Monsoons have arrived in Kerala, I informed my Mom. Time to get our monsoon gear ready. Oh it will take at least 3 days to reach us, my mother assured me, firmly convinced that the monsoon will be boarding the Howrah-Trivandrum Express. Thus assuaged, I went off to sleep with no rainy thoughts clouding my brain.

 I lay, slumbering peacefully, lulled by a gentle pitter-patter outside. Boom! I sat up suddenly on the bed as my window lit up followed by the earsplitting sound of thunder. The gentle drizzle had turned into a torrent and as I peered outside I could only make out a white sheet of water cascading from the inky black sky. The Monsoon had arrived with a Bang!

I hastily tried to get ready for office yearning to take a rainy day off. Don't behave like a spoilt kid, I chided myself, you know that you cannot afford to lose a day. Better check the local news first, I thought as I switched on the TV. A grim face appeared on the screen for an instant then everything went black. Uh-Oh! The electricity board had decided to team up with Mother Nature rendering me completely powerless. Running water was the next to go. I hurriedly dry-cleaned myself, hoping to brave the weather Gods en route to office.

My mouth gaped in astonishment as I looked at the vast expanse of water instead of the busy thoroughfare. Not a vehicle in sight. No worries, I encouraged myself, I will make it yet. For the first time I noticed that a few bricks had been placed randomly within the water, making it convenient for people to cross the road without wetting their feet. I blessed the Good Samaritan silently as I proceeded to hop, skip & jump, brick to brick. This sure beats all adventure games hollow, I mused to myself, experiencing an Adrenaline Rush every time my foot landed successfully on a wobbly brick. Heart-in-mouth I managed to clear the first level and found myself safely across.

I stared, aghast at what the future had in store for me. The road or what had been the road previously had been dug up to lay sewerage pipes along it. Now I would have to cross a ditch  filled with muddy water with the help of a rotting plank placed across it. I was tempted to cry Nahiii! Like the hapless Bollywood heroine of yesteryears. But with no hero around, I steeled myself to climb onto the perilous plank along with my co-passengers. We shuffled gingerly across it, like trapeze artists, arms akimbo, inching towards our destination. Finally we were there. I leapt on to the terra firma, causing the plank to tilt downwards and consequently dislodging the man behind me as I released the pressure by jumping off. I pretended to be deaf as curses rained down on me.  

A bus was waiting for us. I clambered on to it. My office was honoured when I strode in at last, a good 3 hours late, sporting a wild & wet look that would have put the Lakme supermodels to shame.