Boogey Boogey Man!!

When I was a little girl,
I’d see strange things at night,
Real those things were not,
Stories others never bought,

I’d see people hiding,
Behind curtains in our room,
Scared, I’d point them out,
But never would I scream or shout,

Every night when I’d go to bed,
I’d turn off each and every light,
In light I was afraid to sleep,
Afraid of what I just might see,

One night as we all slept,
I saw something that made me sweat,
I whispered to my mumma and said,
“I see a man sitting on our bed”,

It was dark but I still saw,
I was shivering, scared for my life,
Mumma, she hugged me, hugged me tight,
“Hold on to me, just shut your eyes”,

Then suddenly I was twelve,
Next to my papa that night I slept,
As always, it was pitch dark,
The night was silent and stark,

I was up in the middle of the night,
To find something horrible and terrifying,
Someone was peeping through the door,
A person, completely white from head to toe,

It looked like a very young boy,
Featureless young little thing,
Radiating milky flawless moonlight,
Heading towards me ever so slight,

Every time I opened my eyes,
He somehow knew I saw him too,
He would be beside me standing,
He’d run back out, from me he’d be hiding!

My mouth clammed shut I woke my dad,
He got up to calm me down,
Left the lights on, that night, for me,
That night, or many after, I did not sleep,

Since that night on things changed for me,
Come darkness and I’d start worrying,
When I’d go to bed each night,
I would never turn off all the lights,

Ten years later, things mellowed down,
With my sister that night I slept,
It was fairly dark in our room,
Fear forgotten I slept peacefully too,

Suddenly woke up, sounds I heard,
With someone surely bending over my face!
My sister’s hand I held for I was scared,
Silhouettes I saw and silently I prayed,

(Incomplete ---> to be continued…)

A Temple of Learning

Shimmering light,
Hope at its height,
Bouncing rays,
Each and every day,
Bricks orange and brown,
Experience is their crown,
Strong wooden door,
Boundless wisdom in store,
Cushions overused,
In days gone by abused,
Tiles old and stained,
For footsteps on them rained,
Big green ageless trees,
Look upon us knowingly,
Look upon with knowing eyes,
at me and these friends of mine.

Blank

I want to write something but I cant.

Blank.

I want to put two sentences together and make them rhyme... but I just cant!

I am hungry... I am hungover
I am also short on my attendance... sighh
I have a thesis that I should be, ideally, working on right now
I am dazed.

Blank.

I am lazy... very very lazy... NOT good.
On top of ALL that...
this writer's block!

Blank!

My Precious :)

Its like a throbbing piece of me,
kept outside of me,
An organ on display,
I worry each day,
More important than my heart,
My most precious part,
Like a dew drop on my palm
Should come to no harm,
Take my spirit, you may
But not a finger on it you lay,
My biggest weakness ever
Giving me strength, somehow, forever,
In darkness, light itself it will be,
Yes, I am talking about my family.

Demons

The demons inside of me,
Come haunt me in my sleep,
My mother's tears-
Her thick tears of blood,
Her painful scream-
A soundless appeal,
Butchers' knife-
Tearing sounds of flesh, I hear,
I walk on a thin tight rope,
Under me a pitless bottom of fear,
I cross the road,
An eighteen wheeler runs me over,
I twist, I turn and
A searing pain I feel,
It burns, it burns and why,
Oh why does it never heal,
Next I am trapped
In a room without a door-
Its marbel, its black,
I am the prisoner of the unknown,
Unknown is dark, noones here,
Unknown is evil darkness's lair
I am running so hard but
My chasers always faster,
Sometimes I die
'cause of my very own insane laughter,
I yell for help, I choke,
I am a mute, I have no voice,
Suddenly I find myself in an endless maze,
Walls keep closing in on me,
No way I can escape,
The ceiling is so low, my knees-
Sore from crouching endlessly,
There are no exists, only turns,
Turns which, to nowhere, lead,
An Ocean, a blue ocean deep,
Tormented waters take me,
I scream for help,
I scream, "Papa!",
His eyes are worried, questioning me,
He wipes the tears off my cheeks,
He holds me tight, comfortingly,
Its late at night and,
I softly speak,
"The demons inside of me,
Come haunt me in my sleep"

