ISLAMABAD-The ever-increasing mercury has been given a partial halt courtesy Sundays downpour. The burnt masses heaved a sigh of relief as they were somehow rescued from the scorching heat. A few days back at the outset of spring, with the fall of winter and sprouting of new leaves, the lovers of nature were tempted to nightingale the weather like Wordsworths cuckoos shower the nature with endless pills of praises. But beauty, as they rightly say, is short-lived and expires very soon. Our Wordsworthic romance with nature also met a tragic demise with the end of the month of April. Increased humidity, sweated-scorching days and itchy nights...May and the months ahead never augur well for masses. The last few days proved quite a test for the Islooites and Pindiites. The rise in temperature affected the daily routine and working schedule of many. Those who avail themselves of public transport had to leave for their offices early morning and get back home till late in the evening to avoid the wrath of heat. As its really hard to breathe amid dozens of passengers stuffed in a small van that could barely entertain a few ones, particularly at the time when sun sparks to its peak, people reach their workplaces very early. My office starts at 9 am, I usually reach at 8:45 am but these days I leave for the office as soon it dawns, only to avoid the suffocating buses that are filled with people in late morning hours, says Manzur Chibha, a clerk. Manzur wears a wet towel around his neck to prevent his collars from sweat. It was really hot since last week, thanks God it rained, now I would be relieved for a couple of days atleast, he adds. Most of the less privileged ones keep towels, ice and handkerchiefs with them to beat the heat. This rain is really a gift for us. Man is insatiable by nature. When its winter we yearn for summer but now that we are burnt from head to toe, we realise such a blessing the winter is. At least you dont have to go sweating till it spoils your get-up mentions Iltimush, the young. With the arrival of the first rain of summer people are somehow soothed yet they predict that the days ahead would be too tough to handle. If weather has turned that intense now, just imagine what it would be like in June, July and August, says a worried Waleed. But lets not worry about the future lets live in present, its really pleasant now and Im enjoying it like anything. No worries till it burns again he added notoriously.