Rain, rain, come again

The butterfly effect is a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Small variations of the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system. 

The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. While the butterfly does not cause the tornado, the flap of its wings is an essential part of the initial conditions resulting in a tornado.

If you gulp in drain water and burp, you will be happy.

If you see someone else doing that too, you will be happier.

We were four together. Me, Faraz, Veejay and Ghajini. It was about to rain. As also, we were about to finish our evening expedition with a last helping of 'paani' from the 'chaat' vendor. We crossed the huge divider which separated the main road and were about to head back to the library, just when we passed by another hotel. It was tempting.

"How about tea?" Ghajini suggested.

"What!? Tea?", I questioned. 

"Eh! we'll go. It'll start raining any time", the other two added, a little worried.

Looking to capitalise on the worries of weak hearts, I changed heart.

"Why not. After all, its a nice thing in this weather", I said, and rushed into the hotel.

Minutes later, me and Ghajini were sipping tea while it started to drizzle. The other two just stood watching us. I made appreciative noises at the flavour of the tea.  

"What is life without some adventure. We shall get wet in the rain. After all, we will live for another fifty more years minus four weeks. We shouldn't die poorer by a cup of tea. What say?", I teased them.

Streaks of light flashed in the sky. Seconds later, they were followed by wild thunders. The drizzle had matured into a full fledged rain. The rain got heavier. It poured. Before we could realize, we were caught in rain. The three looked at me. They stared at me.

'Adventure guys, adventure. Whats life without some adventure. We can run. I'll run. Will someone follow me?', I said pompously.

Veejay put on a forced smile on his face as if to say 'You sadist!' and blurted, "Maga, if you fall in a drain, you will go home free of cost. You can just sail through. You mom will be throwing garbage and you can come up from the drain and say 'Hi mom! Im back home!'."

At this, there was a gush of laughter. I joined them too. Humour is always to be appreciated, you see!

He continued, "Or you may even come up from the commode in your house!" 

There was a roar now and I again joined them in their frivolity. 

I bent down and folded my pants at the ends and got into a sprinting pose before announcing 'Anyone following me? I'll be running now'.

Expressionless faces were to be met with. Without waiting any longer, I rushed into the rain. The rain was as heavy as I had thought it to be. None else was to be found on the footpath except for a lone girl with an umbrella. Just when I was thinking of asking her to share it with me, she closed it and boarded a bus. I was all alone again. She read my mind, didn't she? I had to jump a couple of puddles and splash water before I stood at the zebra crossing waiting for the signal to turn green. Vehicles were speeding and the signal seemed to remain red till eternity. I dodged my way through the cars and ran across the road before the speeding bike could hit me dead. I had to run again to save myself from a speeding car. I ran and jumped onto the footpath. Before I realized anything, I was in a drain head-to-toe covered by gutter water. My mouth had a few stones which I repeatedly kept spitting. I was afraid, but only for a while. I got out of the drain and started laughing. Someone shouted from behind but I didn't turn back. I kept laughing and started to run. Then I realised the futility of running and began to walk. I thought I'll write a blog. I laughed more.

When I saw myself in the mirror. I had leaves, of all sizes, on my face. The girl outside might have seen me with this on my face. I had nick-named her 'tribal girl'. Now who had more forest characteristics?!, I thought.

I had cleaned my face several times. The leaves were still there. I took off my shirt and rinsed it too. A brownish water flowed out of it. I didn't question myself much on the colour of the water. All of a sudden, I remember what Veejay had said minutes earlier, swimming in the drain and saying 'Hi mom!'. I started to laugh at myself. I was strolling in the corridor when the other three came a little while later.

"Maga, you know what? I fell in the drain!", I admitted.

Two out of the three burst into bouts of laughter and screamed loudly "He fell into the drain as well. Not once but twice!"

Veejay stood there smiling at me. I scanned him carefully. He stood shamelessly.

If you gulp in drain water and burp, you will be happy.

If you see someone else doing that too, you will be happier.

What followed was frenzy.

"The first time he fell, he came up and said 'what the f*** was that'. I gave him a hand and he was walking along. Barely had he moved 5 steps when he fell again. This time he was swimming in the gutter.", Ghajini was rotating both his hands to show how he had swum. 

While he was still rolling his hands, the furore grew. Unable to control the laughter, a few almost rolled on the floor. I held my stomach tight and began to gasp for breath. Ghajini approached me and enquired if I was alright. I gasped and bursted out again. It went on for several minuted. All of us had settled down on the floor when a fatso came and warned us of dire consequences if we continued howling. The 'noise' subsided. 

With tears in his eyes, one of them remarked, "Only if you had skipped the bloody cup of tea.."

"Half a cup", I corrected.

"Okay, half a cup. Only if you could have skipped that half a cup of tea..."

I said "You would have missed all the fun", and spilled the laughter remaining inside.

Others followed suit.

"Half a cup makes a drain of difference", one of them remarked wisely!