Pune sizzles

This was the lead story in all newspapers yesterday in Pune. The temperature had crossed 42.6 degrees and it definitely was lead story material no question about that.(did I give away that I have a newspaper connection somewhere?). I could not believe that Pune could record such temperatures. But then the newstory mentioned that the earlier occasion was in april 1981. I was very much here in Pune then. I do not recall ever feeling very hot and huffing and puffing in Pune ever.It could be that I was busy and buzzling about to notice and comment on such trivial matters as summer temperatures. It is also possible that mind plays games with us sometimes. Perhaps J also has a point when she says, it is usual for everyone to believe that the current year is the worst summer whereas when we look up the met office records invariably they are wrong.

It happens more often in cities like Pune or Bangalore where the senior citizens feel the city has changed beyond comprehension due to rapid urbanisation.As an outsider you are made to feel that somehow you are to blame for the state of the weather.

I immediately asked for a aircooler to be installed at home. They came instantaneously and while they were fixing it up I thought I never could believe that I would be having a aircooler at home in Pune. When I had come here for the first time after marriage, I was told that our house does not have a single fan. I panicked in the true Madrassi fashion, who needs her roti, kapda and makan with fans. But I was assured that I would never need one. After a few days I insisted that I need a fan. A rickety old table fan of unknown vintage was dragged out and fixed in our room. It used to circulate lot of air alright but made such a noise that it disturbed S. I slept through and he would get up and switch it off. Which is when I would wake up and quietly switch it on again. This game went on for a while and it had to stop sometime. It was a great event at home when I came back from office and was told to inspect the new ceiling fan installed. It called for some sort of celebration.

And now more than 25 years later, an air cooler ushered in such a happy mood.

I was also amazed at the sharp contrast in the climate and environment when I had come here last in October. It was unusually cold and it was with great difficulty I used to go for my morning walks. The pathway from my house to the jogging track used to be lined with flower beds and flowers of all shapes and colours used to be inviting and pleasing the eye. My mood used to lift immediately and I would be floating on a bed of euphoria throughout my walk. The jogging track used to be lined with asoka tress and the mist would be clearing slowly and sharp and pencil straight yellow rays would be piercing through.The lawns and the entire campus used to look painted a vivid green. It was good to be alive.

Now the campus looks forlorn and the roses are there no doubt but they are shrunk and want to be left alone.The saving grace is the jasmine bushes.The white scented flowers cover the entire bush and the nithyamalli flowers and the jasmine together waft into the house and give a joyous feeling. Y used to say thank god there is summer, we can have mangoes. I want to say now thank god for the summer, for there is mallippo.