The Shimla Trip- Good Bye Mashobra

Not many government hostels in the country can boast of the sort of list of do’s and don’ts that I saw at the hostel at Mashobra on the first night of my week long stay there. The list was stuck on the back of the door and being a compulsive reader I checked it out and was immediately stopped dead in my tracks at one of the ‘don’ts’ on the list. It said that the inmates should not venture out after sunset to avoid encounters with leopards. Now, a leopard was the last thing I expected to meet anywhere so I immediately decided not to move out anywhere out of the hostel without two people on either side of me. In the morning on the first day one of the trainers, a local, rather casually told the entire class that he usually comes across the leopard when he goes out on his evening walks. It seems it doesn’t do anything and simply walks away. Somehow I had my own doubts about the leopard’s behavior with people from other states. Anyway, I had no time to take walks in the evenings because evenings were reserved for trips to Shimla.

Almost before we knew it the week was coming to a close. I was more happy than sad that the training was at last coming to an end. I was missing my family very much and wanted to rush home at the earliest. However I also felt a tinge of sadness because I had made a good friend in Prannoy and there was a lot I wanted to talk with him. Only on the last two days of the week did we get time to take early morning walks around the woods surrounding the hostel. On such a walk we met a ninety year old person, Negi who still collects wood from the surroundings. We visited an almost abandoned forest building located on the edge of a slope that had a stunning view. I wish I had taken my early morning walks right from the first day at the hostel because there was a lot to see around the place.

On the eve of the last day we had a sort of cultural meet in the recreation room of the hostel. Everyone was supposed to entertain the others with some thing. A lot of people sang songs beginning with Prannoy. One of my room mates did a jig and the other sang a mournful song and also told a joke but forgot the punch line! There were many who read out romantic couplets and it was astonishing to discover that people working in the government could be so talented. When my turn came I lived up to my ‘scholarly’ reputation (built on my looks alone) and talked about books and writing. I wish we had the meet during the beginning of the week so that we could have known others well. The next day was the last day and there was no time except to exchange telephone numbers and email id’s.

I stayed in Hotel Doegar in Shimla on Saturday night after Prannoy left by an overnight bus to Delhi. My bus was in the morning. I came across the café of the Coffee Board, an ancient place that served some nice food. I had my dinner and returned to my room and went to sleep. Early the next morning (which was a Sunday) I took a short walk around the ridge and found youngsters playing cricket near the Church. In the morning the place appeared different without tourists thronging the place. I looked around the charming town wondering when I will return again.

At Delhi I checked out Connaught Place on Monday. There was construction activity everywhere so I just walked around. I managed to buy a notebook. The next day I went to Nehru Place and found a couple of people selling second hand books. I found Elmore Leonard’s ‘Get Shorty’ and got the nice copy for thirty rupees. I plan to give it to my new friend from Sikkim. Later in the evening I got into the AP Express and was glad I was traveling by air-conditioned coach because outside it was like a furnace. On Wednesday evening I was back at home, safe and sound.