Rain Dance - Part 2

Two years ago, at Teach for India’s training institute in Pune, I found myself in the middle of a rain dance [see:  Rain Dance] with a bunch of strangers who were enroute to becoming friends. Today, in a completely different part of the country, I found myself in a very familiar situation.

 *****

It’s funny. I was sitting at the steps, watching some of the guys play football, and thinking to myself that I really wanted to join them. But I was held back partly by my own lack of knowing-how-to-kick-a-ball, and largely by my inhibitions.

Never thought I'd actually end up playing.

*****

It was a Friday afternoon

Classes were over

The laziness was engulfing

The wind refreshing

The weekend inviting

Conversations relaxed

The football game, entertaining

The sky was dark

So dark, that
It was hard to tell it was still afternoon
We knew it was coming
After all, it’s Bangalore
It rains all the time
Usually for a few seconds
And if it so decides
Then for a few minutes
A few droplets here and there
 
But today, the sky was dark
The clouds were rolling in
One after the other
Leaving you wondering
Just when they would let go
But they didn’t
They just seemed to pass by
Or maybe
They were gathering reinforcements

Because the moment did come

Not with a few trickles falling down your cheeks
But with heavy drops
Enough to clear the basketball court
Enough to push a surge of people
To the safety of indoors
And enough
To push me in the opposite direction

I have no idea why I did it

But standing in that cramped room
Watching the rain come down in a frenzy
I just knew that the place I wanted to be
Was on the other side of the doors

So just this once

I decided not to care
About the fever
About hypothermia
About the incredulous stares

And stepping out

I could feel every drop drench my clothes
The wind smattering me in the face
Shoes quickly filling with water
The cold numbing my ears
A smile on my face that refused to leave
Excitement that I hadn’t realized was there
Surrounded by half a dozen friends
Friends, as crazy as myself
And most importantly
With a football in my hand

And I kicked it

(Incorrectly, as I was later informed)
And we ran
And we jumped
And we sang
And we yelled
And we fell
And we froze
And in those few moments
I felt so alive
Playing football
On a basketball court
In the rain

It felt great
Knowing, that

The rain dance

Was back again