Madras in Monsoon

There is something particularly sweet about the scent of rain in the hot Chennai air. The humidity settles slowly on the skin, almost suffocatingly; the clouds slowly overpower the sun, the whole place goes just a little misty, a little dreamy without that blinding glare; and with the lush green of mango and coconut trees, and the sound of the koel, it all seems like a place from a forgotten era.