Hi, dear readers!

First snapshot from my life is here.  Hurrayy! Okay, paper doesn't reciprocate my enthusiasm, sadly. Well, you all can, right here in the comment section. Oh, why am I digressing from the topic?

You might be wondering what does the title mean. Well, 'Yash' was a name given to a storm that was supposed to strike my place. Before you search google and all about which places Yash struck in India, let me reduce your work. It is West Bengal. Ya, I live in Kolkata in West Bengal. 

Last year, Amphan was a big devastating storm that struck West Bengal. Its horrendous aftermath had left all of us shocked. So automatically, the storm  Yash  called for even more preparedness, and awareness. People didn't wish to take any chances.

On 26th May 2021, the storm 'Yash' was supposed to strike our place.  The past memory of Amphan had haunted us. So, this news which was being circulated in all channels 24*7. And eventually it created a big commotion in my household. 

To be honest, Amphan had left a deep imprint on my mind. It had affected me quite badly. I had lost pieces of my childhood. Many trees which were connected to my childhood memories had been struck down by the heavy storm, so Yash had scared me to the very core. I was wondering how many more trees do I have to bid goodbye this time. 

The Government's continuous bulletins made it all even worse. It seemed like Amphan was just like a 'trailer' and Yash would be 'the big picture.'

Don't get me wrong, but in spite of the vivid horrors I had witnessed during Amphan last year, and though being aware of the disastrous consequences of any storm, I loved storms! It was onething that often made me feel very guilty. The dark clouds, the strong winds, the torrential rain, all of this made me happy. Often I felt maybe I live in the city, far away from the coastal areas, so I am not aware how destructive a storm could be. Maybe because I was a privileged girl, I was in love with storms. This made me feel maybe I was an wicked person. An un-empathetic evil little girl.

Anyways, letting those thoughts aside, let me not bore with my moral questions. Before you deduce that I am a little insane, let me directly go to the part that deals with the upcoming storm.

Okay, let's begin with the day before the storm. The day before the storm, as usual the weather bulletins were blaring out from our radio, all day long.  Government officials were riding a 'toto', making annoucements and reminding us about the safety measures that should be undertaken. Many of you would be unfamiliar with a concept of  a 'toto'.  I would try to explain this bizzare vehicle. Well, it runs on battery, and has got three wheels. The driver sits on the front, behind his seat, there are two wide seats opposite to each other, where four people usually fit. Its like a car, but with seats on both sides, and only the roof portion is covered. From sides we can get wet when it rains. But I think the main purpose of not covering the sides is to make sure we see people going about their lives, and get greeted with unenthusiastic facial expressions, as the toto passes by the pedestrians. Sometimes the bus riders even spit, and the uncovered structure of the toto, might result in you getting drenched in that spit, if you are a little unlucky. Totos are mostly ignored. And toto riders are mostly disrespected. Pedestrians never hold 'toto' in high esteem. The reason being it is the cause of all the congestion in local areas, which makes it absolutely impossible for pedestrians to pass. 

 If I am a toto rider, I become  the victim, and when I am a pedestrian I make sure I give slangs to the toto riders. Ya, that is the example of our hypocrisy. And don't judge me. I am a hypocrite too like the vast majority. Okay, so back to toto's purpose in life. Toto in bengali means the onething that never stops. I sometimes feel that was the best name it could have got. I never know when a toto actually stops. It travels from one place to another all the time. It ferries people to local places, and charges money for the distance it has to cover. Its like a bus, which many different kinds of people can ride at once, but just like the bus the toto drivers too have a different level of positivity, and hope. Even though the seats are absolutely full, and more people cannot come in, yet the toto drivers yell "They will shift a little. You will fit sir, you will fit. You sit in the back seat. Other passengers will adjust'.  If you try to reason with them, it will be futile. If you by chance say, 'Dada, the maximum occupancy has been reached.' The toto drivers would shake their head in disapproval. You will feel a sense of foreboding, as if you had let  them down. Yes, you have. In their mind, they have already pictured you as a 'rich luxurious person'. Mostly, in our country, people adjust in that toto only. After you denied to get on that toto, the toto drivers would leave without further ado. But unfortunately, they must have already made tons of judgements about your character in their mind. You can't help it. 

