The hills have a never ending things to see and experience. From spider webs, to trees, to ghost lights, to …… One just needs to stop and look around. Here is a set of images with some imagination thrown in. 

Driving back from George Everest House I spotted this monster web. It was about eighteen inches from end to end. And strong enough to support the rain drops that it caught from the light drizzle. Actually, there was a pothole on the road and if we had not slowed down because of it, I would have missed it. Even potholes have their uses. Sadly, could not spot the master weaver who had created this intricate wonder.

Sentinals

These are trees that I see each time I visit Mussoorie. Been seeing them for a couple of decades now. They are ever present. Over the years they have grown and spread out. Like me. They give a sense of familiarity and permanence. And the comfort that comes along with it. We have seen them early morning, through blinding rain and in glorious sunsets when the sky behind them is on fire. This one is at the end of a sunny day in early January. With a cold wind zipping around to keep itself warm. The last picture that I took that day before retreating hurriedly to a heated room. And some rum to bind body and soul together.

Fog Lights

On a humid August night as I stepped out after my dinner the clouds came in. Silently, with stealth. And the bright, shiny lights became blurry. It happened so so quickly. Like when you fall asleep after a tiring day. And the clear thoughts of the day become hazy dreams of the night. Excpet that this is one dream that has stayed with me. Of fuzzy lights, of a moist wind blowing gently, of a dog barking in the distance and some voices wafting up from the valley. The barking and the voices being the only indication that I was still in the same world.

His Majesty the Mountain

When nature is kind and the skies are clear the majesty of snow covered Himalayas juts out into blue skies. You have to be patient and wait for it. This one is from November 2009 – many years back. This imposing mountain ( Bandarpunch – 20,000 feet ) greeted me in the morning as I stepped out onto the balcony. Literally, making me rub my eyes in disbelief. One could hardly hope for a better view. And even though the breeze was cold and biting I stayed out till the hot cup of tea ran out. Guess the pollution was far less at that time. By the way, the name means tail of the monkey. And Hanuman is reputed to have extinguished his burning tail on the summit. The tail that caught fire in the Ramayana.

Bygone Era

In the early seventies this was a great place for some delicious steaming hot bowl of soup sitting glued to a window. And literally watch the world go by on the Mall Road below. On a wet day a cloud would waft in through the gaps and stay with you for a few moments. Before doing the disappearing act. The name Whispering Windows had a magical quality about it. One could imagine the wind creeping in through the cracks and whispering softly to the occupants. And if they were not inclined to listen, slowly raising the sound level to grab their attention. If memory serves me right the place also had a bar in those days.

Ghost Lights

The nights in the hills are the ideal time to let ghosts creep into your mind. Actually, you do not let them creep in. They come in on their own. Especially, if it is a foggy night. And the lights dim and brighten in sync with the thickness of the fog. You are alone trying to capture some night shots with the howling dogs and chirping insects for company. I recall this picture vividly. As I tried to find just the right spot to balance the lights I stepped on some twigs. With a crackling sound of protest weight they slipped down the hill. I almost went along. This was somewhere on Gun Hill – July 2018.

Veils

The hills basking in the sun were veiled in a while. By the clouds coming in from Doon Valley. As we sat quietly on a bench on the Mall Road. With the chatter of noisy tourists behind us. We were also keeping a keen eye on a few monkeys on a tree behind us. They, in turn, were showing considerable interest on the sandwich and juice bottle in our bag. Their antics and the noise of the crowd continued unabated behind us. In front of us there was a living painting evolving by the moment. We sat mesmerised and glued to the cold bench. Till the hills merged into a cocktail of clouds and the night.

Dusk Creeps In

As the sun goes down and evening fires are lit the silence of dusk creeps in. This is how it looked one evening in January 2016. And the song ‘ Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye, Sanjh KI Dulhan …. ‘ came on the lips as a gentle hum. This song from film Anand never fails to stir the soul. This is the time of the day where one often feels a sense of being complete and incomplete in the same moment. There is a sense of finality of a day gone by which gives the completion. And the start of the night which brings about the incompletion. If you have ever felt happy and sad at the same time you will know what I mean.

Bends in the Road

The road of the day becomes blobs of light — at night. Three disjointed bends with hardly a body in sight. I have often played the game of waiting for the odd person to blend into the darkness and then emerge into next light 😊. Very childish, you think. I agree entirely. But great fun. Especially if you can mentally estimate the speed and figure out the moment when the person will emerge. These are three bends on Camel’s Back Road.

Kids are Kids

One thing that I am always intrigued by is the reaction of children to a camera pointed at them. While the adults will often be angry or suspicious the children are invariably curious. Some are shy and some are so natural. Either way they are not afraid to put their emotions on display. The one of the left were clicked by daughter as we sauntered down from Gunhill to Camel’s Back Road — by a path rarely used. The ones on the right were returning from school somewhere in Happy Valley. That may have contributed to their mirth.

Quality Time

This is one thing that can be learnt from them. They can spend hours just monkeying around it seems. Without a care in the world. This family was busy enjoying itself on the terrace. Till the baby nipped the mother – a little too hard. The little one got a whack just after this. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture that moment. Of course, the capers continued uninterrupted after that. July 2012.

Silver Lining

Having heard the phrase every cloud has a silver lining from childhood it was a great pleasure to actually see one. It was July 2012. This one cloud was followed by many more. They just kept rising up one after the other. In a continuos swarm. Till the sun gave up and retired hurt for the day. What followed was a downpour. Which is often the case in the late afternoon in the hills. And then as suddenly they all dissolved. To leave behind a gentle breeze and sky full of stars. And the peaceful feeling that comes when you have cried your tears out.