There Is A Place...

There is a place

Where I can go

When I feel low

When I feel blue

There is a place, where I can go, no matter how I feel. My memories of Mussoorie never fade. It has been my magical world since I was little.

People may trash the ‘commercialisation’ and the over-crowding, but the charm of the green hills is eternal. Nothing can change that. Every year, my longing to be back among the clouds and the mist has the same intensity.

The winding road that takes you up from Dehradun is the perfect beginning; it builds up the anticipation, the excitement of what lies ahead. You are lost in the view of the valley as you drive higher up, when suddenly you turn a corner and the entire breathtaking panorama of the quaint little hill town emerges in its full majesty. The drive with the sharp hairpin bends does make me a bit dizzy, but the beauty is overwhelming enough for me to ignore everything else.

There is something in the air that makes you feel at peace with yourself. The old shops lining the street know me as well as I know them. The horses trot past, transporting you to another century. As a child, I used to ask for the name of every pony I rode. Still remember a few...Baadal, Chetak, Raja...somehow it seemed I had befriended them just by knowing their name.

Going for a walk up to and beyond the clock tower (I heard it doesn’t exist now, one of the man-made disasters that recently struck) was something I didn’t look forward to. The uphill climb seemed just too long! But once we left the houses and shops behind and the clouds descended on us while we walked among the pines, it all seemed worth it. I had to tear myself away from the stunning landscapes that seemed almost unearthly and come back down to reality.          

My favourite memories are of sitting at the window of my wooden-walled, tin-roofed home, watching the bustling street below, the tourists shuffling in an out of the shops, listening to the sounds of video games in the distance. I would sketch, or read, or sit back with my music and just enjoy the breeze, my train of thought meandering.

It is these moments that I look forward to now. I will be back in my magical world next week after 2 long years. Can’t wait!