Editor’s Note

Petrichor and New Pages 

There’s a particular smell that arrives just before the first monsoon shower — that earthy, electric scent of rain about to fall on dry ground, lovingly called,Petrichor. For a few moments, the air holds its breath, and then the sky opens up, and everything slowly comes alive – the parched earth turns green again,water flows through the nooks and crannies of the earth, and the whole world seems to exhale.

We thought it was the perfect metaphor for what we’re doing with this issue.

Welcome to the fourth edition of our magazine — and welcome to something new. Starting this July, we’re introducing monthly themes as a central anchor for each issue. Instead of a scattered mix of unrelated pieces, every edition will now revolve around a single idea, giving our writers a shared canvas and you, our readers, a more immersive experience from cover to cover. Change can feel intimidating, but so does the first monsoon cloud rolling in after months of heat —but we all know that the pastures are greener beyond the boundaries of our fear.

Fittingly, our very first themed issue centers on the monsoon itself. We’ve tried to capture the season from every angle: the geography and science behind why the rains arrive when they do, and the quieter, more human side — how monsoon shapes our festivals, our music, our childhood memories, even our moods. Our young poets and artists have channeled the season into verses, sketches, and stories. In our Teacher’s Speak section, the focus is on monsoon memories from the yesteryears which often feels like from a different lifetime thus giving a glimpse of a teacher’s life beyond the classroom. And our photo gallery brings you Kolkata at its rain-soaked best — puddles, umbrellas, glistening streets and all.

We hope this issue feels less like reading and more like stepping outside just as the first drops begin to fall — familiar, refreshing, and a little bit exciting.

Here’s to new beginnings. Here’s to the rain.

Happy Reading!