MISTY MORNINGS IN SHIWALIK HILLS

A misty morning awaited me on getting up today. The light cottony clouds had shrouded the upper slopes in a mysteriously surreal canopy and allowed a breathtaking spectacle first thing in the morning. What a blessing! Can one ask for more? My gaze lingered on and on till I became conscious of the yellow orange reflection far away in front, trying to elbow its way out of the dense cloud formations there. The clouds happily obliged. They glided upwards gaily, freeing the towering mountains of its loving grip. At such a moment, standing still with a mind which is raring to encompass all the sensations of the physical world, conscious of the palpable but unnamed sounds, probably of the damp vegetation, waking up in unison and participating in a subdued chorus of its own, blended with mildly shrill cheeping of tiny birds, is a motif available only in the hills. Slowly the day dreaming gets jolted and disintegrates in the wake of human noises. Such deep bonding with the surrounding phenomenon is realized only in the cool stillness of the early morning when the world is slumbering. An experience totally private, generating vibes and waves of unique positive dimensions.

In fact every morning here is an unbounded loosely framed mural of nature’s miracles. Sometimes dazzling sunlight spreads its healthy joyful self through the bedroom window and while you thankfully welcome it with satisfying yawns and relaxed stretching, in anticipation of a dry day, it disappears magically and the narrow valley and mountains are engulfed by waltzing clouds reducing visibility. But patiently the sun wriggles out chasing away mist and   the mountains present sheets of gleaming plant life shaking itself into action like a bird after a puddle bath.

rain droplets on my clothes line

Some mornings are gloomy and wet. But when I spy early droplets of rain water threaded into my clothes line in the balcony, I try to imprison it in my cell and forget everything else.  The intermittent rains and prolonged gray spell do restrict mobility but something unexpected always stands out to neutralize the effect.  

At present (August) the pure blue sky remains patterned with eye catching cloud formations. Sometimes the shapes are abstract and at other times their similarity to certain objects is striking. One can spend hours in figuring out such relationships while overwhelmed by the nature’s inimitable prowess. The scenario is ever new, ever fresh. Such is the mind boggling variety of God’s unseen wand, painting wonders for His creation.

Often I contemplate how testing it’d be to exist in these volatile times without the gift of this holy phenomenon! 

All images courtesy my Motorola