Monsoon Glow on S G Highway, Ahmedabad

Описание: The sky turns a deep, slate grey by late evening. Clouds roll in heavy and low, swollen with the day’s monsoon showers. Lamp‑posts along S G Highway cast pools of soft yellow light that shimmer on wet asphalt. Each car’s headlights reflect off the road, doubled by rivulets of rainwater flowing towards the drains, some blocked, some overflowing.

There’s a gentle hiss beneath your tyres as you pass over patches of standing water. Occasionally, a soft splash as a larger puddle meets the wheel. The scent of wet earth and freshly rinsed foliage fills the air — a mix of damp soil, wet concrete, and the green freshness of trees and shrubs lining the median and service lanes.

Traffic is slower than usual. Vehicles move cautiously — headlights on, wipers intermittently wiping. The city beyond the highway recedes behind a curtain of raindrops and mist. Buildings — shops, showrooms, cafés — glow dimly through moisture‑streaked windows. Neon signs reflect in glossy surfaces. The sky is half dusk, half storm.

Every now and then you glimpse patches of green — trees and hedges along the side of the road draped in rain. Sometimes you hear the rhythmic drum of heavier rain on the roof, roof‑trunk‑roof of your car, as the monsoon picks up. Windshield wipers beating a steady tempo in sync with the weather.

There’s a feeling of being cocooned inside the car — safe, slightly damp, yet exhilarated by the dramatic weather. Maybe you roll down the window a crack when the rain eases, letting in a puff of cool, humid air; a glance at street‑food stalls hovering under tarpaulins; maybe someone’s stopping for a steaming cup of chai, the steam mingling with mist in the air.

Lights blur at the edges; everything glows softly, reflections everywhere. The usual rush seems to slow; you take in sights you might normally miss — the neon glow reflected in puddles, raindrops clinging to side mirrors, the scent of rain on tar and brick. The drive becomes less about destination and more about the moment — the combination of water, light, sound, motion.

Even as you drive, there’s a kind of tension: cautiousness. You keep your speed measured to avoid aquaplaning. Watch for potholes filled with water (often disguised). Be wary of sudden braking ahead, or water flowing across service roads onto the main lane.

As dusk deepens, the sky darkens, occasional flashes of distant lightning behind clouds, a low rumble of thunder perhaps. The rain eases, maybe, or intensifies — each change altering the mood. Finally, you merge off the highway, lights receding into the wet horizon, leaving behind the drizzle‑kissed lingering beauty of a rainy highway evening.