Nam-Ambar ki Baarish

November 11th, 2009
I woke up feeling unusually nice about this rainy November morning. The famous November Rain song had formed an important part in post lunch discussions at office and Facebook status messages for the past day and a half. Call me uncool but honestly I have still not been able to place the song. Quite a ghaat that way.

News channels had been showing alert messages on the new scare for Mumbai. The Phyan cyclone or something. Left me wondering why does the MET department alert mumbaikars at the eleventh hour. Sorry, sometimes it’s even after the tragedy has done the damage.

So, news channels on one side and my mom (very well supported by my brother’s intermittent updates) on the other.

I was happy that I may not go to work the next day. Didn’t work out that way, though. So here I was after a steaming hot cup of tea - flavoured with tea grass; getting ready. Left home with some hope of a call from office saying ‘don’t come. ..water clogging here..other offices are shutting down already”. Nothing like that happened.

Like a good boy, I walked upto Andheri station. Had missed the fast train that I usually catch. Took the slow instead. Things in the train weren’t very different. from the usual Loud stock updates, meeting confirmations, lies and fights for not giving enough space. Mumbai will always have a problem with that one.

The morning wasn’t different either except the wonderful sweat-less train trip and the rain. Just then, I thought to myself. Why the f*** am I going to work? Why can’t I take the alerts seriously.…seriously enough?

Why am I ridiculing my mother’s constant concern take care? I think I just wanted to prove a point. The never dying spirit of Mumbai or so we think. I am not sure. The rat race.

Luckily I am not the kinds who will take situations like these as opportunities and reach office early than normal. Like those kids in school who used to finish an extra lesson in Diwali vacation just to get that appreciation from teachers. In office we call such species “chatlyas”.

Yes but rat race it was. I wanted to ensure I don’t turn out to be the black sheep who didn’t come when rest of the office was there whether from Thane, Dombivali or Cuff Parade.

Office was filled with all teams and well in time so. Not bad. But the mood was generally upbeat unlike the regular. From the elevator queue where a Hindi copywriter put it as (forgot to mention earlier, I work in Advertising); the month is Nam-Ambar (Nam meaning moist or wet and Ambar, the sky) and not November.

Walked into the office to find happy faces. It was the rain.

The alerts didn’t cease coming whether through sms’es or a loud conversation from the next cubicle. Finally a television channel announced that MET has urged for offices, schools and colleges to shut by 2pm. My client decided to do as asked. But no movement in our office. After a little coaxing and some really loud discussions with my friends and colleagues to ensure it reaches my bosses' ears, some people took charge to find what next.

The result? Well, like always we were given an option to leave if we wished. Its open, they said.

We all were in two minds. Remember the rat race?What if I leave and the other teams stay? I will, for sure get a taunt tomorrow. Sigh.

Fortunately, one 'lady', our savior, decided to take the baton to ensure everyone leaves since offices close by were shutting too. And for all said and done we are dreadfully close to the sea.

So we all decide to leave at 3. We actually do, unlike all other times when ‘leaving early” plans never materialize. And this ‘early’, mind you, is 8 in the evening.

By 5 I’m home. Happy. Sleeping for the next 4 hours; only to get up @ 9 and dreading the fact that it hasn’t rained a single drop since i reached home and tomorrow is going to be like any other day.

Wait; my MET friends have said all is safe. Going by their record I might just be home tomorrow.