Wayfarer's window!

I usually prefer the aisle seat when I fly. Yet, on my last two journeys, fate placed me by the window—and what a difference that made! Both times, the aircraft’s higher window opened to a canvas of clear, azure winter skies. But the stories those skies told were worlds apart. Flight One: A Grey Blanket Over Delhi My earlier flight to Delhi was tinged with dismay. As we cruised above the clouds, the upper skies were a serene blue, but as we descended, a thick grey shroud of smog swallowed the city below. The aerial view was almost obliterated, leaving only a dull haze where vibrant streets should have been. Later, friends in Delhi remarked that they hadn’t seen blue skies for years—an unfortunate testament to the city’s worsening air quality. During my trip, the smog seemed omnipresent, clinging to every corner I visited. It was a sobering experience, and here are a few pictures from that journey: Flight Two: A Himalayan Surprise My next flight was a revelation. Somewhere above Gorakhp...

Some songs get etched in your memory, only to discover one day, that you got the song wrong all these years! I remember quite distinctly my cousins singing it, when we were children. They were just back from their winter break from the Assam-Nagaland area, and had learnt a brand new song from their uncle who was in the army. The song sounded like it was about a monkey "Kalloram" who has stored peanuts under-ground. "Kalooram-ka badam zameen ka neeche hai!". The song had a wonderful interlude, sabash Helleluyah, and much later I came to know it used the popular tune of "the saints go marching on!" Only today, I came to know the actual story behind the song and the lyrics, which were entirely different. It was about a soldier Badluram whose was buried in the earth"Badluram ka badan zameen ke neeche hai!" Here goes actual lyrics and the transation of the song.... Ek Khuburat ladki thi… Usko dekh ke rifleman… Chindi khichna bhul gaya… Havaldar Major ...