Somewhere Inside of Me

A room, a dark awesome room,
Memories in store, beautiful memories,
Marred forever by claws of fear,
Incessant echo of screams,
Bouncing off the grimy walls,
Shrieks of pain, shouts for help,
Go unanswered again and again,
A room, a room without doors,
Moisture creeps in through the walls
Bringing in more dread along,
Stagnant water, thick as blood,
Smells like poison, tastes morbid,
Dreams lie broken, shards of glass,
Mist of doubt thickens each hour,
A room, a room without windows,
Life outside moves at it pace,
Remains within just rot away,
Rotting till they helpless lie,
Time just simply passes by till,
Webs of gloom, in corners, knit
And spirits residing give up and die.

He and I

Today is my wedding day, I look lovely they say,
I am with my man, to-be husband,
I've finally found my soul-mate

I scan the sea of happy faces,
he is there, the only one I want to see,
the only face with mixed emotions

Why did I have to see him now,
I turn back to the one I stand beside,
to no avail, the seed of doubt is buried deep within

Will he treat me better than that man I see,
I dont know, I was the apple of his eyes,
and I know I will always be

How can I undo what is done, its writ in stone,
how can I ever decide, how can I
ever choose one out of the two

I shoot him with a quick glance,
yes, I see tears shimmering in his eyes,
I see in his eyes a million brilliant gems

My heart reaches out to him, we could'nt
have been together forever, it was'nt
meant to be, I had to someday leave

We walk around the sacred pyre, he
sits there with a pasted smile,
he looks at me then my soon-to-be

I can read his mind, I just know what
he is thinking, "I'll kill you if I
ever hear her cry, know, I'll forever be her knight"

Ceremony over, now I am a wife,
it is time for me to say my final goodbye,
I walk to him, he hugs me tight
"Daddy I'll always remain your little girl,
don't cry, you'll always be
my first love till the end of time"

The Greatest Mystery Of All Times!

Last night we (M,N my roomie-L and I) cooked rice (cooker1) and daal (cooker2). We ate, we hogged, we laughed, we bitched, we gossiped, we laughed, we cracked jokes, we ate, we laughed. After all this (routine activity) we cleared the food and took both the cookers to our house to wash. I headed to the loo ( you know after eating and laughing that much...food is like as good as digested) and I noticed L washing cooker1 while cooker2 sat nicely (daal sticking all around it n all) on the kitchen slab. I went in, came out. Didn't look at the slab. Went to our room (yes we share it). Threw myself on my bed (my favourite part), lifted my laptop, placed it on my lap (thats where its meant to be anyway) and happily went back to my online world...the world of html...back to my fellow netizens.

I dont remember anyone coming over, anyone of us going out of the house, our door being left open. Everything was normal. L and I were both online (ahem...cough...ahem). At around 3 in the morning we started gossiping and bitching and we were probably done by 4.30 after which L went off to sleep while I was back to being a netizen. At 5 I got off my bed to put my laptop away, out in the hall I noticed that our door was only bolted (we always lock it with the key from inside). So what, big deal. Lets go to sleep I thought. I slept off. Morning...early morning (I know 5 is early morning too but I meant like 7-7.30ish) I got up to go to the loo again (yes I know) and on my way I noticed the kitchen slab (my favourite spot it would seem). Cooker2 was still sitting on the slab without complaining but....BUT cooker1 was not there. So what, big deal, maybe L gave it back to M...maybe M took it away last night. I came back, climbed back on my bed, slept. A couple of hours later someone rang our bell. It was our irritating, forever laughing that silly laugh of hers, maid. L opened the door for her. Apparantly we had left our key in the keyhole outside. We took it back, kept it away, slept. Finally got up at 1 p.m. feeling hungry. L decided to cook rice (M and N were away, gone back home for the weekend). For that we needed cooker1...so where exactly was cooker1!? L checked our whole house and then M's whole house but no sign of cooker1!! I decided to be Sherlock but to no avail. Absolutely no trace of poor cooker!! Called M, she had no clue about it either, it MUST be at our place only, HAS to be, where COULD it go ANYWAY. Like, no one will want to steal a rice cooker for heaven's sake! Atleast not just a part of it! Yes that is what was missing. A PART of the cooker.

