My friend, former colleague, and enterprising photojournalist Harshada Rege took this arresting picture with her cell phone from a stationary vehicle on the monsoon’s first day in Mumbai. It shows a cold, wet, and dark city from within the safe and dry confines of a car. Water snakes slither down the window. Daylight fading before a grey overcast sky. The taillight of a car caught in the inevitable traffic jam blazing red in defiance of the rain. The city’s towers bracing for the season. It is a sight all of us are familiar with and will be seeing regularly till the end of September now that the rains have officially come to the city.
This time the monsoon entered Mumbai on silent feet late on Saturday night. Without the sound and fury of thunder and lightning. Almost like a respectful English butler or secretive Russian diplomat. Not my words but those of the poet Dom Moraes. I am grateful the monsoon chose a weekend to make its entry after bashfully waiting on the sidelines for a month and keeping us sweating. We had all of yesterday to get used to the rain. Imagine waking up on a cold and dreary Monday morning to find that the monsoon was with us. Yet, for all the time it took to come here, how many of us are ready with our Stag umbrellas and Duckback raincoats?
I like waking up to the noise of rain clattering on the roof. It is a soothing sound. Like the lady upstairs was watering her plants. Mumbai outside my window looks like a pretty watercolor hung up to dry. Yesterday’s rain must have galvanized the weatherman into action. I can imagine him at his weather bureau in the southernmost tip of Mumbai. At the edge of the sea. A box of colors opens before him. Wondering whether to paint an orange or yellow alert for the city. Not red. That is a military alert. Meaning an enemy attack is imminent. The monsoon is not an enemy. It is a friend. And I am glad that is here. Better late than never.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have been featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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