The Sound of Rain

Have you heard it ? Most of us have.
Have you listened to it ? Some of us have.

Let me explain what I call "The Sound of Rain". When it rains, rain drops communicate with all things, animate and inanimate, on its way to meet mother earth. Each meeting results in various notes. When it rains in a flat country, pretty much similar notes are produced. When it rains in a forest, depending upon whether you are on the ground or up above in the sky, the sounds that you hear are different. When it pours, the ferocity drowns out any note that would love to stand out from the crowd. So you dont get to hear the sound produced by water coming into contact with a tin lid. However when it drizzles, these very same notes swim through your ear canals in distinct waves. Each wave produces various sensations. Each of us will have their own favorites.

I love the sound of approaching rain. In Kerala, where I grew up, rain could be heard before it hits you. The intensity increase when rain approaches, and once it is all over you, you may not notice that the intensity has reduced since you are now enjoying the rain itself.

I love the sound of rain at night. When all of us ( noisy by various levels ) are getting down to sleep, the rain drons on. When the wind fancies its chances against the laterite walls, rain lashes at your windows. When the wind drops, there is a calmth. Almost as if it is waiting for you to open your window. Have you opened... If so then you would have felt the cold drops against your face.

I love the sound of rain falling on the roof when I am comfortably in my house. I have always felt it very soothing.

I love the sound of rain, when I am in the class room. It forces the teacher to give us some exercises since she cant shout over the din. Right from 5th standard, in all the three schools that I studied there were large grounds allowing rain to dance with the winds which had brought them over here. While in my 8th standard until 10th, my school was located on a rocky hill. In the first floor of this building, rain will howl its way through the class rooms. You will hear the stampede of the students who had been on the play grounds rushing to reach their classes. We enjoyed shouting as much as we could while climbing up the stairs.

I love the sound of rain, when it has ceased to rain. Yes, you got it right. The small drops of water falling from the roof in an increasingly slowing rate in to the puddles of water collected below. Water coming out through the just unclogged roof top pipes.

When rain stops making music, another conductor takes over. Children merrily run out to play in the pools of water collected. Elder persons would be talking away about how this used to be nothing compared to their childhoods. A wet dog here will be seen making its way from the poor shelter provided by some wall or nook. The house cat would have come out and will be stretching its legs. You can see lots of crows ( if you are lucky some other birds too ) resuming the flight towards theirs nests. I consider all the above to be part of "The Sound of Rain".