Category: Biographical

The Hills Beckon Again – 14: All good things must come to an end

And then, just like that, just like it had begun, been conceived, been executed and lived and enjoyed, the vacation ended. One morning when we woke up, I was aware of the leaden feeling once more, the weight inside my heart, the feeling of loss, an unknown fear like the first day of school…..the fear,…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 14: All good things must come to an end

The Hills Beckon Again – 13: A leisurely stroll

The rain had stopped by the afternoon, and the sun came out spreading its golden glow in the valley washed by the rainwater, lighting the peaks of the hills with its soft afternoon light. The wind was still cold, the sunlight was warm, the soil mushy with the rain from the last two days. A…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 13: A leisurely stroll

The Hills Beckon Again – 12: Another beautiful morning

It was still dark when I woke up, not because there was no sun, but because the sky was overcast with clouds. It was the third straight day of rains in Naukuchiatal. But it was not raining, not yet at least. Cloudy, cold, and moist, but not rainy. I looked at my watch, it was…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 12: Another beautiful morning

The Hills Beckon Again – 11: Another night, another song…

And then it was dusk again, and I was sitting once more in my balcony and then, when I got really cold, inside the house near the large window in my bedroom. The mountains stood spread out around the valley which faced the bedroom, making concentric circles around the lake, protecting it, as it were.…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 11: Another night, another song…

The Hills Beckon Again – 10: Colonel’s Cafe

The road ended in a gate which led to a private property, a serviced homestay spread over several acres of luxuriant forest on the hills. We decided to turn back and retrace our steps to the place where we had parked our car, a stone’s throw away from the cafe where we planned to have…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 10: Colonel’s Cafe

The Hills Beckon Again – 9: The nine cornered lake

The rain stopped in the afternoon, much to the delight of the children who had got dressed right after breakfast, in the hope of going out, and had sat by the window the whole day looking out longingly….waiting for the precipitation to stop. And when the rain stopped, the sun came out from behind the…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 9: The nine cornered lake

The Hills Beckon Again – 8: A lazy day

The children are up. They sit in the bed, still snuggled in the soft blankets which cover them, unwilling to venture out even though the room is warm. I fetch another cup of tea for myself, courtesy Vaishali, and stroll over to my bed, my perch besides my favourite window, the one that overlooks the…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 8: A lazy day

The Hills Beckon Again – 7

We sit out in the balcony, sipping our tea, holding the steaming mugs in our hands for warmth. It is cold outside, cold, and wet; the clouds have not gone yet. It has been raining throughout the night, but they are still here. They still have unfinished business. ‘It is going to rain soon’, I…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 7

The Hills Beckon Again – 6

I sleep soundly, and dream of the mountains, and the green lake, and the house with the green top, and the steep incline that leads us here…..there is a dog barking in the distance, the cat which sleeps on the porch purrs, the crickets are trilling, the mynah sings….am I asleep or awake? It is…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 6

The Hills Beckon Again – 5

I sleep on the couch by the window. It’s a huge window that overlooks the balcony which overlooks the hills and the valley. If you lie on the bed, the glass is close enough for you to touch, for you to be able to frost it with your breath, close enough so that you can…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 5

The Hills Beckon Again – 4

I am cold, very cold now. My feet are freezing, the cold penetrates my clothes and soaks through the skin, freezing the bones. I am about to lose my patience, to seek the shelter of the house when the song begins. It’s an ancient song in a strange tongue, it’s the song of the mountains.…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 4

The Hills Beckon Again – 3

The lake has turned dark now. As if the receding sun has kindled its inner darkness, encouraged it to come out, express itself, without fear or care or shame. The darkness is now animated by its own will, it has a life of its own, its own volition, energy….it spreads from the one focal point…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 3

The Hills Beckon Again – 2

And so I sit, out in the open, in the balcony, the parapet that juts out over the slender road that leads up to the house, juts out over the valleys between the mountains where the lake, the nine-cornered lake is nestled, emerald green and shimmering in the dying light. I sit out in the…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again – 2

The Hills Beckon Again

Lucknow to Bareilly to Haldwani once more, with a fuel stop and car wash before we reached the foothills. Yes, the mountains had beckoned once more, and I had answered. From Haldwani we could see the hills in the distance, but it was not till we reached Kathgodaam that the crisp mountain air actually hit…… Continue reading The Hills Beckon Again

Varanasi Again – 74: Farewell Eternal City

My story must come to an end, the story of my trip to Varanasi, the city eternal, the city of Mahadev, the city of Shiva, of Shakti, and of Aditya, the sun god. The city nestled on the banks of Ganga, the river which has nursed the teeming millions who live by her banks. Varanasi,…… Continue reading Varanasi Again – 74: Farewell Eternal City

Varanasi Again – 73: Dinner and Goodbye

It was an average sized hall, with large Italian tiles for floor and murals on the walls. The false roof was low enough to give an impression of cosiness without making the hall seem stuffy. The lights were appropriately ‘disco-esque’, and there was even a DJ at the far end of the hall with a…… Continue reading Varanasi Again – 73: Dinner and Goodbye

Varanasi Again – 72: Last evening in Varanasi

We took a different route this time, to return to our hotel situated near the cantonment area of Varanasi. This was the route we have already talked about in our previous blog – ‘And the other places we may go’. When one is entering the gate, the Lion gate, of the university, one may choose…… Continue reading Varanasi Again – 72: Last evening in Varanasi

Varanasi Again – 71: Driving through the campus

Lunch over, we walked out of the hall, and made our way towards the exit. This was the time everyone was preparing to go visit their hostels and departments before wrapping up the visit to the campus and return to the hotel for the final, parting dinner. We, myself and Vaishali, had already visited our…… Continue reading Varanasi Again – 71: Driving through the campus

Varanasi Again – 70: Lunch time

The alumni function over, everyone in the hall filed out of the LT and started to walk towards the lunch venue which was in a hall in the new lecture theatre complex built behind the main institute building. I could never imagine, looking back now, that there was space enough there to erect another building.…… Continue reading Varanasi Again – 70: Lunch time