uth. Paus padhto aahe" I realized, it was the rains that caused the barking. The rains are usually fun. We kids meet up, play a little, make paper boats and eat smoking hot chapatis. Chapatis and tea are the best combination in the rain. Not because the taste is out of this world, but because that's what we eat every single day in this season. We cannot really get our hands on leftovers, and even if we do, they get rotted soon. Aai always hated to beg. And so do I. She always avoided sending me for the daily rounds on the traffic signals. But since my drunkard father cares shit about us, I prefer going for work (that's what we call it) instead of sending her. School has always been a compulsion for me. It's not that I like school or loathe by the idea of studying. But it's simply because I hate the concept of begging. One thing that we learn in this job is, sell yourself respect for peanuts, only then you're a great beggar. Unfortunately, I could never learn this lesson. But slowly circumstances made me quite a decent beggar. My school uniform, notebooks, stationary is all new. I make sure I do not have to use those second hand at least. I work hard (I mean beg) in April and May so that I can at least afford these. But these rains! They manage to make me feel low. Aai, in no chance can afford a raincoat. So unwilling, this season makes me use The borrowed raincoat for over 4 years now. So maybe this is the most weird dream a child has, or maybe I'm just being very unrealistic, but my major ambition in life is to own a raincoat someday. My raincoat!" We often are whining over the rains, the puddles, the travelling and for that matter even the washed away makeup ;) But sit for a while, think over it. The slum kids have to literally sleep in those mushy areas, with not a single protection. We cannot really help them as such. But before we crib, I guess we should take them into consideration too! Happy rains!!

Anushka Nadkarni

S. Y. B Pharm

Tags: MET Institute of Pharmacy