Sheikh Iraj

In Bangladesh, after the extremely hot summer, monsoon comes as a relief for all of us. Getting all soaked up in the first shower of the monsoon is an experience that cannot be compared to anything else. With the coming of the monsoon, the earth gradually regains life after months of dryness. Monsoon brings a beautiful change in nature; leaves shed their old dusty look and change to lush green and the world seems to sparkle under fresh rain drops. And there is a sweet, earthy smell in the air. There is even a term for it _ petrichor (PET-ri-kuhr) _ the distinctive scent of rain on parched earth after a dry spell.
“Brishti pore tapur tupur/ Nodi elo baan” (Rain falls/ River floods) is one of the rhymes that every Bangali knows by heart. The rains do have a deep influence on our literature. It would be hard to find an artist, a poet or a writer who has not been inspired by monsoon and not tried to incorporate its beauty in his/her work. Some of the legendary figures of Bangla literature, like Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Jasimuddin have written numerous poems and songs inspired by the rains.
Like the seasons, our lifestyles also change during monsoon _ from what we eat or wear to the games we like to play. Khichuri (rice and lentils cooked together) is a comfort food and in monsoon, it is a must have in every household. Alongside hot khichuri, we love to have ‘begun bhaji’ (fried brinjal), omelettes and different types of fish, especially hilsha. We like to wear light cotton clothes, waterproof sandals or shoes, and perhaps, a raincoat, but we never leave home without an umbrella. Even rickshaw-wallahs buy new plastic sheets to protect their passengers, and we do everything we can to make our homes rainproof.
When it is pouring outside, many youths prefer to stay in and read books, watch movies, play football, kabaddi or various indoor games. Travelling during monsoon is simply scintillating, but it is important to take the right precautions before going to beaches, hilly areas or on river cruises.
Whether you prefer to get wet in the rain or choose to stay indoors, monsoon has its own way to make delight us and feel alive. This week, Y&I talked to some youths about what monsoon means to them, what changes it brings in their lives, and activities they enjoy doing on rainy days.

Shounak Reza

I love the cloudy sky, rainfall, the way the plants in my balcony welcome the monsoon. One of the things that I love to do on a rainy day is to curl up with an Agatha Christie mystery novel. As an avid film watcher, I like to watch movies on a rainy day as well. Usually, I choose a mystery film from the 1940s or early 1950s to watch on such a day _ these films have a stylishly dark and mysterious atmosphere, and I really love watching these films on a rainy day when the sky remains beautifully dark. I cherish the days of monsoon with all my heart. After the rough summer months, monsoon makes the trees and plants around us lively all over again, and making our hearts cheerful once again.

Ratika Khandoker

I wish I were a frog _ it’s the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I hear the word monsoon rain. I can jump in the water, roll over in the mud, run tirelessly and contribute in nature’s own monsoon song. However, I can do all these anyway, even being a human, so what stops us from doing those? Maybe it is the mechanical life of ours that stops us. To me, monsoon is about the precious sweet memories of my childhood when it rained. I remember it being a hot day, and we cousins sitting in our village home, and one of us noticed the change in the colour of the sky. There were heavy dark clouds and terrifying, yet amusing, sound of thunder. There was something about that pre-rain moment that I believe brought out the frogs in us. So, when it finally started raining, we started dancing and singing.

Munzereen Shahid
When I was a child, monsoon meant getting drenched in the rain and ending up with a cold, with no particular regrets. However, monsoon right now typically means cozying up at home with a warm cup of tea and a good book. The enchantment of monsoon rain from my childhood still holds meaning for me, though. It brings back memories of playing with the rain water, making paper boats and dancing in the rain with my cousins. To date, I have still not figured out the mystery of how khichuri seems to taste instantly better when there is rain. Even though I might not get drenched in the rain as often as I did once, I feel nothing compares to the smell of earth just after rainfall.
Priyanka Rahman Khan

Monsoon is beautiful. I enjoy the sound of rainwater. When I am too energetic to sit calmly, I go out for a ride with friends to a nearby lake and watch the ripples in the water caused by rain drops. I enjoy watching children floating paper boats on the little puddles or streams caused by the rain. Last but not least, fried snacks with a hot cup of coffee is a must for me on a rainy day.

Sumaiya Akter

Monsoon never fails to cheer me up. On a typical rainy day, I like to seat on the balcony, watch the rain and enjoy some tea _ it feels like heaven. Sometimes I go out to the street and take a ride in a rickshaw, just to get drenched in the rain! I also admit the fact that monsoon brings laziness into me, but sometimes it is good for us to take a little break and relax while admiring the beauty of nature.

Barkatullah Saba
Nature is beautiful. It is beautiful when the sun shines to the fullest, it is beautiful when the moon is the brightest. But, perhaps, nature looks the best to me during monsoon. I love monsoon for so many reasons. Whenever the sky starts becoming darker and the little breeze starts touching my cheeks, my heart feels like dancing with the wind. People love hearing old music when it rains. I have a different mindset. I think the best music is the rain itself. Nothing can compare to the soothing tunes of the monsoon rain.

Mamun Sarwar

The sound of rain always finds a way to touch my heart, especially monsoon rain. I grew up in a village, so during monsoon, I feel like going back to the field to play football with my friends as I used to. I love my mother’s cooking and on a typical rainy day, I love to eat khichuri with hilsha fish. Some of my friends say I am old- fashioned, but nowadays I love to listen to  evergreen Bangla songs during monsoon. I live in Dhaka now and miss my mother’s cooking, but the monsoon wind reminds me of her. Every year during monsoon, some of my friends and I like to travel in different parts of the country.

Photos: File