Counting Stars...

"It's just another night
And I'm staring at the moon
I saw a shooting star
And thought of you..." 

Ed sheeran melodiously sings to me as I stare at the crescent moon and stars I just painted on my room's wall. I take a peep out of the window expecting to get a glimpse of those twinkling lights scattered out there in the velvet sky. But, they seem to shy away from the blazing city lights. My sad reverie is suddenly broken by the buzzing phone call. And its Moi! my ever so zappy best friend. Before I can even make out a "hello", he almost roars from the phone saying "the trip is ON my friend!". And those six words right there are the warmest thing I could ever ask for in this icy cold midnight of December.

The twilight slowly paints the sky as our train halts at Tajpur station. All of us stuff our rucksacks on the vans, which have been assigned to carry us to our destination. Its starting to get chilly so I tuck myself between two huge rucksacks with an outstretched view of a very small town, which is going to be my abode for the next 4days. The vehicle struggles with the rural roads, bouncing off the speed breakers and trying its best to avoid tumbling over some poor chap on the road. Slowly, the town starts to fade away and all my eyes can see is long stretches of lush green fields and stars, oh! the stars, those beautiful twinkly lights...Its so chilling, I think my nose just went numb, but my gosh the stars! Imagine the night view of a city before a flight is landing and then imagine the same twinkly lights on a black canvas stretched all over the sky till the horizon. Utterly mesmerizing isn't it?

Its an abandoned beach, no tourists, far away from the city hustle, in the middle of literally nowhere, lighted just by the campfire, big trees towering above our heads, the ocean an arms stretch away, and I...absolutely love it, its sheer love at first sight. 
In the midst of moonlit forest, six tents are put up in a way that they form half a circle around the funnily chuckling campfire. All of us stretched out our sleeping bags, for it had been a tiring journey. 

I feel like a butterfly cocooned inside my sleeping bag, its so cozy and Im trying so hard to fall asleep but I don't know why I just can't stop staring at the faint shadows, the fire outside is painting at my side of the tent...and the sound of the ocean, it feels so close, like if I closed my eyes the ocean might just wash our tent away. I hunt for my phone, it has to be here somewhere in my cocoon...I squint at the screen and its almost four in the morning. So, I sneak out and the next thing I know, my feet are veiled by golden sand and there it is, the one who stole my night's sleep....bewitching blue painted with shadows of clouds crossing it, and patches of crimson sunlight touching down everywhere. I take a long drag of the heady ocean scent as the stars melt away with the rising sun. 

I'm never gonna get enough of you...

Its been the most peaceful and over whelming three days of 2014. Drifting aimlessly in this blue icy cold water as I look at my friends having time of their life, I think it wasn't such a bad year after all. 
All of us have tucked ourselves around the bonfire, as Moi sings his heart away. Its our last night in this beautiful abode and I have already started to feel the heartache of leaving this place tomorrow. I trace the patterns that the smoke molds into as it rises up in a dream to touch the sky....and there they are again! those magical twinkly lights. How can something be so alluring? The way they keep winking back, like it wasn't agonizing enough them being so far away. Oh what love they have, they travel miles to bestow us with just one glimpse...but all we see of these twinkly lights are their old photographs.
As I lie down in the sand and stuff my eyes with the mystical view, it makes me realize that how frugal a thing is happiness.... a mug of beer, few friends, an open sky, and the sound of the sea. Nothing else.
Oh look its a shooting star!
"All of these stars will guide us home....."

A Pluviophile’s (rain lover) Diary

Dear diary,

It’s cramped up inside and that bothering ring in my ear. I’m already bored of the white outside, even though the cotton candy clouds muster into a picturesque horizon… then in the spur of a moment I see the white turning grey and the grey turning black, the clouds were like sorcerers draped in majestic grey robe adorned with ravishing blue lightning. And there it was, the city beneath covered in a misty blanket of crystal drops.

My mind swans to the thought, why do people refer to it as grey days? I believe monsoon is of the most romantic seasons…just the smell of first drizzle doesn’t that make your heart want to love endlessly! Or the inexplicably beautiful feeling of dancing to the rhythm of falling rain .Look out the window, its pouring love, go on take your sweetheart’s, hand walk in the rain and let the clouds be cupid.

