Pictures, holidays..Mr Mishra

Pictures have never been this fun. I guess viewing them with music in the background has a different effect altogether. No wonder movies are fun. Kritee and I look so good when we are laughing and are having fun together.

2009 holidays were beyond doubt the best that I have experienced in a long time. It felt great to be in Haridwar with Papa Mummy and it was equally great to be in Rishikesh, albeit for a short duration. These are some of the places where I would probably happily settle down at some point of my life. I guess it would be a small town and not a metro..for sure.

I have little doubt that Simla is the destination of choice for people who just want to get over and done with their holidays. That is not to take away anything from this British Raj summer haven. Thanks to the random urbanisation, the city resembles a cluster of tin objects from a distance and as Mr Mishra says, the view does not get better even from near.

But in all this chaos, there are some beautiful remnants of Simla's golden days. The cutest post office that I have ever seen, the unending pine trees (hope they stay there forever) and some fabulous victorian architecture buildings.

Besides the time at hand, it is important to know, what exactly you need from your vacation. The idea of spending days altogether in Mashobra sounds exhilirating. But as Mr Mishra was growing uneasy in the first few days, I guess I too will, and then of course there is the constant urge to check with the real world if everything is ok. Anyways, cant do much about that.

Idleness is not such a bad thing after all. Lazing in the sun and just exploring surrounding regions aimlessly is probably something that I know I would love doing. I don't know if I should call this coincidence or destiny, but Mr.Mishra seems to be living the life that I would want to experience at some point in my life time. Thanks to that abrupt visit to CP on that dusty afternoon.

Is it really that big a deal that I am connecting with him at so many levels. Be it the travel part or his takes on random things..they all seem to fit in with me very nicely. Whatever it is, his is one of the most interesting non fiction that I have ever read.

If there is time for a short holiday, I would go straight away to Haridwar, with a must stop at Mohan ji Poori waale (its sad I don't have any pic of the place) and then switch to Rishikesh. This is one place where I would want to spend a few days and be away from the commotion in Haridwar.

Mohan Ji Poori Waale will hopefully be suitably compensated for by Chotiwala. While enroute to Neelkanth, I learnt that there is a separate trail to the temple which people follow on foot. What fun it will be to walk on that scenic path.

Once again the length and breadth of my country amuses me. Time and again it gives me the feeling about how little I have seen of it and how shyly I have met with it for the past 31 years. It is after all our home.

And that brings us once again to the biggest fantasy that I have lived. My train journey across the hinterlands of India. At least Mr Mishra's writings based on his travels are helping me in the interim. May be as everything else I am after all destined to undertake that journey and capture it in a beautiful way and I will be able to do that only once I gain more insights into how to do that actually.

may be yes..no..I am sure yes.

Mr Mishra

So Mr Mishra will be a 2 hour drive away from Dubai tomorrow. Or most probably he already is. I have never felt so connected with an author before in my life. Upamanyu carried the mantle so far, but Mishra ji has walked away with the honours hands down.

What is it about his writing? Is it the content or the fact that most of his work that I have read till now or will be reading shortly is based on travelogues? May be yes. But how does it matter? Besides the content is extremely indepth and well researched. I find my opinions and perceptions challenged.

The question that I wanted to ask him if I could meet him was that how could he capture so many aspects of his travels so effectively? May be he always planned which aspect he will focus on. Thats why in Butter Chicken he talks only about the changing small towns and in Temptations he goes on to comment on national issues over a period of time along with the ones of our neighbouring countries.

I wonder how would he have reacted to my idea of taking that train journey and then penning it down. Why should he give importance to it anyways..many many people do that all across the world. Especially in this time and age of blogs et all, the numbers would be endless. However I dont intend to do it for any book writing purpose..this is a journey that I have always wanted to take to not just see my country, but to also in some sense connect with its soul.

Why only me..When Mahatma Gandhi came back to India from South Africa, before taking up an active role in the Congress, he ventured on a nation wide travel to understand the country. Jawaharlal Nehru did the same and then asked the same question..what is the true soul of this country and how is it that it has stayed intact for centuries all together.

I am not such a visionary or a thinker. My desire stems from my love for trains and to satisfy my desire to criss cross the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. As this would beyond doubt be one of the most expansive journeys of my lifetime, it is imperative to capture this in a way that it stays with me for the rest of my life.

Pictures, write ups..in a nut shell capture this journey in the most comprehensive manner possible. That is why I feel extremely connected with Mr Mishra..for his ability to do this so effectively.

It would have been nice to meet him and ask him how he does it.