We have exhausted all theories from maid to supernatural! It is quite puzzling and disturbing. Any suggestions? (and no, cooker2 will never kidnap cooker1...its too nice and just satisfied, content sitting on the slab)

Before I Close My Eyes Forever...

My blood oozes out, drains me dry,
can you hear me,
stabs of pain, that make me cry?

I Clench unclench my wrist, I do,
do you see it,
marks that my digging nails drew?

I lie on my bed, bleeding away,
can you hold me,
once, before forever still I lay?

I wriggle my toes, I can still feel,
do you care,
if whether I can or cannot heal?

My bed is stained, its a deep blood red,
will you miss me,
when I am a memory, I am gone, when I am dead?

My blood, now, drips off my sheet,
can you help me,
before I give up, before I am beat?

I must live like this till I die,
can't you stop this,
this pain, just till my final goodbye?

Suddenly, I feel, I hear my bones crack,
do you hear it,
my veins, they tear, they snap and whack?

I know you can't help me, can't make it stop,
and I can see you,
tears in your eyes, like a million raindrops,
I can feel it,
your pain, your heart breaking, and
I know- you hear, you see, you care, you feel,
you'll miss, you'll cry, you'll hold me even after I die,

You sit there next to me, holding my hand, right by my side,
and I know, my sweet love,
that this is the last thing I see, you only you, my last sight.

Beauty and Joy

A thing of beauty is a joy forever, says Keats.

I say,
That which gives you joy is beautiful forever!!

The Deep Dark Forest

I went to a forest, dark forest, on my own,
in awe, unprepared, unaware, all alone.

The woods called me in, beckoned, invited me,
they looked vivid and bright, so very green.

I left behind all of my worldly ties,
not knowing one day I'd regret all those byes.

At night when I lay down on a firm bed of cane,
I heard terrible cries and I turned sides in vain.

I missed all the people I'd left behind,
suddenly I felt I was mad, losing my mind.

The very next day things went from bad to worse
I was hasty, I had no one to blame but myself to curse.

To pieces my little heart broke day by day,
once decided, 'twas done, no other way.

How I wished I would just die, just perish,
rid of this life which was now nightmarish.

Just when I had given up all faith, all hope,
they came and together they threw me a rope.

They were two sisters, my rope for me,
my own messiah, two angels I could see.

They gave me my strength, helped me survive,
for the first time in days I felt I was alive.

I grew so dependent, I could not be away,
existence without them, unimaginable even for a day.

Confidence restored, I knew life would be fine,
but when they would leave, I was sure , I would pine.

They promised me they'd always be there to halve my pain,
Promised me that they'd never let me go insane again.

But leave they sure did one day, left me all alone,
the darkness was back, there was gloom I missed home.

The dark woods got darker, the forest - a jail,
the prisoner was I, I would weep and I'd wail.

But who'd ever hear my cries, my tender heart breaking,
'cept my ma, somewhere, whose heart, too, was aching.

Years later now I sit down to recall,
memorys afresh of bygone years one and all.

Ask me not how I managed escaping,
a never healing wound that is forever gaping.

A Journey To the Past

Today I woke up hearing the cuckoo's call. It was 7:30 in the morning. It had probably rained the previous night because the weather outside was simply amazing. The sky was a gorgeous light blue with white clouds scattered here and there. The view from my window is of an ocean of trees, like a mini forest with tall, green trees and the window is right next to my bed. The leaves on the trees looked fresh and dewey (if thats a word!). The clouds were glowing because of the early morning sun and i craned my neck to see if I could catch a glimpse of it but unfortunately my side of the room is not East :)

The morning took me to another day, another place...almost like another era...a different time altogether. It reminded me of all those beautiful mornings my mother would forcibly pull me out of the bed and take me for walk-jog routine. The first day was torture...no, actually, every day was torture because even now i hate to get up early in the morning. This morning I realised the importance of those mornings.

