LANDOUR end

5th March 2011

For a change I was the first one to wake up today.The sun has come out and the weather seems to be less cold.

 

We were planning to go down to Mussourie near the Mall today.There is a bookshop which Ruskin Bond frequents on Saturdays and we are hoping to meet him! We sighted the Himalayas today too.We started discussing what it looked like to us.Sandhya said they looked like a pineapple cake.Arvind could not think of what it looked like except that he wanted a take scrumptious bite.To me it seemed like whipped cream.I think we were all hungry.

 

We waited at the bookshop.The shopkeeper told us he'll arrive at four and he did!We were tongue-locked and blabbered a few nice sounding words to the questions he asked.My ears had turned hot.We got our Ruskin Bond books autographed and talked to him for a bit.He was such a dear old man with the bluest of eyes.I had bought a book for Pappu as her birthday gift and got it autographed too.I hope she loves it.When the crowd started pouring in,we left.Arvind was so smitten by the experience that while gaping at his autographed book he did not notice the ditch before him,and fell right into it.He recovered soon.We went to ChicChocolate to celebrate meeting a wonderful writer and stare at his autograph for longer.

 

6th March 2011

Arvind wanted to record the morning mass of the church at the bend before CharDukan to include it with the shots of the empty church space.We couldn't make it to the beginning of the mass but managed to get a good recording of the proceedings and the choir.It was sunny today and a lot of birds were out to catch some sun too.Spotted Dollar and Rupee outside the church listening to the choir.They joined us when we headed to CharDukan.

 

Today was time lapse-shots day.I was taking a time lapse of CharDukan as the sunset threw hues on it like the changing slides of a view-master.As the sun dipped the shadow of the tree, in the playground in front, moved down from Anilji's new signboard,over the awnings,the asbestos sheets and even a sleepy Dollar.A few kids were playing cricket a little away.I was also standing guard next to the camera so that the cricket ball does not come visiting.It almost did once,but gravity saved the day.

 

The setting sun had leaked some light,like a punctured water balloon, to the surrounding clouds and a line spread over the horizon.The light washed the sky and the trees with a bright orange glow.It slowly changed to the colour of tea before it evened out.Very quickly it fell headlong into a dark evening.

 

The kids had stopped playing cricket and CharDukan had blinked on its lights.We has settled down for some chai when I saw a bright orange line like a whiplash on the deep blue sky.Arvind excitedly pointed out that it was the Winter Line! We scurried about for the camera and managed to take a shot,after which we kept staring at it from Anilji's cafe.It felt like we were at the bottom of a cocktail glass of indigo liquid and we could see thin bands of orange,red and yellow at the top.Someone had dipped a rice-cracker moon a wee bit.The rest of the moon was visible foggily dreamily.

 

When we walked back to Kilmarnock,we crossed like lullabies and that streetlight went to sleep once again.

 

7th March 2011

Today is the last day at Landour.

We went to visit Sangeetha at Woodstock School today.She was showing us around and we were bowled over by the school and later by its fee.Four of us had a wonderful chat over some coffee and eclairs.When settled for the last night here with heavy hearts.An owl kept hooting through the night.A soft wispy hoot,which I had once mistaken for an electronic beep and went around checking which camera charger was making that constant rhythmic toot.

 

8th March 2011

All packed and ready,we were waiting for the taxi to arrive.We had cleaned up the place.Sandhya has settled her heavy backpack on the porch and Arvind moved towards the fence to gape at the Himalayas.I walked down the a bit and plonked myself on the parapet lining the road.A huge huge fluffy dog was being taken for a walk.I'm guessing it is a Saint Bernard.It kept turning and looking curiously as it was pulled along.It looked so handsome.

 

A few school girls walked past discussing what questions are likely to appear in their exams.They had impeccable starched uniforms.The tips of their stiff dupattas were pinned together at the back such that when they walked in twos,it formed a big 'W'.

 

Our taxi has arrived.The driver's name is Bikram and Bina didi and Mijan bhai seemed to know him well.We shall stop at CharDukan and tell our goodbyes before catching the bus to Dehradun.