It is currently 5 pm. The sky bleeds a vivid orange, patching itself up with the calm grey of the rain clouds. It seemed the big guy had taken notice of our chronic water shortage, and decided to shut us all up for good with week upon week of "leaving the tap on". I squeeze every last drop of milkshake out of the carton, trying my best to think happy thoughts during this tumultuous hour.

 

When it rains here in the hills, you can bet that people will never make up their minds about it. Some find it refreshing; calling it a burst of nature's joy sprinkling over the gardens of men. Others call it a nuisance that brings nothing more than panic to get the pants of the clothesline and causes wood to swell until the doors can never shut without taking down a section of the wall. But you see, it's all about perspective. Normally, I'd attribute the rain to a depressing pathetic fallacy, as my own crumbling self esteem would be reflected by every drop the from torrents above. But tonight, sitting under the shelter of my glorified cow-shed, the rain brings a sensual ambiance over the land. It provides a soothing background score to my work that makes it ever harder for me to stay awake in this soft, slushy bed.

 

The drama of it is impeccable. Everything at my disposal; the steamy mug of noodles, the cold metallic water bottle, the warm cozy blanket, the steady supply of reading entertainment and my trusty laptop. The loveliness of the night may seem inconsequential in the grander scheme of things, but the simple joy of writing coupled with the romance of the rain is something that deserves acknowledgement, and should never be taken for granted.

 

The simplest of joys in life are often the ones that are overlooked, and lost even quicker in the hectic day-to-day of ours. Something as small as cracking a good laugh with friends, or getting a minimal amount of prep from Mr. Jacob trigger a burst of joy that often surges through our veins like lightning, and disappears just as quick.

 

It’s this child-like joy that we tend to forget; this innate ability to just be happy for the sake of it, to live every day as if it were the only one that mattered. We’ve forgotten how easy it is to be happy, and so today, at the end of an old year, and at the start of a new one, I ask all those who have been kind enough to subscribe to Zenith this year to take joy in the little things in life. Because at the end of the day, that's what truly keeps us happy.

 

Godspeed.

Aditya Wankhede