March mornings are cool and refreshing, loved by all early birds, including me. The month of March in Bombay marks the onset of Summer, a season, most people here utterly dislike.
As for me, I have always been confused about my feelings for Summer. I hate to go out in afternoons, when the temperature is at its peak. I hate it when the electricity board pulls out the plugs under the pretext of saving energy. I hate the water cuts by the municipality. But the month I hate the most is May, when I can’t suppress the feeling of joy and freedom, the kind that I used to enjoy during my school days.
During school days, May was always the month for vacationing. It was so for almost 12 years during school, and later during college too. And now that I’ve finished college and joined the working community, I’m not allowed that luxury of 31 free days!
But there are things that still I love about this season, besides the morning. I love mangoes, the yellow-coloured fruits of many breeds that originate from various districts, and come in different shapes and tastes as well. The most sought after among them is the ‘Alphonso’, which comes from Ratnagiri, a small district in the state of Maharashtra. Although the best produce is always exported, enough is sold in Indian bazaars for us to gorge on.
During school, I would spend my vacations in Chennai, my native town where the custom of eating mangoes after dinner every night with my grandparents and sisters is one enduring memory I have. The most liked variety down south is called ‘Roomani’, and is perfectly round in shape, bright yellow in color, and tastes between sweet and tangy. The Roomani is still my favourite among all mangoes, which unfortunately I have never found in Bombay.
And then again, the best part of summer for me is being in anticipation of the most-loved monsoon season. The cool breeze, the smell of damp soil, the sound of lightening thunder completely enchants me. So, I sort of have a love-hate relationship with summer.
Some day, I will write about my experience with the monsoon and the winter.
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