There’s a ping in my ear, the announcement says we shall be landing now…landing in the city full of color, chaos, music and people. Kolkata and rain, just the sound of it is sheer paragon. I think I’m gonna take a taxi, one of those blazing yellow colored one’s, gives you the feel of Kolkata. Taxi is cutting through the puddles, I put my head out and the moist wind carrying the memories of music, art and revolution caresses me, it as if relieves me of the longing I had all these months for this feeling of belonging. How could I take no notice of those old retro styled plastered but bewitchingly beautiful buildings wet in heaven’s tears, standing right there as a witness of the journey of this city from Calcutta to Kolkata.

While I feel the drops of heaven touching my fingertips it takes me to a flash back of last monsoon- one indolent afternoon I decided to explore the city and ended up in a knee deep puddle of shyambazar, well if I hadn’t almost swam across that puddle, I would have missed out on a lively experience and an exquisite foot massage. Well, Mitra café’s was absolutely worth the float.

My reverie is suddenly broken by the enormous towering pillars of Howrah Bridge, painted on the grey canvas embellished with crystal droplets. It’s the F.M in the background with a retro song “hume tumse pyaar kitna ye hum nahi jantee...magar jee nahi sakte tmhare binaa”, perfectly fits in, isn’t it! And there goes my heart reminiscing how much it loves this city in monsoon.

Pop! Goes my dream bubble, gotta take a train, three more hours left of my journey. I’m midway through midnight train at Deoli with Ruskin bond when my trance is broken by a very familiar smell, the next thing I know I’m standing at the door gazing at endless meadows glossed with morning drizzle, breathing in the heady scent of wet grass and sand.

I get down at my station, steal a glance at the resplendent sky dappled with dark clouds and a colossal drop lands on my face, soon the entire sky was descending. Ever closed your eyes and felt crystal drops on your face? It’s utterly mystical…I open my eyes and across the tracks on the other side of the platform I see the familiar warm face with those smiling twinkly eyes, I’ve missed you mom.

Coffee in hand and intoxicating monsoon outside, tonight I’m gonna sleep all warm and cozy with the rain singing me a lullaby. I smell biryani, its mum calling out…I’m home J

Good night!

A Journey Through The Clouds

You know i never believed in love at first sight, i used to find it impossible that how a person can be captivated by or become enamored of someone in just a blink of an eye, how just a second later your heart is no more erratic, it's no more idle, for now it finds all the revelry and bliss in the thoughts of that enchanter. But it was just until I was ushered to this angelically beautiful place Sandakphu, cause when I woke up that morning of 9th December'13, I utterly, unconditionally fell in love with this place.

"Traveling- It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller" ~ Ibn Batuta

After months of planning, packing, cancellations and last minute changes finally the most anticipated trip of mine to Sandakphu began on 6th december. First phase of the trip was Darjeeling, on the way to this mesmerizing city you'll behold the breathtaking emerald curves of river Teesta... believe me I have never in my life savoured water so sparkly and air so lucid, so fresh. Once you are in the company of mountains it takes a while to get the city air out of your lungs, I actually found the air so delish that I just couldn't get enough of it. Darjeeling is a complete city amidst the mountains, one of my favorite spots here is "the Chowrasta", it's like a meeting square where you can lounge on the small wooden benches with a warm cup of tea and an enticing view of the clouds subliming into the radiant Kanchengjunga. And for dog lovers like me, friends! Darjeeling has the cutest, the fluffiest and the most adorable dogs in the world...I sure am gonna miss all of them.

Next step to Sandakphu is this exhausting and long road trip, but I bet you'll forget every jolt every bump along the road once you gaze out the window. The road to Sandakphu reveals a transcendent, completely mystical world... it is so bewitchingly beautiful that for a moment you are convinced that maybe you hit your head somewhere in a bump along the road and passed out and all of this infront of your eyes is nothing but a dream. The forest is sedating, so calm and the clouds gracefully clamber into the scenery. The lush green valley flaked with balletic movements of snowy white clouds and the mountains that have seen untold sunrises and sunsets, all of this consigns you into a trance, a dream,one you would never want to leave.