Let me describe, as well as i can, the picture that comes to my mind whenever I think about those walks and jogs. I see a small town. The kind of town you would call 'charming'. The kind of town where everyone, just EVERYONE, knows eachother. It has beautiful, cute little cottages with backyards and kitchen gardens, with creepers growing and 'creeping' all over, with bamboo swings, with colourful walls, with small short gates, with low boundary walls so you can just stand there and chit-chat with your neighbour, with three-sided gardens full of different, unusual pretty flowers. The town has nice clean roads flanked with small gardens and narrow roads branching out to various cottages. The kind of town where you see kids of different age groups pedalling away on their cycles, elderly people taking walks while their younger counterparts either walking briskly or jogging. I see myself in that town. I cycle and I jog and I walk. The other two only because my mother forces me to :D but I, basically, love to cycle. I remember walking with my mother by my side and marvelling at the size of the sun. I swear to you, in my memory, it is as big as a huge sunflower held close to your eyes with the sky in the backdrop as compared to the bindi sized sun we usually see (and i mean small bindis ofcourse!). It is red and orange in the picture and sort of emanating cooling, calming rays. The trees around me are bright green and 'dewey' ofcourse. And guess what I hear? The cuckoo calling.

This is what the picture in my mind looks like. This morning took me on a long journey. A journey of the days gone by, a journey down the memory lane, a journey of the time that can never come back, a journey to the past...sighh :)

Not a penny more...but what about a penny less?

I felt really bad today. In fact quite angry with myself! As usual i was getting kind of late for work and i couldnt find an auto-rick(as usual again). So, today i decided to take a pedal-rick but only till i found an auto.

Like how they always do, the rick driver charged me extra and i pointed this out to him. Now, what i had not expected was that he would blow his top off and start yelling. I told him i am ready to pay a little extra but not what he asked for. The man had so much ego that for Rs.3 he refused to take money from me and told me to leave, which i did.

After i was half-way to work i realised, if i was not ready to pay three rupees extra why should he be ready to take Rs. 3 less? After all doesn't he need it more than i do? I told myself that the only reason i stuck to my point was because i was right, which i was. Its all about right and wrong isn't it? If he had asked me for a fair amount i would have willingly paid it to him. Money is never an issue with me. 'Give it to the ones who need it more than you do...' But he was wrong...!! Wasn't he, i asked myself. Even if he was being unfair, i could have been the bigger person? But i didnt even try. The same extra money i readily pay to autos because 'hell they always charge extra, dont they! There meters never work!!' but what about this man who was pedaling with weight on his back in the sweltering heat of Delhi?

Complicated is worth more, a lot more than simple these days. Electrical power is worth more than muscular power. How is it that we pay more to a man who just sits there while a lot less to a person who sweats and works extremely hard (not taking technology into consideration here!). Of course, a labourer earns peanuts as compared to a manager.

Well, these questions are probably just B.S. These are the questions i was asking myself earlier today so just decided to scribble them down here. All day i couldn't stop thinking about it. Why didn't I just pay him! Even though its probably a small thing, i shall always regret it. Sighhh....

A Promise...

I wish I could see you,
you'd give me my strength.
I wish i could hear you,
'cos I feel so bent.

I know life is tough and,
that you'll understand.
Right now patch is rough,
and I do need your hand.

When I come back home,
I will try to forget.
'Cos when your're around,
I'll be okay I bet.

While I write this poem,
I'll try not to think.
Of all of the tears,
that I need to drink.

Before I get there and,
be with you again.
I have miles to cover,
of ditches and pain.

So do hold on tight,
and the same i shall do.
'Cos I need to fight,
'Fore I come back to you.

Stars know it all...

It is often believed that stars know it all. Many people swear by sun signs and moon signs. Astrology is, in fact, a field of study that is becoming quite popular these days. There are astrologists, psychics, palmists, numerologists etc. who help and guide people find their real paths in life. One aspect of astrology is the element of a sun sign. These elements are the natural elements namely fire, earth, air and water.

Fire. The element of fire is associated with the sun signs Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. As the name suggests, this element makes people born under this scene a fiery lot. These signs, thanks to the element of fire, are known to be quite enthusiastic. This element is also linked with creativity. Those born under this element tend to be creative and unique. Fire also symbolizes courage and a lively spirit. These signs are generally self-sufficient and spontaneous. They are also quite good at the game of love! They can also be an inspiration to others as they have solid morals and are quite religious, sometimes even philosophical. On the negative side, at times they can be quite egoistical, bossy and selfish due to the ‘fire’ in them. They might also be short-tempered which maybe blamed on their fiery nature. Aries is symbolized by the Ram. This sign is quite bold and impatient and an absolute leader. Leo is symbolized by the Lion. They are famous for being quite dramatic and stubborn. They are the creative ones and can make good actors.
Sagittarius, on the other hand, is symbolized by the Archer. They are the philosophers of the Zodiac and love to travel to find answers and solve the mysteries of life.
All in all, they are quite fun to be with but one has to be careful when they get too hot to touch!

