It’s raining and you’re looking to keep yourself entertained as you stay indoors. Indian monsoons are often laden with an indescribable feeling of nostalgia as you’re surrounded by shades of lush green. You’ll find yourself surrounded by the aroma of freshly made crispy fritters in the air. The weather outside is cool and calm, and with the undertone to your mood set right – you need to find fun and unique ways to make sure you’re not wasting your time.
We round up some exciting ideas from our Zivame community. From monsoon memories to traditions that they carried forward, here’s where you hear it first!
Mohitha Kumaran comes to us with the story of a dotting mother creating memories of a lifetime with her little one. She believes these souvenirs eventually echo the nostalgia that her daughter will take forward with her. A rainy day indoors starts with them in their cookhouse – brewing some hot chocolate and experimenting with healthy snack recipes. Their last adventure led them to discover their very own “Spicy Waffle” that they later munched on while watching all their favourite comedy sitcoms.
For someone who enjoys the sunlight and his fair share of open-door adventures, Anil Kumar spends rainy days with gusto and the urge to eventually step out to the great outdoors. He has his go-to timetable that keeps him entertained and supports his solitude. It starts off with hot coffee, watching movies and reminiscing about his childhood where he would look out of the window to discover animals like frogs and sometimes even a dancing peacock. When dusk is near, it’s time to don the chef’s hat when he cooks his favourite Methi Mutton recipe and finishes it with delicious kebabs and dosa.
For Melin Sunny, who grew up in the cosy metropolitan Mumbai, her monsoon memories are linked to praying for holidays from school. When her wish came true, she would gather her friends from the neighbourhood and together cook up a treat. Her mother’s famous recipe “Rai Ka Tadka Wala Maggi” was always a crowd favourite. Our days passed by relishing the piping hot dish, glued in front of the screen watching and rewatching Bollywood classics. From Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, our hearts and stomachs were filled with joy. To this day, she reminisces fondly and follows her very own rainy-day tradition
A fan of rainy days, Hiba Shahana has always associated the smell of fried samosas wafting through the air with the monsoon. While fully embracing this desi tradition with her mother, she also likes to spend some me-time. It’s almost therapeutic as she picks up her make-up brush to work on her skills, as she watches the cloudy skies outside the window. Just when it’s about to pour outside, she cuddles up with her cat as she reads webcomics or plays the mobile game “Genshin Impact”. She escapes reality momentarily as she transports into the scenic sights of the open-world game where she can climb the highest mountain peak or row a boat travelling to endless possibilities.
Rahul Garg looks forward to the monsoon season so he can dissolve into a sea of blankets with a hot cup of coffee. He finds himself entertained by rounding up a list of his “Old-Movies Bucketlist and binging through them with relentless focus. From Casablanca to Citizen Kane, Psycho, Irma La Douce, or Seventh Seal, there’s always something that piques his interest. If nothing else, there’s always a Star Wars marathon awaiting. He lives his monsoon days ruled by the saying, “May the Rains be with you, and here’s hoping you don’t get stuck in traffic!”
Pijush Chakraborty has a monsoon tale for the books! Picture a young boy growing up in the Bengal countryside, surrounded by ponds swarming with fish. Monsoon for him, meant more than just incessant rainfalls where his friends would bring out their mosquito nets to catch and take home with them – an equally divided school of fish. He would rush home to his mother with his trophy and she would cook a meal of fresh “fish fry and khichdi’. To this date, this remains his monsoon comfort food.
Heidi Thomas
Heidi Thomas
Heidi is here for all the “write reasons” If she’s not reading a book or drinking coffee, then she’s on the hunt for a good pun!
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