February 18, 2014 Mirzapur

The constantly re-ooccuring rain has made February dull and unpleasant when it should have been bright and beautiful to welcome spring. It had made me shut all the doors and windows of my house as tight as I could and myself within them in an attempt to escape from the unwanted, off-season pitter-patter on the roof and thuds and sloshes on the window panes and the road. It had made me paranoid. Any unexpected sound would bring up an uncomfortable fear of another spell from the thick grey sky. It hadn't rained yesterday though. I gathered up hope for better weather with a rain free morning too. I sat up in my bed, still under my blanket to fight off the chill. As I tried to finish a book I was reading, failing to concentrate over the last few days, I heard a soft rustling through the closed shutters of the window above me.
The sound immediately disheartened me; reluctantly I opened the window, sure of seeing strings of water pouring outside. What I saw amazed me and confused me. I had been in this house for only a week but that was not too little time to not have noticed that gigantic form earlier. What I feared to be the howling of the clouds was actually the rustling of a million leaves on the largest tree I had ever seen. It was so huge, it filled the complete frame of the view through my window.
It wasn't particulary windy, but it seemed that the numerous leaves were playing catch with the breeze, tossing it among themselves, moving, dancing cheering with laughter. I was convinced that the rustling was being echoed within the bounds of that mammoth tree. It was not the usual pulsating sound of wind blowing in and out of a tree. It was a continuous buzz, like in a radio struggling with bad reception. Looking at that tree gave me hope. Hope of a sunny day. It said to me that it could fight off the clouds. It gave me a promise of the spring. It brought the slightest smile to me, a smile inside me, my face I am sure, still held an expression of awe. It gave me the urge to finally leave my bed and get up and about. The great tree and its millions of chattering, cheering children were here to keep me company.

February 5, 2014 Gomor river, Sunderbans

We're on our way to Sajnekhali on a boat. The day started early at 6.30 am. The fog is dense and worse on the water. As our boat slowly makes its way through the river, the fog makes its way through the boat. I can not only see the fog floating but can feel the dampness it is leaving behind. It has left dew drops on our hair, eyelashes, my camera lens and everything else. Just sitting cuddled up in a blanket in this cold melting weather is difficult enough. The lives of locals however goes on without interruption. The morning chores go on as everyday. We sit on our boat looking on as nature fails to shake the will of these men and women on the shores. Survival is hard here but has been made possible by these simple and hard-working village folk.

February 4, 2014 Gomor river, Sunderbans

The river is calm. The wind is soft. There are no waves in the water, but it is not without waves. The waves can be seen on the marshy shores. As water receded from the shores at the dawn, it left beautiful patterns on the soft grey soil. It cut the soil in lines, steps, paches, pits and waves. These will be washed off tonight with the tide. Tomorrow, I will see new waves, unseen waves of the calm water, their impression created on the soil of the shores.

The Diary

I have lived in four different cities in the last year, and travelled to at least five more. As much as it was tiresome, it was an experience that brought growth in me at various levels. I have written a diary casually now and then. With so much travelling though the subjects of my writings have grown out from being personal. I realised I had put down several thoughts I'd like to share. This encouraged me to start a new page in my blog 'The Diary' (I am still figuring out how to put posts on a seperate page). The posts here will not be art projects. Just thoughts and doodles I scribble while travelling, sometimes pictures too. Hope you enjoy this new feature.