Earth. This element is associated with the signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. These are a grounded lot with their feet planted firmly on the ground. These people are supposed to be quite practical and dependable. They do not like risks much and prefer surety in life. Earth symbolizes solidity and that is exactly what these signs do. They represent all that is solid around us. They like worldly possessions which, in turn, might make them greedy and materialistic. They are also quite conservative and cautious. They are also logical and critical in their approach. Sometimes they tend to get so caught up in their own goals that they end up overlooking the feelings of people around them. Taurus is symbolized by the Bull. They can be stubborn but also dependable. They are the sensualists and expect nothing but the best. Virgo is symbolized by the Virgin. They are known to be quite practical and critical and are quite the perfectionists. Capricorn, on the other hand, is the Goat. They are quite determined by nature. They are very career oriented and are exceedingly ambitious but a little conservative.
The signs falling under this element are dependable but though they have their feet firm on the ground, they still aim quite high!

Air. The element of air is linked with the signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. They are the intellectuals of the Zodiac. They think smart and fast. In fact, they sometimes tend to think too much as they love to analyze and probe in depth. These people are ever so curious and can perceive quite well. Their communication skills are usually very good. Air symbolizes balance so the signs falling under this element are likely to be quite level headed and balanced in their approach. They are quite the idealists and usually hold no prejudices. They are fair, co-operative and clever and they know exactly what empathy stands for. Gemini is symbolized by the Twins. Due to this they are often pulled in two directions and find it difficult to make a decision. They love a friendly debate and are excessively intelligent. Librans are the Scales. They absolutely detest imbalance and they love to be in love. Aquarius is the Water Bearer. They have a number of friends and are quite the rebels. They have the gift of stepping into another’s shoes.
Air can be hot and cold so they can be like the cool breeze or the howling wind!

Water. This element represents the signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. The words calm and peace come to mind when thinking of these signs. They are an understanding lot and what others feel matters a lot to them. Water signs are known for their intuitive powers. Like how water is necessary for a seed to germinate, these signs too have nurturing traits. This element symbolizes compassion and sensitivity. The signs under this element are just made for giving and helping other people. Unless they are doing just that, they become like the stagnant, still water. They have a penchant for aesthetic beauty and are quite the dreamers. On the flipside, they tend to brood. They can set off to their own fantasy world and have terrible mood swings. Cancer is the Crab. They are the family lovers and can draw back into their protective shell if things get too intense around them. Scorpio is symbolized by the Scorpion. They are intense and crave for emotional intimacy. They are known to be mysterious and do not have a very forgiving soul. Pisceans are the Fish. They are known to believe in their own instincts more than logic.
They are quite laid back and love to day dream.
This element makes these signs emotional, receptive and psychic. But at times, they can be both-like the calm ocean or the raging sea!

The natural elements help us know and understand a sun sign better. Each sun-sign has its own unique traits and the elements contribute a lot to these traits. Who knows how much a star can tell. There are both, believers and non-believers. It is up to you to make your choice.

Musings and Queues

It was a usual busy Tuesday outside the TC SBI ATM at 4 pm. There was a long queue outside the ATM so she decided to study the people around her. She was wearing a plain blue kurta with blue denims and a pair of chappals. The street was full of students. Some of them were strolling, some were just standing in a group chatting and laughing loudly, some were rushing to some place they had to be, and some were talking on their cell phones. A few localites could be seen walking by while some were standing outside shops and eating joints yawning or stretching. There was a group of local men near the paan shop, chatting with the paan shop owner. It was all usual activity. The street was full of normal street sounds of running autos, cars, buses, people talking, shouting…

Suddenly she saw a man sitting on a couple of stairs right next to the ATM. He seemed to be a localite. He must have been in his mid 30s. He was wearing a slightly dirty off-white shirt and a pair of grey trousers. His shirt was not tucked in and his socks could be seen which were brown in colour. She noticed his shoes, they were black formal shoes covered in dust. It looked like he had not shaved since the last couple of days. He was simply sitting there looking around with his hands resting on his legs. His face was expressionless. Suddenly he seemed a little surprised and felt his breast pocket for something and fished out a cell phone. His surprise turned into a slight confusion. He put the phone to his ear but did not say anything. After a couple of seconds he dialed something on his phone and put it back to his ear and suddenly broke into laughter.

