East India & Company

I’d known it’d be hot, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the sticky, suffusing 44°C heat that greeted us in Jamshedpur. After the 37°C in Pune that I had whined as being oh so hot, this was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. But that’s tropical summer for you, I guess.

Jamshedpur reunited us with family, and showed us some things new, some things pretty, some places old and some places nostalgic. I got to spend a few, unhurried sunset moments by the confluence of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai Rivers - my favourite place in the town, and at Jubilee Park, where illuminated fountains lit up the late evening skies with their refreshing colours.

We travelled to Kolkata next, and though it was relatively less hot, it was definitely more humid. But there was so much here that made the noisy, dusty, yellow-death-cab-filled-city, fun for me. 

Rating highest perhaps was a delectable lunch at Flury’s, a place I associate with childhood memories, warm, mouth-watering flavours and the feeling that I’ve stepped into a different era. 

The Victoria Memorial was well worth a visit, and we spent a large part of the evening on its manicured lawns. 

Princep Ghat and the Vidyasagar Setu Bridge spanning the Hooghly River were impressive, both beautifully lit and standing out against the inky black of night. 

We might’ve visited a lot more places in Kolkata if we’d had more time, and if it hadn't been so hot, and I guess the holiday might have been more enjoyable if this had been November, and not May. But in the end, the joy of meeting the people you love far outweighs the discomfort the weather inflicts on you. So while I’m back in Pune, enjoying (and appreciating) its cooler climate, what comes to mind isn’t the sweltering heat, the sweat and the endless, blazing sun in the east.

I remember instead, the sharp aroma of mustard seeds sputtering in hot mustard oil, the sweetness of fluffy, white rasgullas, the warmth of shared laughter and conversations with loved ones over endless cups of tea, the places and people that I hold fondly in my thoughts...

And I bring home with me, the assurance of prayers and whispered blessings of the family elders, and reasons to return, another day. 

Missing

You can’t always keep the people you love, in your life. But there’s always this – you can keep them, forever, in your heart. 

Eric Clapton, with Autumn Leaves.

Here I Am. This is Me

Age doesn’t make us forgetful. Having way too many stupid things to remember makes us forgetful.
(Profound internet truth that i have called upon in my defense)

Drive to Mulshi

Sometimes you just want to drive. Out. Far from the concrete and steel of the city and into the arms of nature.

We drove to Mulshi, and further on towards Tamhini Ghat last weekend for pretty much the same reason. We started from our home in Pune at breaking dawn and later, stopped by a bridge along the way to enjoy the sunrise. 

Mulshi arrived an hour and a half later. The ride was bumpy and thereby slower than we’d have liked, but the crisp morning air and the sweet chirping of the birds made up for the lack of speed. Sort of.

We parked along the shoulder of the winding road, and stepped out to enjoy the scenery. I think we all got our measure of joy out there in the open. 

The big guy stood captivated by the tranquil beauty of the surroundings and the placid Mulshi Lake fringed by the Sahyadri Hills.

The little lad was mesmerized by a clump of Touch-Me-Nots he discovered along the roadside. We had to tear him away from it after 10 whole minutes of ‘putting the leaves to sleep’. (I will admit I joined him in that endeavour and fully enjoyed it too.)

And my heart travelled a short distance with these bikes before it returned with a happy grin.

We drove on up to Tamhini Ghat till the rumbling in our tummies persuaded us to hurry back home. 

Sometimes you just want to drive. In. Far from the raw beauty that is nature and into the arms of dusty civilization – all for a hot, greasy, caffeine-infused, thoroughly satisfying meal.

The drive back was faster, with hunger pressing its full weight on the accelerator. We returned by 10 am, with an amazing drive behind us and a much-awaited McDonald’s meal in front of us. 

Thinking back, I know that this is what made me happy.

And that this is what made me happier. (Till I felt full, at least)

I’m hoping that there will be many more such drives, and many, many more such breakfasts in the future. I have my fingers crossed.