The Shillong Times!

Shillong has been a great escape always. I’ve regarded Shillong as my second home. Every summer right after the half yearly exams we would pack our bags (…Maa made sure I carry all my holiday home work too) and be away from the maddening heat of Guwahati.

Shillong Aita & Koka were not like my Aita & Koka at home. They were poles apart. The Shillong grand parents made sure I was doubly spoilt and never rebuked me nor encouraged Maa to do that!

Aita was a cuddly little thing! I loved to huddle & burrow close to her. She was an avid paan eater and the smell of the zarda is something that still reminds me of her.

The house in Shillong was quite similar to my house in Guwahati – the basics were similar – the big verandahs, the sitting area near the kitchen which was better to lounge around.

And the best thing about Shillong was perhaps walking on the wooden floor. How much I loved the reverberating sound that it made!

Next to it was the soft quilts. There could be no other place on earth better than Shillong to sleep…. that’s very me & my judgment.

Aita’s house was very nearby the Ward’s Lake. So taking long walks in the Lake, admiring the flowers in full bloom, feeding the fishes… (I still remember there was a big, fat, well sized fish and it was orange in colour.), relishing those noga tengas sprinkled with kola nimak was but natural!

Occasionally my mama would also take me on treks – not really treks but at that age it surely meant a hike to walk down to Golf Links.

And then there were the numerous rounds we did in Police Bazaar. Aita had some particulars shops – Radharani, Floury’s… there was this other old shop quite close to Radharani – I don’t recall the name now – Maa & me despised the very thought of going to that shop. But seemed Aita was quite friendly with everyone in that shop, so she would get all her stuff from that particular shop.

Besides these, Aita had one more favourite hang out zone. And it was the fish & veggie bazaar in the Jail Road! Now there again! Fish! I tagged along with her to this bazaar only because I loved watching those kongs cleaning & cutting the fish with such proficiency and fineness.

Well we also had rounds of social calls to make. Many a times I would invent a “me & my headache” and stay back chatting with Koka. Koka loved steamed corns with a little bit butter and he would prepare that soon after Aita & Maa would leave. We would chat for hours – Koka would tell me stories from books and his personal life and whatever he said was so interesting that I’ve treasured them so long. Or if Mama would be around we’d play ludo and how shamelessly Mama cheated!

Like Guwahati Aiat, even Shillong Aita had a whole bunch of Aitas who’d come for a game or two of cards – RUMMY?? Maa would be out with her friends at times and it was during those moments I’d take out my bald headed dolls.

But the same Shillong trips were different whenever Dity accompanied us. Many a times it has happened that he would take us to the bus terminus and then instead of dropping us there he would drive all the way to Shillong. But when he would be stuck up in Guwahati, he made it a point to join us later. And it would be always a surprise for me. I would be kept under dark about his plans!

With Dity around, I’d find myself in the billiards room of the Shillong club, or munching those lovely club sandwiches at the Golf club or maybe simply run around in the kitchen of Pine Wood!

And there would be the rides to the Elephant Falls, Shillong Peak or back track to Barapani for leisurely picnics.

Didn’t I love to gorge on those mutton singaras from EeeCee? And jalebis & chole bhature from Delhi Mistan. And perhaps buying shoes from Shillong has remained one constant in my life. The designs and shapes and the different heels can leave any shoe crazed mortal like me quite baffled!

If nothing else was there to keep me busy, there was Jimmy & Lama – the two dashing dare devils! Their loyalty could never be questioned as were their laziness! They looked massive and fearless – but it was just their looks. Besides that there wasn’t anything to be afraid of the duo and they made great pals too. They were the two hounds – the local breed of course!