A rainbow in Dubai Skies and days of cattle grazing….

Got it … finally got it! A colourful (colorful) rainbow in Dubai skies!

So, what’s great about it? you may ask!

During my decade long stay in Dubai and in surrounding cities, I had never witnessed sighting of rainbows, not either at homeland for the past 20 odd years.

There were thundershowers on Sunday night in Dubai and on the next morning it drizzled a bit giving people like me rare sighting of a colourful rainbow, while I drove to my workplace. Took a quick picture using cell phone.

Thought I will convey this good news to my eight year old daughter when I see her in the evening, imagining how excited she will be to see the picture of rainbow taken afresh. Before I could tell her of the rainbow, she was ready with her say "Tell you something, I saw a rainbow today, a rainbow for the first time in my life”! She said holding her breath as if a record has been broken. Indeed it was so for her.

She had always been asking me “Dada when will I see a rainbow?” I would reply her saying “I have not seen one either for long time. Wait dear, we’ve got to be home to see one. I’m sure, we will get to see one when we will be on holidays”. I had tried to satisfy her by showing googled images of rainbow, but had never thought she will get to see one here in Dubai.

Memory lane goes back to 80’s, to the simple village life in the coastal district of Udupi, India. It was during my high school days, mostly in the evenings, I would take a book or two in hand and sit on the narrow path-ways of paddy fields, yards away from home. At times I would be a village cowboy (without a horse) grazing cattle which were then just 2 in numbers (guys, I am very proud of my upbringing in the village atmosphere). It was exactly during those times, I would get to see bright and colourful rainbows.

While the paddy fields were filled with ripe yellowed rice-corns awaiting harvest, it was fun to watch the birds mostly crows and flamingos flying home after their days work. In a distant, I could see people returning from evening market, mostly carrying fish, vegetables and daily groceries.

Though I would carry books with the intentions of reading, I could never do that. Time was not enough to watch the kite flyings, birds flying by, sun turning red, growing bigger yet playing hide and seek behind the scattered clouds. It was satisfying to watch the cattle enjoying fresh green grass. How will a wandering and dreaming mind concentrate on reading at the serene and precious moments of the day? By the time the sun has taken a dip in the sea, I would fold the books and return home with a sense of unknown fulfillment with a wish to come back again yet another day.

As I conclude this post now, Tom Jones country hit plays in the back of my mind “Its good to touch the green green grass of home”!