It was the last week of December. The weather was extremely cold. One morning, I got up at four as usual and went out for a stroll. As I stepped out of the house, I began to shiver with cold. An extremely cold wind was blowing.
It was piercing. My hands and feet were benumbed with cold. My nose began to run and ears were as cold as ice. I was chilled to the marrow. My legs became stiff and cold. Not a bird chirped. The birds lay huddled together in their nests.
I ran for about a mile to make myself warm but all to no purpose. My feet were almost frozen. It was foggy and misty. Nothing was visible. The grass was covered with frost. Frost had killed all the flowers and vegetation. The trees stood naked. The temperature touched the freezing point.
I hastened home, took a cup of hot, steaming tea and covered myself with a quilt but I was still shivering with cold. My hands were almost paralyzed. I tried to shave but my fingers did not work. I sat near the fire. I warmed my hands for about half an hour. It was then that I was able to shave myself.
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Office-goers had a very hard time. They could not cycle. The steel handles of their cycles were colder than ice. An icy cold wind blew into their faces. They had put on woollen suits, pull-overs, over-coats, socks and gloves, yet they felt cold and uncomfortable.
The poor were the most hard hit. They were without woollen clothes. They had to work in the chilling cold. They shivered in the cold. Their teeth chattered. Their hands and feet were swoollen with cold.
Their miserable condition excited pity. Even the children who are full of the wine of life did not stir out. They covered themselves with quilts to keep themselves warm.
All of a sudden, the sky was overcast with clouds. Clouds began to thunder and lightning began to flash. It began to rain and hail. The ground was soon white with hail-stones.
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The weather became intensely cold. All out-door activities were suspended. I sat by the fireplace and waited for the rain to cease. As soon as the rain stopped, I made for the school on my cycle. The biting cold wind made it difficult for me to keep good grip on the handle bar and maintain balance.