Petrichor - An Ode to Rain

I recently learned that a person who loves rain is called a Pluviophile. Such a wonderful, magical word, isn’t it?

I love the rain. The smell of petrichor awakens joy inside of me. I would if I could capture and bottle up the musty, barky aroma of rain as it quenches the earth. Even the hint of rust in that whiff doesn't bother me. The sound of rain falling on the ground, the playful pitter-patter on the roof, fluid droplets trickling down the windowsill, splashing on the leaves, everything, every moment, is comforting. 

Thunder and lightning never gave me chills, either. They feel like a distant echo of my heartbeat pulsating into the vastness or a low, soothing rumble of a majestic drum. Rain is a therapeutic and pleasant experience for me; it always brings contentment.

I love the rain, but love is far from what you may feel if you live in Karachi. I may be a rare breed to see the beauty behind the chaos it brings.

Every time it rains in my city, panic follows. Flooded roads and traffic jams are common, with leaky roofs and overflowing blocked drainage systems not going easy on us either. Occasional electrocution is considerably controlled with load-shedding, but we don't necessarily need rain. People frown upon it, but that is what saddens me.

Have you seen the little glimpses of glee hidden in clear sight of the dreariness? Children squeal in delight and splash in the puddles. People gather over chai and *pakoras, chattering and laughing their worries away. Plants swaying with gratefulness for some much-needed hydration. The coolness of grey clouds as they shade us from the heat blocks the cantankerous sun. The air is cleansed off, dust settles, and vision clears. Have you yet to notice? How the water feels refreshing even in the taps? Sighs of relief escaping our lips go unnoticed like most good things around us.

The beauty of nature is stripped away by the shortcoming of humans. Why blame the rain when the chaos has nothing to do with it. Mismanaged infrastructure with an unplanned and faulty drainage system is just one of the few examples of what destroys is human, not nature. Don’t blame the rain; it only showers to give life.

The effect of the downpour also varies as per mood, but the outcome is always exhilarating, in one form or the other. Sometimes, I feel that it rains when I am the saddest. Sign from God? For me, it is. Even if it is a reoccurring coincidence, it is still comforting. Standing under the pour, feeling the raindrops on your face and your hands is extraordinary. It washes away all the dirt, grime, pain, and sadness; the darkness just vanishes. Poof.

No chaos can hinder it; it never will. Even if I wipe the wet floor of my room as the water leaks through the roof, I smile and look out the window. I long to be soaked in its purity; it takes away the weight of the world and replenishes the soul. 

Let it rain; I welcome it.