The Storyteller

The greatness of a thing cannot be measured by its size, but by its eternal beauty. Well, this is what I concluded when I came face to face with the mountains at Pahalgaon. The clouds hovered here and there near the peaks as if they had bustled there to appreciate the splendid beauty. The huts adorned them as they rested peacefully in their lap. The occasional sounds of sheep grazing were interfered with a whooshing sound of water which emerged from the streams of Ledar River that ran just below them.

And the mountains? (even the locals couldn’t name it) oh! they stood silent and unperturbed. They continued to amaze me as well as the other tourists who were capturing their humbleness in the DSLRs, Tablets, and Smartphones.

As I was walking across the Ledar, thousands of pebbles lay all over by the mountains' side. Each one of them HAD A STORY TO TELL…….

Some of them had a story of love inscribed on them, some of them had the story of winter to tell while some of them had a tale of history waiting to be deciphered to the ones who had visited them for the first time and I was one of them.

They slowly echoed in my ears, “You were destined to find me and witness my existence.”

The Quaint Valley

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page”

Quite similar to the quote above, I read the book of happiness as I set out to explore the ‘Land of Heaven,’ recently.  As I turned the pages of the book, I came across many chapters of happiness, solitude and streams. The first chapter was a story of ‘The Quaint Valley.’

Patnitop was indeed a place that showed me what real natural beauty was. Pine trees standing tall amidst the lush green valleys greeted me with their magnetic charm. Hidden behind them were snow-capped mountains; a sight, which I imagined while I was given a drawing assignment in my school as a child. Wow! The scenery was now in front of me. “Is it real?”I questioned myself after pinching my hand few times.

Somewhere, the birds chirped as it welcomed me to their land of solitude. I stood at the valley for a while and could sense the utter silence. The silence of peace that prevailed everywhere filled each part of my body with happiness.

Now, let the pictures do the talking for you…………….

A Booky Affair

It’s Saturday afternoon. The clock says 11:00 a.m. The sun has decided to take a toll on the homo sapiens. A hot wind blows through, bringing in the loo with itself. Deep lines of sweat appear on the forehead of shopkeepers  who are about to open their trade for the day. I move a few steps further and it seems as if I have entered the high-street fashion zone and why not this is Khan Market. A number of street shops, sport the latest trendy garments as if saying to the window shopper, ‘I can add the zing to your look’. A Lamborghini zooms by making it my first view of the sports car in the city.

Before I get distracted by the glitz and glamour of the place, I finally find my destination – Café Turtle. Hidden between numerous street shops and bars, it’s rather easy to find this book reading café of South Delhi.  As I enter the Café, an ocean of books greets me and arouse the bookworm inside me. Fiction, Non-Fiction, Sci-Fi, Historical books occupy the shelves. Ignoring the curious looks of the books, I made my way through the stairs to the reading Café.

White, Yellow and Orange colors adorn the walls. The peppy background music adds to the ambience of the Cafe. A young boy in his mid 20s is deeply engrossed in a book. Besides him, an elderly couple is enjoying an Iced Cappuccino. I take a window seat that offers a picturesque view of the world outside. As I peep through the window my attention falls on the beer bottles that have been beautifully recycled into flower pots. My attention shifts on the books that are beautifully kept on a small hanging shelf. Quotes from famous writers and paintings add to the ambience.

You can either pick up a book from the bookstore or can write a one sitting in the Café. But what makes Turtle Café the perfect place to give your creative mind a toss? Well, it is the ambience. The quaint and calm atmosphere in spite of visitors pouring in will still keep you engaged in your work and won’t divert your mind.  You can immerse in deep thoughts for your next literary piece, chat with anyone who is a reading buff while enjoying sumptuous food.

A mix of old world charm with a bit of sophistication, Café Turtle is the ultimate place to spend your literary time.