On a rainy day This year, the summer season was unduly long and extremely hot compared to past years. The average temperature was between 25 degrees and 34 degrees Celsius. Adding to the misery, the water consumption was rising daily, sending an alarming hue and cry from the authorities. The schools had re-opened. The scorching sun and the stifling heat made our school life uncomfortable. One morning, just when the classes started, there was a sudden darkness. We saw threatening black clouds gathered in the sky. There were vivid flashes of lighting too. Suddenly it started to rain. In the beginning, it was only a drizzle; but soon the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. The rain continued for hours. We regretted not bringing our umbrellas. Some of my classmates rushed out to play in the rain refreshing themselves with the cool air and rain. The rain slowly receded and we all rushed out. The plight of the bus commuters was of course pitiable. Buses was late and overcrowded. Some of my friends decided to take a walk in the cool weather instead of standing in the long queue. Nearing home, I saw children playing with paper boats in the pool of water outside our center court yard. It is exhilarating to watch pouring rain and even more exhilarating to play in it. However, I was happy to be home and to be relieved of my wet clothes. Talk about a slow train journey. There is only train plying from X to Y, I had no other choice. The line is a narrow gauge. It passed through farming country and it mainly carried farm produce, although passengers were often using it too. At every station on the way to be loaded and unloaded involving much shunting which took a lot of time. It took nearly four hours for a distance of 60 km. I traveled once by that train. At first I could not believe that a train (in this age) could go so slowly. I had to put up with it. The train moved at a snail’s pace and one could almost get down and get back on it. I did not try it because it was not safe for such foolhardy experiments. The train stopped to pick up baskets of eggs, hens, vegetables and other farm produce. Naturally, those who traveled by this wonderful train were farm workers moving either form one estate to another or going to town for a change. The train was not clean. The familiar sights of newspaper and magazines were not found at the stations. The stations on the way were manned by a skeleton staff, the station master and the pointsman doing all the duties. There are only two trains for the whole day and life to them is boring. The journey was interesting for me and I got down whenever the train stopped to load or unload. There was no milling crowd of color I could see. There was not even a soft beverage to drink I could see. How they shunted the wagons. It was interesting to see the people who came to take their goods. There were all sorts of baskets, hampers and baggages. One of the loading was done, the train would start again and go on. Since the train ran through farming country. I could see farms all the way, with their gardens, poultry, cattlesheds and granary. I couldn’t see any tall building. I could see a calf looking with fear at the streaming train: a half of naked boy goggling at the passing train and people engaged in the farming activities. . found at the stations. The stations on the way were manned by a skeleton staff, the station master and the pointsman doing all the duties. There are only two trains for the whole day and life. On a rainy day This year, the summer season was unduly long and extremely hot compared to past years. The average temperature was between 25 degrees and 34 degrees Celsius. Adding. wagons. It was interesting to see the people who came to take their goods. There were all sorts of baskets, hampers and baggages. One of the loading was done, the train would start again and