Now there were about four people in front of her in the queue. She looked around to find a new subject. She turned and saw a boy and a girl standing right outside Dollops. The girl was wearing a white knee-length skirt and a pink top. She had long curly hair. The boy was clad in a pair of blue denims and a grey tee. They seemed to be having a very serious heated discussion. What they were saying could not be heard but their expressions spoke volumes. The girl was questioning him with her eyebrows raised and was moving her hands around in the air as if trying to explain her point. The boy kept running his hand through his hair and kept trying to speak but she didn’t let him. He had an expression of defeat and it seemed like nothing he could say would ever change anything. He suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook her as if to calm her down. She did stop for a second and then suddenly turned and left, leaving him behind with his hands still in mid-air.

Now there were two people in front of her in the queue. She bit her lip and waited impatiently for her turn to come. She saw a group of giggling young girls pass by and she caught a few words of what they were talking about. She heard words like ‘party tonight’, ‘he is going to be there’. She smiled to herself at this.

Finally she was inside the ATM, she turned to see a long queue waiting behind her and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. She slid her card in, typed in her password and thought that her work was almost done but suddenly the machine said that it was unable to process the request at the moment and she looked heavenwards with a frustrated look on her face and clenched fists. She walked out with irritation written all over her face. The girl standing right behind her asked her if the machine was not working and she replied,’ is it ever!?’ and walked past without another glance at the ATM. She looked left and right and crossed the street to where the auto-stand was situated and hired an auto to take her to another ATM.

She got off in front of the KC SBI ATM and again stood in a queue of eight people ahead of her. On her left was the basketball court where five boys were throwing baskets. They were all wearing the sports gear. They all seemed to be teenagers. On her right was the caretaker’s office where a few girls were standing and looking in the direction of the office and grumbling. They seemed quite upset and annoyed. This reminded her of her own days in the quarters when she was a regular visitor of the office with some or the other complaint. Sometimes it was the mesh on the windows and suddenly she pictured her roommate and herself terrified due to the insects that would fly in anytime they wished, sometimes it was the broken down geezer and she thought about the number of mornings when they had gotten up feeling cold only to realize that they wouldn’t be getting any hot water that day while at times it was either the drinking water, being parched for days together at times, came to her mind or the absence of security guards which made her shiver slightly at the thought of those sleepless nights feeling unsafe and insecure. The memories brought a hopeless smile to her lips like some things never change.

She sighed and stood on her tip toes to see who was inside the ATM. She saw three giggling young girls and rolled her eyes. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and saw the time. It was four-thirty already. She started fidgeting with her cell phone, tapping it on the palm of one hand with the other one. Three more people to go and there were already people standing behind her in the queue. She turned to look at them and saw five students, two boys and three girls. One girl was talking over the phone with her hand covering her mouth. She turned back to look in front, covering a yawn, and saw one person coming out of the ATM. He looked unhappy and announced that the machine had reached the daily limit of withdrawal. All the students standing in the queue groaned and turned to leave and she stood there for two seconds longer and decided that it just wasn’t her day! She left, shaking her head.

The Trek

She woke up, picked up her watch from the left side of the pillow and saw the time, it was 7 o’ clock. She was to go for a trek with her parents today. They were in Dharamshala. She got up from her make-shift bed. It was a mattress on the floor with a sheet, blanket and a pillow. She saw her parents sitting on the bed, sipping tea and chatting. She stretched, smiled and said good morning. Two pairs of eyes turned towards her and smiled back in return.
Twenty minutes later, as per the reception clock that said 7:20, they were at the reception, leaving for the trek. The receptionist was a handsome young man who had a very smiling face. He was wearing a crisp white shirt with a black tie and a pair of black trousers. He was standing behind the brown reception desk and smiling as always. He wished them luck and called to the young guide who was to take them for the trek. The four of them left through the main door, out into the beautiful city. You could see the high peaks, covered in snow, in the distance, a sun glowing softly in the early morning sky, green grass on one side of the road and smiling people passing by.
The guide was wearing a blue coloured track suit with trekking shoes. She was wearing a track pant too, with a red tee and a white sweater. Her mother was wearing an orange kurta with white pants while her dad was clad in a grey track pant and a white tee. They were a young looking family.