Some people actually choose to ride such over crowded 'totos', though it is not a very sound decision  unless he is in a hurry. Why do they agree on this?  I never know. They have to sit uncomfortably throughout the journey. And all because of the driver's  'strong belief' that everyone will fit. Mostly people fit, but just for namesake. 

What did I do? I was talking of Yash, but kept on venting my frustration on toto. Well, one cannot help it, when one gets the opportunity.  Totos can be very frustrating...also helpful at times. My hypocrisy! 

Back to story. 

Okay, so the government officials on toto, patrolled my neighbourhood area in regular intervals. They were doing it so many times, that I even got irriated after sometime. People were anxious about the next day. And whenever such anxious situations occurs, my mother gets all hyper. She kept going on about the stuff that we needed to get by today, as tomorrow no shops would be open. Father kept on listening, but every human being was bound to forget some of her items, as there was no written list.  Father went out to get the stuff, mother asked for. But when he returned, no doubt, he had missed out on some of her stuff. Mother became furious, and my father listened to her angry rebukes in resignation. 

Well, I guess this happens in every household. My father knows opening his mouth to defend himself, would cause another explosion. So he knew better, and kept quiet.

I went to sleep, after a busy day, hoping I would wake up to thunderstorms. 

Alas, it was not the case. I woke up, to my astonishment, and found a perfectly clear sky, with no sign of dark clous or rain. Did they make a wrong forecast? Well, that is not possible. My mother said the storm was not due until afternoon. I sighed, and went about my daily chores. I am a horrible child, to be honest. I hardly help with household work. 'Going about my daily chores' means staring into void, reading books, or doing nothing at all.  Ya, bit of an irony. 

A little later in the morning, I found the humidity has dissipated. I heaved a sigh of relief. No more wrath of the angry glaring sun, now its time for a bit of rain. Wo hoo!

But..it seems god had different ideas. Though the sky was darkened with clouds, and signs of a heavy storm were on the way, it was nothing like Amphan. No comparison. My mind perhaps was being judgmental, as I was comparing it to the previou storm continuously. Maybe, I was being biased to this storm. Well, I read what I just wrote, and it didn't make any sense. 

Gentle breeze blowed. I was sitting next to the window, waiting for destruction to strike my place. This very sentence made you feel uneasy right? It makes me uneasy all the time. How hypocrital am I! 

The morning passed with little activity, and signs of growing impatience. I kept feeling 'Here the storm comes' 'Now the storm will come' 'Where on earth did the storm disappear'? Adding insult to injury, my sister brought me video clips of Hoogly, which her friends had sent. They had clearly seen the waves forming in the river. How I wish I had witnessed that!

It started drizzling in my area. My hopes were high again, I stared out of the window expectantly. Oh god, this Yash is like my maths test, which is a synonym of 'a test of patience' for me. And I seriously lack patience. 

Am I rambling for way too long? Well, don't worry its time to wrap up. I kept on waiting, for a storm that was never going to come. My mother was glued to the TV, watching the places where Yash was already creating a mess. Our area remained unaffected. Darkness enveloped our area all day long, and occasional raining occurred. But it didn't even compare to a 'Kal Baisakhi' let alone Amphan. Kal Baisakhi here is a local storm, which is quite fierce. 

I decided to not dampen my spirits anymore and enjoy whatever has come our way. I went up to the terrace, sat on my swinging chair. The winds swept past my body, making me feel cold, and shivery. Yet I loved that sensation....I felt I was being transported to a different world, far away from the one in which I was living in. The winds were carrying me to some magical place.. I watched the rain silently, as the day closed in.....

Maybe, Yash had not come to our locality, yet the sweetness of monsoon had not ditched us. And monsoons were undoubtedly my favourite time of the year. I love to observe the rain quietly, brood and do nothing at all. That is my idea of enjoying the monsoons. 

Darkness still kept us company. I didn't mind. I love the darkness too. Favourite time of the day. But if I speak metaphorically, the fact that monsoon was finally here, giving us a break from the wrath of the scorching sun had already enlivened the darkness around me. Monsoon, to me, was  a breath of fresh air. The puddles, the nonstop rain, the fierce winds, the smell of monsoon, the wet mud, the water logged streets, everything is very close to my heart. I just don't feel the rain, I crave the rain!