GLIMPSES of summer are felt by the beginning of March. Initially, the mornings are pleasant but one starts perceiving the heat during afternoons. As the days pass by and we proceed towards April and May the scorching heat takes over all other pleasant feelings. Body is scorched by the hostile heat if one dares to move out unprotected throughout the day. Even at night their is no respite from the heat. We all living in Central India are used to such a routine every year. We have developed many ways to make us comfortable in the midst of hot weather which remains a challenge for almost three months. But this year was an exception. The un-seasonal rains drastically reduced the temperature and made our life very comfortable. It almost made us feel as if living at a hill station. Met office came out with a record saying such a comfortable April was felt almost fifty years ago. People from my generation were lucky to have experienced such a pleasant summer twice in a life time. People from other parts of our country are reluctant to visit here during these days fearing the heat. But those living here have developed various means to overcome this adversity, be it by a desert cooler, or cooling mat curtains or these days the air conditioners.

 

Wrapping a white turban covering both the ears and head is the best way to move out during a torrid summer afternoon. By adapting these various methods people not only carry out their routines efficiently as in other days but overcome these challenging days and come out successfully. Undergoing or being a witness to many such adversities is common during our life time. It is not uncommon to notice a small sapling appearing out of the apparently dried mercilessly cut and left out stump of a chopped out tree trunk. Ants are seen failing multiple times before they succeed in carrying a prey larger than their size to a safe place. A new born baby learns with difficulty to stand and walk with a bipedal gait or it is only after many difficulties we learn riding a bicycle. Even in the daily routines a working women bears the brunt when suddenly in the morning it is clear that the housemaid will not be able to attend to her duty even for a day. The heat of leaving the work at domestic front to the elderly parents or in-laws drains her out mentally and physically.

 

The senior elderly due to age are scorched out carrying out the work which they used to accomplish smoothly when they were young. The other family members suffer if a logical solution is not endorsed leaving everybody in misery. Our life fortunately is always a blend of some summers in the midst of a long spring. The summer continues to burn unless worked upon by either natural blessings or after intervening with the necessary changes. Similarly an adversity can be amended in a favourable way by making some small changes in ones life so as to enjoy a pleasant summer in future. The mind can get some soothing while experiencing such rough weather if we are aware of the famous song from Hindi movie ‘Piya ka Ghar’ written by Anand Bakshi sahab and beautifully presented by legendary duo Kishore Kumar and Lataji. ‘Yeh jeevan hai iss jeevan ka Yehi hai yehi hai Yehi hai rang roop.’