Spectator by Seema Goswami: Skip to the good part
Spring is a no-show and the heat is back in full force. Keep calm, stay cool, and enjoy summer’s blooms and bounty
Who stole my spring? That’s the question that has been reverberating in my head all of this week as Delhi seems to have gone straight from 3 degrees to 35 degrees without taking nary a breath. One minute we were shivering in our homes, with heaters going full blast to inject some warmth into our bones. And the next, we were sweating profusely into our hastily-unearthed cottons even as we berated ourselves for not getting our air-conditioners serviced in time. Honestly, it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin, going from the depths of a foggy winter to a blistering summer, at supersonic speed.
The sudden onset of heat meant that the tulips that had just about flowered in our parks and traffic roundabouts barely had a moment to reveal their beauteous glory before they died a hasty, premature death. The other spring blooms that make Delhi so special at this time of year also gave up the ghost in a matter of weeks. The tesu flowers bloomed even before Holi came around. And at the rate matters are proceeding I wouldn’t be surprised if the laburnum started flowering by the end of March rather than in May.
February was a complete bust with the blazing sun ensuring that only early mornings and late evenings were just about bearable. All the light woollens that I had been saving for this magical time of year went back into storage, unworn. And March has been even worse with temperatures a good 7 degrees above normal. So, all the picnics and outdoor activities I had planned had to be either cancelled or moved indoors.
{{/usCountry}}February was a complete bust with the blazing sun ensuring that only early mornings and late evenings were just about bearable. All the light woollens that I had been saving for this magical time of year went back into storage, unworn. And March has been even worse with temperatures a good 7 degrees above normal. So, all the picnics and outdoor activities I had planned had to be either cancelled or moved indoors.
{{/usCountry}}So, at a time when we should have been celebrating the onset of spring, we are actually mourning the early arrival of summer – which promises to be an absolute scorcher. This is especially annoying because spring is the one season that makes living in Delhi worthwhile. Most of the year this city is either too hot or too cold for comfort. But there used to be a miraculous window around end-January to mid-March when the winter mists would dissipate and the city would be bathed in balmy sunshine that made you feel that all was well with the world.
Well, that seems to be a thing of the past now. It is now clear that when winter ends summer will be close behind – and we will be lucky if we catch as much as one week of spring.
So, what’s a girl to do? Well, I’m trying to look on the bright side of things now that I have done my share of mourning for the spring that never arrived. And I’m hoping that the high temperatures mean that my favourite fruit will come to the market earlier than usual.
No, not the mango. It’s the lychee season I am waiting for – and hoping it doesn’t go the same way as spring.
From HT Brunch, March 14, 2026
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