Some trees, a hill and a steel factory
Winter has one good thing after another piled up for anyone who cares. Let me begin at the very beginning.
First there is the laziness and coziness of the morning, the bliss of the beckoning sleep; and the feeling of stepping out of the pace of life by refusing to wake up. The fun is in the rebellion, the mischief of saying ‘boo’ to life and it’s fast paced rules. Second, there is this morning full of a shy sun trying to break out from the tyranny of the clouds and struggling to give us some warmth. And the tussle the two opponents have: sun and wind, fighting for supremacy. Third is the absolutely relaxing time post-lunch when not a single soul, XL dogs counted, can refuse to stretch out in the smiling sun and indulge in some gossip. Or maybe sit alone and think! That’s an uncommon way of relaxing but quite a few people like it, including the dogs (always) and me (sometimes).
Then there is this evening thing, the rapid decline of the blooming day into the potent dusk. I can never help feeling a little bit of warning and urgency in the march of the dusk during winter. Like it says, ‘come on everybody, wrap up your levities fast; it’s my time now.’ And lastly, you must have noticed the extreme gratification of, mark my words here, being able to jump into your inviting bed and covering yourself up with your favourite quilt while thinking of the departing day and nestling down into deep slumber. The fun is more in being able to do it and not in the actual thing. Finishing the days work is one damn source of happiness I guess!
So that’s a snapshot of the pleasures of winter in a place like XLRI, with an MBA course shadowing you like the now proverbial Hutch Dog (if it’s not proverbial yet, I intend to make it). Many of us must have enjoyed even greater pleasures of winter before coming here. For my part, let’s see: a bonfire, barefoot cricket in wet grounds at midnight, eating guavas while lying down on the grass at noon etc.
So when today I finished my lunch, somebody in my head said, ‘hey, how about going to the roof and enjoying the sun?’ Good idea! And I was on the topmost perch of my hostel available to humans. It is known by a special name which is too special to be put here. But the point is, that place is simply simply awesome! (Pardon the grammar). Come with me and survey the panorama that unfolds to the eyes. The Dalma Hills on the North filling the horizon from the N-W to the N-E corner; the river (Subarnarekha I guess) running at the foot of the imposing hills; Tata Steel on the South, and the rest of the horizon filled with trees, more trees and Jamshedpur. And yes, not one concrete pigeon tower in sight. It is an almost pristine landscape except for the factory.
So it was in the company of this diverse audience that I sat down and closed my eyes and felt the wind in my hair. ‘Now this is close to bliss’, I thought. But the best thing about being in the company of solitude and this silent audience is that you can talk a lot to them and they listen, quietly. You can stop in the middle of your talking and think and then resume. They never complain or argue or give advice. It is like feelings and emotions go out of you and are lost in the vast landscape. They absorb everything; the trees sway at every happy thought, the hills stand mute at every sad one. In fact, even the wind reacts beautifully. It drops dead when you are saying something and rushes in a gust and ruffles your hair if you begin to think of not-so-bright things. It is like the vast landscape without is matched only by the even wider one within you; the confusing outgrowth of events, memories, feelings and emotions that do incessant battle with each other.
And meanwhile, the eyes enjoy the freedom to gaze as far as they like, right up to the end of the earth where the haze consummates the meeting of heaven and earth.I talked to all of them and to myself and looked at the institute spread out below. It was amazing, as always. And yes, I felt ready for another session with MBA and winter. Both are enjoyable and both change you a lot!
First there is the laziness and coziness of the morning, the bliss of the beckoning sleep; and the feeling of stepping out of the pace of life by refusing to wake up. The fun is in the rebellion, the mischief of saying ‘boo’ to life and it’s fast paced rules. Second, there is this morning full of a shy sun trying to break out from the tyranny of the clouds and struggling to give us some warmth. And the tussle the two opponents have: sun and wind, fighting for supremacy. Third is the absolutely relaxing time post-lunch when not a single soul, XL dogs counted, can refuse to stretch out in the smiling sun and indulge in some gossip. Or maybe sit alone and think! That’s an uncommon way of relaxing but quite a few people like it, including the dogs (always) and me (sometimes).
Then there is this evening thing, the rapid decline of the blooming day into the potent dusk. I can never help feeling a little bit of warning and urgency in the march of the dusk during winter. Like it says, ‘come on everybody, wrap up your levities fast; it’s my time now.’ And lastly, you must have noticed the extreme gratification of, mark my words here, being able to jump into your inviting bed and covering yourself up with your favourite quilt while thinking of the departing day and nestling down into deep slumber. The fun is more in being able to do it and not in the actual thing. Finishing the days work is one damn source of happiness I guess!
So that’s a snapshot of the pleasures of winter in a place like XLRI, with an MBA course shadowing you like the now proverbial Hutch Dog (if it’s not proverbial yet, I intend to make it). Many of us must have enjoyed even greater pleasures of winter before coming here. For my part, let’s see: a bonfire, barefoot cricket in wet grounds at midnight, eating guavas while lying down on the grass at noon etc.
So when today I finished my lunch, somebody in my head said, ‘hey, how about going to the roof and enjoying the sun?’ Good idea! And I was on the topmost perch of my hostel available to humans. It is known by a special name which is too special to be put here. But the point is, that place is simply simply awesome! (Pardon the grammar). Come with me and survey the panorama that unfolds to the eyes. The Dalma Hills on the North filling the horizon from the N-W to the N-E corner; the river (Subarnarekha I guess) running at the foot of the imposing hills; Tata Steel on the South, and the rest of the horizon filled with trees, more trees and Jamshedpur. And yes, not one concrete pigeon tower in sight. It is an almost pristine landscape except for the factory.
So it was in the company of this diverse audience that I sat down and closed my eyes and felt the wind in my hair. ‘Now this is close to bliss’, I thought. But the best thing about being in the company of solitude and this silent audience is that you can talk a lot to them and they listen, quietly. You can stop in the middle of your talking and think and then resume. They never complain or argue or give advice. It is like feelings and emotions go out of you and are lost in the vast landscape. They absorb everything; the trees sway at every happy thought, the hills stand mute at every sad one. In fact, even the wind reacts beautifully. It drops dead when you are saying something and rushes in a gust and ruffles your hair if you begin to think of not-so-bright things. It is like the vast landscape without is matched only by the even wider one within you; the confusing outgrowth of events, memories, feelings and emotions that do incessant battle with each other.
And meanwhile, the eyes enjoy the freedom to gaze as far as they like, right up to the end of the earth where the haze consummates the meeting of heaven and earth.I talked to all of them and to myself and looked at the institute spread out below. It was amazing, as always. And yes, I felt ready for another session with MBA and winter. Both are enjoyable and both change you a lot!
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