A QUEER INCIDENT

Q is for Queer:

                  

Sometimes one experiences such a queer incident that one ends up being traumatized considerably.

One such incident happened to me a few years back. It shook me and scared me about my vulnerability. Sadly my faith in people got a slight beating.

We were putting up in the hills during the summer. One day we planned to go shopping in Solan (one of the important cities in H.P). It is situated at a distance of about 12 km from our place. With sufficient cash in my purse, we drove in our car to Solan. Since the narrow main bazaar was always buzzing and overcrowded with all sorts of vehicles, we preferred to park our car at a safe distance and boarded an auto rickshaw to reach our destination.

After finishing our errands, we again boarded an auto for our return journey. As soon as we sat in the auto two dark-skinned women wearing gaudy outfits, seemingly belonging to the lower class hurried towards us to get into the same auto. Though there’s space for only one the auto driver did not object. I protested mildly but thinking it was public transport didn't make it an issue. On hindsight, I realize  that they sensed a potential naïve target in me and that is why they ran to get into the same auto.

I felt very uneasy adjusting but bore it somehow. The din on the road was deafening besides it being a bumpy ride. It was painfully funny because in the small space the women were partially slipping and adjusting all the time. I just avoided looking at them and caught hold of the rod above to stabilize myself. In a vague manner, I remember the woman next to me constantly eyeing me. My purse was in my lap unattended. The duo to my relief got off on the way. 

I had not imagined in my wildest dreams that I could be robbed.  When we sat in the car, I rummaged my purse for something and found to my shock and disbelief that all my money was gone. The women thieves did it to me.  I even suspected the auto driver was part of the conspiracy. I still get goosebumps when I reminisce about the incident. It took me a few months to restore my self-confidence.

Now I act like the proverbial 'once bitten twice shy'. Whenever we go there, I prefer to walk rather than take an auto.

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OCTOBER: THE HARBINGER OF CHANGE

In October the days sparkle with the clear blue sky and the moon and twinkling stars adorn the cool nights.

                                                        The stately Neem in the neighborhood

                                             
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In October, the weather is on the threshold of change. It can be rightly called a month in transit. It leaves behind the humidity and wetness of the monsoons and proceeds to bring crispy breeziness of autumn.

Residents open the doors and windows of their houses to let the dry air pass through to freshen up the indoors. Cupboards remain open for a few hours to drive out the moisture of stored clothes and all sorts of linen. The doors and windows, which were giving trouble in opening and closing because of the absorption of moisture and some swelling in the rainy season, get relief and are back into proper shape.  The dry air helps the sticky mold to lose its blackened presence on the outside walls and corners, which don’t get enough sunlight. The varied aromas of the fast approaching autumn replace the unpleasant smells of the prolonged monsoons. 

                   Singleton myna seems intent on the wiggling grub.
                                                 
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In October, the mornings usher soothing coolness. One feels like lingering in the driveway to get the feel of the change in the weather. Though the day temperature keeps you in, evenings again invite you to step out for a walk. Thankfully, the ACs have been switched off till the next summer and ceiling fans on low speed during daytime suffice.

In North India, there is no shedding of leaves yet. The trees, bushes, and plants actually look bright green and seem to be thriving still. My Neem tree outside our boundary wall has its greenness intact. It welcomes all sorts of birds in its aromatic fold. Yesterday I saw mynas and hoopoes pecking joyfully in our front lawn and flying away quickly at my approach. They perch safely on the extended branches of the Neem and land again at the first chance. Mornings are afloat with their peculiar chirps and cheeps.

In fact, October is the ideal travel month in North India. There are very many touristy places waiting to be explored by the travel-hungry and the adventure lovers.

                              
                               Durga Puja in progress       the hindu.com
                                          
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October is also a festive month. Festivals like Navratras, Dushehra and Durga Puja keep the believers in grace while they visit sacred temples far and near to pay their obeisance to gods and goddesses.

                                                                                       ****

                                                                         

                           
                             Pumpkin festival in the west           Google image
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In the West, October displays blazing autumn for the onlookers to feast their eyes on. The festive spirit generated by Halloween thrills and excites everyone. The pumpkin displays outside most of the houses some with artistically cut faces to make way for the lamps to be lighted inside extend an invitation to walk around the neighborhood.

                               Autumn hues of October in the US.

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October has special sights, sounds, aromas and charms to make us miss it every year.

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NATURE NEEDS NO REMINDERS

Different aspects of phenomenon called NATURE in images below!!

Nature follows a perfect calendar. Have we ever doubted the appearance of the sun in the morning or the presence of the moon at night? Have we ever given a thought to the fact that seasons change on their own without any efforts on our part? Some overlapping there may be but the fundamentals remain the same.

Man’s relatedness to nature goes back to how many millennia, is difficult to guess. Even when man evolved exponentially, his kinship with nature grew stronger. His survival largely depends on nature’s bounties. Air, water, light, soil, plants, trees, warmth and energy sustain man’s life. Undoubtedly, nature all along has remained integral to man’s existence on earth.

It is axiomatic that man does not live for bread alone. God the creator had a unique plan for man to grow and lead a pleasurable life on this planet. Nature provided him with gorgeous spectacles! The mind-blowing Milky Way, vast open spaces, thick forest covers, countless flora and fauna, awe-inspiring oceans and mountains, amazing plateaus and plains and numerous bounteous gifts for his enjoyment- a testemony to His largesse vis- a- vis man.

Most of all nature endowed man with a super intellect. This intelligence, he uses to further his exploratory and risk-taking instincts.  He never feels fully satisfied and remains always in the act of becoming. Man’s imagination has transformed some aspects of the natural phenomenon for the benefit of humankind. To ward off complacency and test his resilience and endurance nature sometimes creates catastrophic situations. To find the solutions to humungous problems fuel his brainpower to battle unpleasant dynamics of life. Nature’s variety and challenges ensure that man might not self-destruct with boredom.

 Below a blazing emblem of autumn!

Man can only prosper if he lives closer to nature as it protects and heals!

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MORNING GLORY

source Internet

 

When I came back home after about three months absence, these perennials were in a pitiable condition.  Dry and withered they looked. I got them snipped completely from above the soil.  On the third day, I witnessed a wonderful scene when I went out first thing in the morning. There was a profuse upsurge of the stems with tiny buds on top. And the next day this morning glory opened up in full strength spreading its magic all around. Nature surely cast its spell with the flowering white beauties!

Early morning when they're in the process of opening up their petals in response to the sun!

This and below pics taken with different angles!

The white rose bush was growing in our complex in the hills. The rose stood neat, erect and serene!

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