After storm, wisdom dawns

Maxwell Pereira

SO, you are finally back to India, with all the time for trivial exposure for all around. Welcome. I admire your planning though — winters in cold or colder west, and summers in north India — which this year, is even hotter than probably ever before’, wrote an insightful (now in his 80s) former boss on my social media page! I had just returned home to Gurugram after a four-month sojourn abroad with grandchildren and travels!

Before I could attempt explanation  for the logic behind my strange timing for ‘comfort-less’ seasons, the Lord changed the weather by sending in the storm! The aandhi struck unexpectedly to flip the living room carpets over, shove the arrangement of artificial flowers onto its side, disturb the flawless symmetry of frames and unhinge a picture from its hook on the wall, cause doors to shut violently with unnerving bangs and actually yank out a cupboard door that wasn’t shut tight.

A peep out the windows saw windswept trees, swaying from side to side to its powerful rhythm. Awestruck, I looked for my iPhone to record nature’s whiplash while dashing around preventing disasters and shutting the remaining doors and windows before more disaster could strike. Then a shocker, pitch darkness... a power cut!

I dropped everything to dash to switch off electrical appliances; can’t really suffer again the blowing up of fridge compressors, TV-tube, voltage-stabilisers and adapters that almost always succumb to the accompanying surge due to fluctuations.

Before I could even begin, the windstorm subsided, yielding to a welcome downpour, just as awe-inspiring if one cared to spare a moment to dwell on its beauty…and just as brief. I could now smell the glorious whiff of changed weather —from sweltering to cool, and look forward to my morning walk. The twilight had given way to swathes of black, and I wondered if stars would appear as grey clouds gave way to a clearer sky. The trees had invited the birds back to roost, with some hovering over branches while others chosen to frolic a bit longer. And yet I could discern the stubborn honk from the exuberant one that habits the trees around my house — wouldn’t be surprised if it came from the same family of peacocks that have made my terrace their home!

Once again, I resolve to check the emergency usefulness of the inverter, make appliances ‘surge’ proof, put door-stoppers and check for loose screws in cupboards….

I let my thoughts stray: the stronger and wiser you are, the more you will know, like the trees, just how much to bend without getting uprooted. Perhaps it’s not wise to expect everyone to remain with you in the storm. Welcome back those who do return, like the birds. Forgiveness heals. Companionship is needed.

Be nice to all because your strength of character depends on your roots and not their need to survive or their flights of fancy! Even when the skies turn blue again, there will be areas of grey. Accept those but dwell on the blue and the brilliant hues of the rainbow to uplift you. Remember, storms test the strength of your roots and values. Hold onto them to keep you grounded, till the worst passes. Storms never last.