Rain & Thunder

The radio crackled like someone rolling up letters they were not happy with. Disappointed, I decided to go upstairs to the great mansion's library. A heavy wooden door with an iron knob greeted me. It took me some effort to move it to get inside. It was quiet. I made my way to the bookshelf. The thick wooden floor creaked slightly. As I touched the corner of a book on British gardens, the sound of thunder startled me. I almost dropped the book. Rain crashed in like an uninvited guest. 

It was all very sudden. I closed the glass windows quickly and rushed downstairs to find Mr. Albert, the mansion's caretaker. He wasn't at this desk. I stepped out and saw him walking his dog...in the bright, hot sun. "Nice sunshine eh Madam?", said Mr. Albert. Obviously, someone in the library didn't like being disturbed and made that very clear to me.

The Village Church

St. Anthony Church, also known as Siolim Church, is located in the village square. Standing tall with beautiful white facades, the church carries an understated magnificence. A baptism of a tiny infant was in progress when I took this picture. Its family didn't care about the annoying humidity as they came dressed in their church best. Although I tried to attend service in the mornings, I never made it! Blame it on holiday mood. Forgive me Lord!

Photo Stories: One day I'll bloom red!

 

One day I'll bloom red: A tiny tomato finds its way into the world.

I found this tiny unripe tomato gallivanting around my parents' weekend home garden. 

 

A homely lunch

The friendly folks at @siolimhouse were nice to recommend lunch at Mr. Lawrence's (name changed) whose house wasn't very far from the church in the village square.

It was tucked away in a corner that we soon found. We immediately fell in love with his simple and cheerful family, his large yet modest house, and two white cats with blue eyes gleaming like sapphires. Mamma, Shlo, and I relished our meal which Mr. Lawrence's wife had just cooked for her family. We were grateful to be part of it even for a few moments that hot afternoon.

Lights off

 

I unlocked my room and entered only to find pitch darkness. I tried reaching for the switch, but it seemed there was a power cut again- the chandelier at the entrance was working fine a few seconds ago. I turned around and saw a ghostly figure standing at the door. Startled, I let out a scream only to realize it was Serafim standing holding a candle. 

He looked irritated and asked, "Madam, who let you in?". I replied, "I don't know, I thought it was you or the cook. Thanks for the light". "What light Madam? No light for 2 hours; I just woke up and Debu is in hospital."
.

The Moving Chair

As twilight fell, I returned to the great mansion. Slowly, twilight turned into darkness, the air grew still, only the rustling of the leaves accompanied it. The other guests and caretakers had retired to their rooms early. An eerie silence gripped the mansion. Delicate lace curtains in white stood at all the doors creating strange forms. As I made my way toward my room, I crossed the living area. 

A dimly lit chandelier, dusty shelves laden with books, and an old wooden plantation chair were its main characters. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I think I may have seen the chair move. Perhaps, someone sat on the chair unseen or was it simply a figment of my imagination as I found myself in a world that existed in a different time? The mystery of the moving chair remains unsolved. Maybe someone was expecting company on a lonely night.

Mumbai, I miss you!

Mumbai, the city I was born in, that gave me everything is virtually in my blood. Of late, I've been missing my city so much! A city so iconic, so diverse, so endearing. This is a tribute to my city, my everything- Mumbai! Also, it's my first creative work in Hindi!

मुंबई, तेरी बहुत याद आती है - रिद्धिमा बसिया

सारा बचपन तेरी गोद में गुज़रा

अब एक अंजान शहर ने अपना सा बना लिया

पर तुझे थोड़ी है भुला दिया,

हर पल तेरी सड़के बुलाती है,

मुंबई, तेरी बहुत याद आती है।

तेरे समंदर की लहरें और तेज़ बारिश,

तेरी लोकल ट्रेनों और ट्रैफिक के किस्से सारी दुनिया बताती है।

मुंबई, तेरी बहुत याद आती है।

तेरी गलियों का वो स्वाद भरा खाना और प्यार से बनी कटिंग चाय,

मन में इच्छा जगाती है।

मुंबई, तेरी बहुत याद आती है

तेरी संस्कृति और विविधता की तुलना नहीं की जा सकती है,

तेरे लोगो के धैर्य, साहस और उत्साह की मिसाल दी जाती है,

मुंबई, तेरी बहुत याद आती है

तू एक माँ है जो अपनी कमी महसूस कराती है,

एक दोस्त जो कभी नहीं भुलाती है।

मुंबई, तेरी बहुत याद आती है।

कभी फिर मिलना होगा, खूब हसेंगे, खूब घूमेंगे,

पुरानी बाते याद करेंगे।

अपने चुटकुले फिर से बाटेंगे,

जैसे एक माँ और बेटी समय बिताती है।

मुंबई तेरी बहुत याद आती है।

धन्यवाद

Note: Please do not share or reproduce without permission or tagging as this is my original work.