Summer's here !!

It's officially summer here in Hyderabad. But nobody seems to have told the rain clouds . It's been raining so heavily for the last couple of days , it's just like the monsoon.

The coolers which had just been taken out in anticipation of another long , dry summer are back in storage. Perhaps we may need them after a week , but right now , it's really cool and pleasant.

Not that I don't like summer . When I was a kid , summer was the best season of the year . It was the time of our annual school holidays. Long lazy days lounging in my grandma's verandah, sleeping under the stars at night.......

As far as I can remember , we always slept on the terrace in the summer. It was my job to cool down the hot rooftop by pouring buckets of water on it. Right after sunset , I would climb up to the roof and diligently start watering . Ah , the smell , it was heavenly !!! The cool water on the hot baked roof rose up in steam with the most wonderful aroma , I can almost smell it right now.

Even when we moved to different houses , we always made sure that we had access to the terrace for our summer nights. The cool breeze and the whispering trees were a lullaby to tired bodies . And the beautiful starry sky provided hours of entertainment .......

We continued our tradition of sleeping out till I moved away to the US . And when I came back , I found that Hyderabad had been transformed from a sleepy city to a bustling metropolis where everyone lived in apartment blocks. Gone were my beloved houses with rooftop access. Everywhere they have been replaced with multi-storied blocks of flats.

It's been years since I went to sleep under the stars , but when summer approaches , my heart still longs for that simple pleasure....... If only wishes were horses......................