Life on the mountains is a tough one, seldom do they have electricity plus getting water and other necessities at such heights is a really strenuous job. We all are used to lives in which everything is humanly arranged and controlled, we forget that there exists a world entirely disparate. Mountains show you a life that does not respond to a remote or a switch, it has its own set of rules. The greatest gift of life on the mountain is time, you have all the time in the world to sit and look at the scenic beauty all around you. Trust me once you are in this ambiance you are bound to fall in love with solitude.
I wont tell you it was easy, no it surely was not because the sub zero temperature, the pain and anguish of acclimatization and the frosty winds all of it kept reminding that maybe this trip was a mistake. But I'll tell you this that when we woke up that morning after all that ordeal, opened the door of our huts and stepped out to see a completely snowy white frost blanket all over the town and a golden gleaming Kanchenjgunga right there infront of our eyes, it all seemed worth it... absolutely worth it. Your nose, toes and fingers are absolutely numb but all you care for is the alluring scenery as if it has been painted by someone, for it is so hard to believe something this magnificent could exist.
Over head was the bluest sky ever and beneath, white fluffy clouds scattered all over the valley like cotton candy. And there, right there like you could touch it by merely stretching your arms out was the resplendent mount Kanchenjgunga and just beside it, it's handsome neighbor the Mount Everest. Oh! i felt like i had the lightest heart and no care in the world for i have seen it all.... it has been rightly said, " Mountains have a powerful solace in them".
So people i found my savior in the clouds, Sandakphu.... whose memories are gonna rescue me from my melancholy for quite a long time now.... And you keep your eyes open for you never know when your eyes would blink and your heart  might just betray you... ;)

Keep falling in love and have a happie new year! :)

Because I Dreamt of You...

Every now and then I have this dream, a serene ocean adorned with the golden sand from alibaba's magical hourglass, and there I am floating and drifting away in it's cold blue water... it feels as if all the anguish that was weighing down my shoulders got washed away with every tranquil wave.

I still remember my first tan... it was in this town called Digha. It's a seaside town enveloped by the bay of bengal. I vividly remember, it was almost dark when we reached, I had been waiting impatiently by the train's door breathing in the scent of the ocean, it wasn't the ocean's heavy fishy aroma, it was more subtle, it was a whiff of salt and mint. The next thing I remember is breathlessly gazing at the blue queen, each strong wave pounding on the rocks as I stand there awestruck. A satiny white full moon shining brightly above the passionate ocean. In that moment, all I could do was just sit there gazing deeply into the pearly white shadow of moon on the face of the ocean. I can't put it in words but that night was so beautiful that it still makes a part of my soul weep.

I have had my fair chance with beaches and two of my favourites are the beaches of Puri (Odisha) and Digha. Digha is a small town, its split into two... if you are seeking a peaceful walk on the beach then old Digha is your spot but if you want to experience an authentic sea food market then new Digha is the bull's-eye. Seemingly this town comes alive at night, the streets near the beach are crammed with every sea food you could ever imagine, with aroma of fried fish and prawn swirling around. And the beach is painted with adorable shells every where. In Puri, apart from the appetizing bhoj at jagannath temple, its the golden beach that I treasure. This beach justifies it's name so perfectly, it has the finest sand you could ever find on a beach. And the sand art is just icing on the cake... these artists are like disciples of merlin, for the marvelous artistry they do is no less than a wizard's work.

A walk on the sandy beach in your most comfortable baggy pants with cool waves touching your bare feet, ocean's salty wind in you hair and that old unforgettable tune in your head.... in that moment there's absolutely no other place on earth you'd rather be.

“The sea always filled her with longing, though for what she was never sure.”
― Cornelia Funke

Every beach that I visited, every feather of ocean that I saw did nothing but increase my love for it. I admire the brutality, the calmness, the passion, the magnetic beauty of this ravishing blue queen. She remains so calm and soothing even though she simmers with indomitable power. Even though she could ruin everything with a mere crystal wave, she chooses to lay in the arms of her shore. Nothing on this earth owns her, She is free.
The ocean is like emotions personified, it loves, hates and weeps too. No matter what you say about it, there is always something that you can't.
Yep i'm a beach lover, but not being a morning person makes the sunrise on a beach still a mysterious occult to me. So I would be waiting on my toes to unravel this mystery soon, until then i'll be dozing in the valley of dreams :)

A City Sweeter Than It's Sweets

This nostalgic feeling caught me by surprise the other day. May be it's because of Durga Puja at the door that i'm so wistful. I was just going through an article on kolkata and it's so heart rending, that when people mention Kolkata,  they imperatively mention poverty and potholes, as if no other metropolitans have them! You know what, i feel that this city is simply graceful, alluring in its own way. The most enchanting thing about this city is that it always sounds like it's celebrating.

