Welcome Winters

 

We North Indians experience both the extremes of the weather and ever season change we get ready to welcome the new season. As the winters are around the corner the changes in a normal north Indian home are evident. Firstly the Air Conditioners are switched off, then oranges and greener vegetables show up and the temperature reading falls down to 24 degree Celsius from the 48 degree Celsius. Other biological symptoms like common cold and cough are also seen in children. And the horrifying environmental factor Smog also starts to prevail.

The most challenging part for winter preparations is – CLOTHES. The transaction from light and easy summer to fluffy and stuffy winter clothing is enormous. These enormous winter clothes make it important for us to create ample space for their accommodation. The summer clothes are then washed, dried and ironed. This process doesn’t bother me much as all these tasks are done by my mother on the other hand I like discarding the old and unfit summer clothes. The next task is assembling the winter clothes on bed, this requires some efforts; all the stowed clothes are woken up from their slumber and the summer ones are stacked back for hibernation. Then is the athletic task of lifting those winter clothes upstairs to receive sunlight, this task is done by chain formation in our family. My dad just stands near the wardrobe and hands over the clothes to my brother who hands them over to me at the bottom of the stairs and then I need to climb the 26 giant stairs at least 20 times to hand the clothes over to my mother who spreads them up nicely to absorb sunlight. Then when the hard job is over and we come together to relax the rumbling of rain clouds is heard and we need to rush upstairs and save the clothes from the retreating monsoon rain. At last after a whole 4-5 days cycle all the clothing is ready for winters. The quilts and warm bed sheets will follow up later but for time being our homes ready to receive winter.

Every few months it is not only the seasons that change but it is  the whole house that transforms and gets ready for a new season and challenges it shall provide.