If there is one thing Mumbaikars collectively deserve a medal for, it is surviving the monsoon. Every year, we spend three months pretending we’re okay with wet socks, jeans that never dry, and the fact that every auto rickshaw driver has suddenly decided your destination has “too much paani, madam”.

By August, I begin to forget what the sun looks like. My room gets so dark that I can’t tell if it’s 8 am or 8 pm. Laundry hangs around for days, the thought of stepping out feels exhausting, and every plan involves calculating whether your umbrella will survive the wind. It’s no surprise that all this greyness begins to seep into your mood too. While we can’t ask the rain to take a day off, we can make living through it a little easier. Here are a few ways to make peace with what feels like Mumbai’s longest season.