"Today i have seen the charm, the beauty, the unfathomable grace of the face that i was looking for"~ Rumi 

It feels as if this was quoted for this city.
How can you take no notice of the enormous towers of the mighty howrah bridge crossing overhead, when you are traveling in one of those blazing yellow colored taxi's with some retro song on the radio. Aah! here comes the traffic, people here like to take it slow you see... the most frequent lines that you would hear in this commotion is " dada, chap kisher!" ( brother why the rush! ), makes me laugh every time i hear it.

The taxi is at its speed, cutting through the puddles of water on the road , you put your head out and the moist wind carrying the memory of magic, poetry, art, revolution and music caresses you, as if it relieves you of the longing you had all these months for this feeling of belonging. You lift your head up and see those retro styled, plastered, old but bewitchingly beautiful buildings , standing right there as a witness of the journey of this city from Calcutta to Kolkata.

One drizzly afternoon you decide to explore the city and you end up in the knee deep puddle of shyambazar, believe me if you haven't experienced this cold water foot massage as you almost swim through it, then my friend you have missed out on a lively experience. This city seems to have all the time in the world, you will not find any kinda hastiness in the people. Even on a weekday amidst the busy schedule, people here wondrously find time for their beloved aadda (hangout) and chaa (tea).... yep you have to pronounce it with the extra A . Bengali people like it a bit dramatic you know, like the extra o's and a's in the words. And this is what makes the language so melodiously sweet just like the rosogolla. oh! dont start me on the food, we bengali people love to eat as much as we love to chatter and yes we think no no wait, we believe that no other city in this entire world makes better "fuchka" than the roadside bhaiya in kolkata. Ahan! we dont care whether it's golgappa or pani puri, it is "fuchka" in kolkata ;)

And the beauty of the nights in kolkata is unparalleled, it's lonesome. Kolkata isn't an insomniac like the other metropolitans, cause obviously this city needs it's beauty sleep. But man if it's durga puja! all the five main days of the puja you find this ravishing beauty showing off all night.
Excuse me for the lengthiness today but for me this city is like that one love of your life you couldn't forget, the beauty that still makes you weak in the knees. This city sways my heart every time i think of it.

The Traveler's Syndrome

The title of my post is misleading isn't it? Well this syndrome happens when a person has to travel in the cramped economy class seats on long flights. But a traveler is not the one on the business class of a flight, a traveler is one who has walked the long roads with the company of his map and a backpack, one who has traveled on the roof top of a heavily crowded village bus. For a traveler its all about moving, i think one does not travel to go anywhere, traveling is all about the change. There are always different people you meet, every corner of the street is new. It's almost like a new adventure every step, you cannot cross a street or turn on a corner without the adrenaline rush. Moreover, when you are in a new town, a new place with new people, you can be anything and anyone you want and that's the best part. You can leave behind your identity with the old place and can adapt a new one just like an impressionist....:)

she loves the serene brutality of the ocean, loves how it changes itself with every wave and leaves behind its impression's on the sand because after all impression is all that we leave behind.

It's drizzling and you are walking along a long road in a small town with a backpack and your thoughts to your company, you come across a small place for tea, that smell of wet sand mixed with aroma of kulhad chai, isn't it just transcendent. That's what it is to travel old school, like  walking in the french colony of pondycherry with the smell of sea.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu.

Yeah that's true, a traveler is very hard to commit to one place. They tend to get bored of a place if stayed too long, they always need change, a new face, a new adventure to conquer. A traveler cannot settle for a sunny day for a week being haunted by the thoughts of a place somewhere covered in clouds and smell of wet sand. He can travel to a place where there is no path but cannot walk on the same road each day for the rest of his life.

And that my friend's is the beauty of a traveler, one who explores himself with every new place he pioneer's.