It was a short trek so they did not carry any bag with water, food or anything that might be required on a trek. The guide was carrying a shoulder bag though. They walked on the road for a short while before cutting into the backyard of a house. Most of the houses were huge and beautifully constructed. They all had great exteriors. This particular house was a little bigger than the rest. It was off-white in colour with a big courtyard and a beautiful kitchen garden. The windows were brick in colour. They had to take a sharp right from the main road to cut into the kitchen garden of the house. There was a dog tied-up on the roof of the house that suddenly started barking. She turned to look at the dog and shivered slightly. They hurried past the garden and entered something that looked like another garden. The moment she stepped in and looked around her, she was spell-bound. It was a tea garden. She raised her right hand to her chest and held it there. It looked straight out of a fantasy land. Green tea leaves all around them. Her parents and the guide had walked a little ahead so she hastened her pace to catch up with them. The guide suggested they get a picture clicked against the gorgeous tea plantations, so the three of them stood against the tea bushes, she stood in between her parents and put her hand around her mother’s waist and her father put his hand around her shoulders. All three faces had happy smiles. When the guide clicked the picture, he held his thumb up to gesture to them that it was done and that it was a good picture. They all moved on. The guide was in front, a few steps behind him was her father and then were she and her mother. The sky was all shades of orange, pink, purple and blue when she had gotten up, now it was mostly light blue with scattered white clouds.

They cut through the tea plantantions and reached the other end of the garden from where they exited. They walked on the mountain roads for a good one and a half hour. They crossed small streams of muddy water that had planks of wood throw across them in order to let people cross them with ease, they crossed beautiful mini-forests with trees and bushes and wild flowers growing in abundance.
They felt exhausted and decided to stop at a tea stall that they saw on their way. They stopped there for a few minutes, had tea and biscuits. The guide suggested that they buy orange sweets because they give energy. She bought a small packet of orange candies and stuffed it in the right side pocket of her black tracks.

They set off again and suddenly found themselves facing a gorgeous, huge temple. The temple had a courtyard. They had to take their footwear off at one side of the courtyard next to the water cooler. After they removed their shoes, they washed their feet in the cool water from the water cooler. Dharamshala felt hot that day due to the trekking. They were all sweating slightly.
There were small rooms on three sides of the temple. The rooms had various idols of Gods and Goddesses and Gurus. They visited each room and stood outside with their heads bowed and hands joined together. After the last room, there was an opening in the stone wall and she could see a steep staircase. The guide informed them that there was a stream below and it was considered quite holy. So they all decided to go down. They left their footwear near the water cooler and one by one went down the steps.
It looked like the water had cut into a huge mountain because on either side of the stream there were giant walls of grey rock. The stream was littered with rocks as well as tiny pebbles and the water current was quite strong. The guide pointed towards the stream suggesting that they cross the stream and climb up on the rocks on the other side. Her parents sat down on the rocks and declined the offer to cross the stream with a shake of their heads. They looked a little tired and out of breath. She was standing on a rock with a hand on her waist, contemplating. She suddenly nodded and held the guide’s hand. She put one foot in the water and was almost taken away by the current but the guide held on. The pebbles under water were quite slippery and that is what made it a little more difficult to cross. She closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath and with a smile on her face took the next step and then the next and finally crossed over to the other side like a proud victor!
They all sat there for about thirty minutes like that in peace and harmony with nature and its forces. She laid her head back on the rocks and closed her eyes with a contended smile.

They were sitting in a jeep and heading home and she raised her hand to see the time. Her watch showed 12 o’clock. It was noon and she was starving. At the thought of food her hand automatically went to her stomach and she strained her neck to see how far they were from their hotel.