School timings change yet again

School timings have changed yet again. School now starts at 6 a.m and is over by 9 a.m. There is to be no "shram daan" as it is too hot. And there's no need for a break so early in the morning. So there'll be three hours of studies and the children can get back home before it becomes too hot.

Ours is perhaps the only school open in Jharkhand. All the other schools -- government as well as private -- are closed due to the heat. They don't have the flexibility we have regarding school timings and so I guess they didn't have any other alternative but to shut down.

I was hoping to go to the project, but Bhola adviced me not to come before it starts raining or cools down a bit. "What will you do all day?" he asked. Apparently it's too hot to even sit under the shade of the banyan tree. There's a "loo" (hot wind) blowing all the time.

So now that I can't go to the project, what am I supposed to do? The next training programme is not due till mid May. I did not go to Hyderabad, though now I regret it. Hence, there's nothing for me to do but cool my heels here in Kolkata. I could, of course, go to Bolpur and try and find a flat to move to. But it's apparently extremely hot there too. Not ideal conditions for house hunting. I've put out the word, but so far have not received any news.

My Delhi trip was not as fruitful as I expected. Of course, I did get to meet Sukanya after almost 3 years. But she and her mother and I were so tense about her trip to Europe that we did not get to spend any time together. That her flight took off on the appointed day was a miracle of sorts. It was delayed by 3 hours, but did leave with her on it. She made it to Amsterdam safely and also managed to get her connecting flight to Geneva the following day. Fortunately, she has been able to stick to her travel schedule there onwards or else, she would have lost a lot of money!

My other objective of going to Delhi was to sort out Dakshinayan's accounts. Unfortunately, here I have been unsuccessful. My auditor was not in town! I only met him for an hour just before I came back to Delhi! What's worse, is that the person deputed to look after Dakshinayan's accounts in his office had gone on leave and would not return till the end of the month. What unfortunate circumstances! I had been planning this trip for over a month and had informed everyone about it. And yet, when I showed up in Delhi, the key players were absent.

Anyway, I'm now back in Kolkata. Sweating like a pig. It's hot and humid. That makes it so unbearable. Delhi was hotter, but the dry heat somehow is a lot more bearable. And fortunately, they have airconditioners everywhere -- in the homes, taxis, buses, shops and offices. It certainly makes life easy.

Now I am wondering what next? It's too hot to go to the project. It's too hot to go to Bolpur. It's too hot to go visiting......It's just too hot! Maybe it's time to read, meditate or pray for rain.