When it had rained relentlessly from early afternoon till late into the night last Monday, there were fears of another disaster like the one that had overtaken the city nearly 40 years ago. Boats had then plied on some roads like Amhearst Street and some areas of Behala when it was clear that the drainage system was incapable of coping with the downpour. This time the rain stopped on Tuesday but, revealing the drawbacks of the drainage machinery that have survived all these years, there were disturbing pictures telecast of people wading through waist-deep water. Municipal leaders were found engaging in a war of words with television anchors and claiming the situation was “quite normal”. That was an irony citizens had learnt to live with. What was of bigger concern to a colleague and, to be sure to plenty of fishloving people that many of the stalls in markets like Hatibagan and Lake Market were empty. The rain had taken a toll that had to be felt by the bazar babu. Fortunately,the vegetable vendors had enough stocks to be able to hold the prices level though one could expect a few to make the most of an emergency situation. But there is a always a brighter side to a rainy day that brings the familiar sight of waterlogged streets and street urchins helping passengers of stalled cars. It helps them with a quick earning that could provide an opportunity for a joyous feast of affordable khichuri cooked in a dry corner of the pavement. The home-made stuff tastes better because the cook doesn’t forget to mix the best varieties of rice and dalto reinforce the taste with chandramuki potato and cauliflower. Old khichuri connoisseurs will insist on fried brinjals and onion pakoras with a few drops of ghee to make the experience quite heavenly.More discerning non-veg lovers may actually risk a journey through flooded streets to reach a well-known eating place at Shyambazar five-point crossing which has thrived on a preparation of kasha mangshofor well over half a century. More classy establishments may have the means to draw the affluent classes. The real attractions of Kolkata&’s monsoon cuisine lie in the telebhaja that draws animated crowds to small outlets in Bagbazar and cutlets served in a century-old restaurant at the crossing of College Street and Mahatma Gandhi Road.There are many more who have been confined to their workplaces – students, office-goers and daily wage earners. No one objected when they took a break when the rain came with thunder and lightning. They may have plunged into impromptu sessions of music and recitation.With Tagore poems and songs on many lips and mouthfuls of crispy puffed rice mixed with spicy attractions, it was an evening many would remember with less work and abundant joy. The rains do bring plenty of disruptions. Theatre groups at the Academy of Fine Arts and singers at Rabindra Sadan were surely disappointed to find rows of vacant seats while pavement missed out on a day&’s profit from the pre-puja rush. But there is a sense of joy over the refreshing cool winds that blow across the urban jungles – making up for all the distress.