Waiting for the Sun God
The record-breaking deluge in the state over the past week and the widespread destruction to road infrastructure and loss of lives in its wake has dampened the spirits of the citizenry.
The situation had reached such a critical state that the government had to order closure of schools for four days following a red warning issued by the weathermen. Holidays have been declared regularly for a number of reasons; but perhaps never for reasons attributed to rainfall.
Most residents will have memories of incessant rainfall witnessed in the past, often lasting for well over a week. After all, we hold the record for having not one but two of the wettest places on Earth. But the extremity witnessed last week could well be unprecedented.
With the rainfall showing sign of a let-up, there arises hope that life will return back to normal. Hope, we say, for the monsoon is still at its peak.
However, with citizens witnessing a relatively dry Sunday, expectations run high that the Sun God would smile back on us in the ensuing week and resuscitate our dampened spirits.
A bit of an oddity
During one of these wonted walks in the city on Sunday, the SJ team stumbled upon a perplexing sentence displayed on a hoarding at a fuel station. Odd right? But hold your horses.
It reads: “Pehle Indian phir Oil (First Indian and then Oil)”.
How many of us really read the mottos/tag lines that so many companies brag about on their labels?
But this one, it’s one to think about.
Such a profound take on our identity is the last thing you’d expect at an oil station where one is hassling to get the tanks filled.
Nonetheless, it is a great big world and wonderful coincidences like these are welcome surprises in the regularity of life; although most times regarded as a bit of an oddity.