28th July, 2008 in Mumbai!

It was a perfect rainy day. It has been raining for the past 4 days since last Friday. 26th July was a Saturday so most of the offices have a weekend off (There was no panic due to the hysterically rain). The rain continued even on Sunday. And then came Monday (Office sucks on Monday more than on any other day). It was raining through the entire morning, but the panic started building in the afternoon after lunch when the rain decided to work the whole day without even a lunch break. We could see the traffic jam on the eastern express highway and water logging reports were coming from all our well-wishers. By 3.00 PM the panic had turned into fear of 26th July. People started leaving office to reach home safety (*sign*). By 3.30 PM there was a e-mail from admin stating ‘Due to heavy rains people are permitted to leave early today’ ;-)
That was all which was needed and all started discussing plans for reaching home. I decided to take a BEST bus instead of train (so that I would walk if there is a traffic jam). I announced this to my bus-going friends that today they will get a chance to enjoy my company in bus (*signs*). By the time I packed my bags and reached the ground floor, my friends were waiting for me by a taxi. So it was decided to go by taxi then, there was no other option because firstly I had asked them to accompany me and secondly they are my “Friends”.
We had to decide between two routes. One via Ghodbandar Road (GR) and the other via Powai. We decided to go with the first. We started towards our destination and it was going fine as from outside the rain did not look that terrifying. There was no much traffic too; in fact it looked better than normal Mondays. We reached the start of GR and found a huge queue of vehicles waiting to enter. After a 5 mins wait the traffic seemed unmovable. So we decided to take a ‘U’ turn and go back via Powai (offfffffff!). If I was alone I could have preferred to take a ST bus to Thane from Boravli. But…………………….
We started back on the same route. Another half an hour ride and then taking a “shortcut” via Array colony and then via a “shortcut” through Powai Hiranandani and then……………………………so on. We reached Mulund at 7.30 PM (Finally……….at our normal office timings). While our friends who took the normal bus at 4.30 PM reached home at 6.00 PM (funny, contradicting………but true!). The worst news came when I reached home after a “Joy ride” of three and half hour. My mom broke the news that the trains were all working fine and take to better than the usual days as my brother had reached home from his college at Worli after leaving at 5.00 PM. That too with less effort and suffering then me.
I have to tell you this truth that I reached home in 45 mins on the actual raining 26th July even after leaving the office in dilemma at 4.00 PM in a colleague’s car (fortunate…….if u want to say). I felt that the day before yesterday rains was not even half the intensity of 26th July. But the reasons for the devastating Monday were according to me:
· Rumors from our well-wishers (Thanks anyways we got a half day…as nobody worked post lunch)
· Superfluous Panic
· My foolishness of not taking a Public transport (Taxi expenses were Rs. 533 plus Toll Rs. 65 plus a tip to the taxiwala for a rollercoaster ride Rs. 25…….it looks like it was a joy ride for him not us!)
· The most important………………..’A lazy Monday’ (weekends are never enough! ;-))
This reminds me of the nursery rhyme:
Rain rain go away,
Come again another day.
Little Johnny wants to play;
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
Never show your face again!