Days UnderCloud: Volume II : "To Autumn"

Days UnderCloud #9

The Himalayan Trek.

The second week of October has a lot in store for a group of high spirited officer trainees. On the very first day, their trek is all about sitting in a bus and singing along to the evergreen tunes of 'Dil Chahta Hai'. They clearly have no idea that their call for 'Kabhi na beetein Chamkeele Din' will go unheard by the tall daunting mountains of Uttarakhand. The mighty peaks will try to crush their bonhomie but they all will emerge stronger...at least stronger than this evening game of 'Mafia' (photo) they played on the first day which was full of deception and betrayal in the village that goes to sleep time and again.

Days UnderCloud #10

9th October '19

It's when you smell the air and hear the wind; and taste the hail; and feel the leaves of grass- that you see yourself melting away.

You realise that five senses aren't enough to gauge the depth of the moment that seizes you.

(my rendition of Linklater's Boyhood reference)

At the top of the Panwali Kantha peak, I can look at the snow smothered mountains right in front of me (the literal and metaphorical 'high point' of the Himalayan Trek, as they say in lbsnaa) as I relish the last piece of Bournville rich cocoa that I had been saving for the past week.

All my 'rations' of Snickers, Aloo Bhujia, Khatta Meetha namkeen, dry fruits, Parle G biscuits have been exhausted (just like the entire trek group). And all I have is this: a small Bournville in its glistening crumbled gold wrapper. Somethings shouldn't be shared i guess. Neither the chocolate, nor the moment.

Days UnderCloud #11

13th October '19

There is no better feeling than coming back alive. Presenting the Wolf-Gang... (No Mozart reference)

The survivors of an ordeal who would have not seen the gleaming stairs of the A N Jha Plaza that day if it hadn't been the brave 'territorially conscious' bakarwali dogs whose ferocious barks defeated the howls of the canines that rose in the full moon night in the forests of Uttarakashi a week ago.

That's a long sentence. Hmm.

Well, time takes its time when fear takes its place.

Pratima, Trupti, Garima and I were glad to know that we won't die on the same day. (As of now).

Days UnderCloud #12

18th October '19

From the Dhar district headquarters (MP) that we reached after a midnight train journey (with me trying to fit in a Side Upper berth), we are setting off to our respective villages.

At the juncture of this Selfie (taken by my charismatic fellow Asst. Group Leader Shubham who'd be heading to another village) we did not realise that the Village Visit will be a different experience for different groups.

While Kanishka, Nandini, Akshat, Neeraj, Gaurav and I would be relishing jalebis and chai and some awesome hospitality in the week to come, other folks would be struggling for the fun that only Sadalpur can guarantee.

And Sadalpur awaits. :)

Days UnderCloud #13

20th Oct '19

The Gangs of Sadalpur.

Six different people united by their common love for Chai and 90s bollywood music.

The interaction we've had with the people of the village has been a fulfilling experience. This photo is from the most memorable meeting with the collective of all the SHGs of Sadalpur. Hearing their stories filled us with seamless energy (though we were already brimming with it because of the good sleep we were getting here in the breezy environs of the Panchayat Bhawan).

Days UnderCloud #14

Last Week of October '19.

Most people in my batch would remember Kevadia, Gujarat for its towering Statue of Unity, or the serene waters of the Narmada river, or the magnificent parade on the Ekta Diwas, or the memorable group activities of the Aarambh event. I'll also cherish all these elements for the times to come, however, not as much as I'll cherish my half an hour afternoon nap looking at the ceiling of my tent (pic) and listening to Comfortably Numb. All the running around in the heat all day made those 30 minutes of solace feel like centuries and the solitary lamp in the middle of the ceiling looked like a lone cloud in a desert saying: 'Hello? Is there anybody in there?' - just nod if you can hear me.

Days UnderCloud #15

30th Oct '19

Commitment. Character. Conduct. (And everything else in between.) Commendable Comrades with Comprehensive Compatibility and Cameraderie. Crazy Crowd. Caafi Cool aur Camaal. Cedarnath Conquerers at Cevadia.

Ciao.

Days UnderCloud #16

9th November '19

The Annual Lbsnaa Fete.

To sum up what the most happening event of the course is all about I'd like to quote an (over)inspiring film song: 'Mela dilon ka..aata hai ek baar; aake chala jata Hai'. The preparation that our group did for setting up a fun activity stall in the Happy Valley PT ground was

1. Try to pronounce fete/féte/feat/feet/fētê/fait/fate(?)

2. Establish a Jukebox named 'Gaanshila' (advertising/ dominating/ masala bollywood music player) and be the DJ of a PT ground for 8 hours straight.

We ended up collecting a hefty sum of money for the academy's Society for Social Service by charging customers for their favourite songs, dedications, messages and ads.

And well, I got to play 'Dus Bahaane' a couple of times to an audience of hundreds.

So, a (fateful) day well spent.

Days UnderCloud #17

A Sunday in November, '19.

Sundays are supposed to be cherished. Every single one of them. You'll lose track of your days as they come and go in mysterious ways- but trust me. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday...let them go. Let them melt into each other on the pages of the Calendar. But never let a Sunday slip! Catch hold of it and make every second of it count.

Or just sit there doing nothing but staring at Dhananjay's camera while checking out his shades.

This picture is the property of the Lbsnaa Cafe Crawling Society*- a Sunday club founded by a group of shade-y people who made all their Sundays count. *more info in next post

Days UnderCloud #18

Sundays in Landour, Nov-Dec 2019

The Lbsnaa Cafe Crawling Society is an effort towards achieving the highest level of bonhomie of breaking bread collectively amongst its members- on the 7th day of every successive week. The gluttony begins at Bakehouse in Landour at 12 noon and ends at the gates of the Academy near Charleville around 11pm.

The objectives of the club are:

1. Eat together.

2. Walk together.

3. (Try to) pay together.

Additional conditions:

1. Only one serving of one dish authorized- in order to maximize options on the menu of each cafe.

2. Only one cab journey authorized- in order to maximize the distance traveled on foot and hence the appetite of each member.

The club spends an average of 11 hours in accomplishing the above objectives at 8 cafes on an average every Sunday. The number of participants fluctuates from 4 to 15, but our commitment is at an unwavering 101% (until the exams get the better of us).

Days UnderCloud #19

14th Nov '19

I think Dr Sneha Gitte would be as great a pediatrician as she'll be an IAS officer...coz she understands kids. She knows that a big bar of chocolate would brighten up a child's day- especially when it's 14/11.

She remembered and made it a point to present me an Amul (best brand ever) Milk Chocolate pack before the hectic day ended. Sneaking out a few minutes from the State Day celebrations practice in the Auditorium, we munched on some really sweet stuff and were joined by the one and only 9G1 Pawar who reclaimed his childhood (in his own words).

Days UnderCloud #20

15th Nov '19

Nahi khel ai Dagh yaaron se keh do,

Aati hai Urdu zubaan aate aate...

The last lecture of Urdu- the module that grabs the position of the best of all at Lbsnaa. My most memorable moments have been from this weekly experience with Prof Arshad Nandan, the friend-guide-philosopher-poet--lecturer-performer-liberator-conquerer of all our hearts and minds.

Khasoosi tawajjo jo humaare zaheen tareen ustaad ne humaari taraf diya, woh khaas taur par kaabil-e-taarif hai!

The one hour classes usually went beyond time but everyone seemed to want more! It ended with provoking (thought and other stuff as well) Shaayari, but the experience continued for a long long time thereafter.