Nature Walk And A Story In Hindi

Long rides and long walks, fields , meadows, huge parks,  springs and river banks and the countryside come to mind whenever we think of Nature trails and rides.

But sometimes Nature is around the bend or surrounding us but we fail to notice it. I have been staying with my sister during these days of recovery. Every time I take a walk on her balcony I feel close to Nature because it  is so green.

She has a lovely mini garden which she personally takes care of and also takes pride in. She asks the gardener to get her seeds and plants of her choice. Recently she has sowed mint in a narrow elongated pot and the fragrance of mint is all around. If you just place your palm on the leaves your hands will be full of its scent.

We often make mint water which is very good for detoxification. Mint chutney is also a lip smacking sauce. A dash of coriander added to a sprig of mint in a bowl of water  with jaggery, cumin seeds, tamarind and fennel seeds and kept overnight in the fridge can produce a tangy drink which is good for stomach and cooling for the system in these muggy monsoon days.

A lot of birds visit her balcony at different hours of the day. In the mornings they wish us good morning while in the afternoons they chirp their stories of other lands. Some are very noisy as though scolding us. One bird has a distinct diction (read chirp) as though asking , “To kii” (in Bangla)  meaning “So what?”. We laugh whenever it perches on the railing of the balcony and gives her piece of mind.

However, there is one mischievous big, fat chipmunk who makes it a point to rake up the pots and dirty the balcony with mud. Now a baby chipmunk has also made it his business to follow suit. B-I-L says it is teething.

I also have an unpretentious garden but it is not as charming as my sister’s. But I am very proud of my chameli tree which goes velvety green with bunches of soft white in the rainy season. I can almost touch its leaves from the first floor balcony. However, it has to be pruned come winter for the sun to come in.

Gardening is therapeutic. A source of moderate exercise. Very creative and pleasure giving activity especially when the flowers bloom and fruits come up. Watering the plants, is  a very personal and satisfying task. Of course, you have to take due care of the babies and it’s heart breaking when some of them wilt out of season. I never keep the pots empty and replace the dead ones with new saplings or baby plants. I like sturdy plants because delicate ones do not survive in extreme weather. Also, when I do not keep good health I have to depend on house-helps to take care of them. Invariably, the plants suffer from under or over care.

Then there is the ubiquitous curry leaf (curry patta) tree used extensively to garnish dishes. If you are a curry leaf owner you are sure to be pestered by neighbours for handfuls and you cannot say no. This time I am also trying to grow a Neem tree in a pot. Coriander may also follow suit. I have a banyan tree too and had thought of using its leaves to make fish bhapa or steamed fish with mustard paste. But it’s still one in the To Do List.

Our Block is also very green as you can see. Don’t miss the dark clouds. It’s been raining quite a lot these days. But it’s equally humid.

In the meantime, we had a small celebration at home. You see my beautiful niece-in-law is expecting. So we had a Panchamrit ceremony wherein the would be mother is given a small bowl of Panchamrit i.e. a liquid mixture made of milk, curd, clarified butter, sugar and honey – all items considered auspicious and used in our Pooja or worship. I made a video of the ceremony with a funny running commentary and we all had a good laugh watching it.

My beautiful niece-in-law

Beside Nature Walk which is healing, I am still struggling with We Begin At The End – a murder mystery I am unable to finish. As you know I have already shared my thoughts on it in an earlier post.

Today I finished writing a story in Hindi after a long time. It’s taken more than a year. My Hindi is not flawless but I love to write in that language. I am sharing the link below for those who are interested and can read Hindi. Those who cannot but still wish to read may take help of Google Translater. As I have said there may be grammatical errors in my write because Hindi grammar is complicated and most of the time I think in Bangla and write in Hindi. Both the languages in its purest form have the same words with different pronunciation. But Bangla grammar is way different from Hindi. Those who can find time from their busy schedule to read may please let me know how you like it and suggest corrections wherever required.

I may add a doodle to the story but that may take some time. Therefore, I am sharing ( actually too excited about it) without the doodle.

I also take this opportunity to thank all who have wished me well and given me hope and encouragement to recover soon.

http://vanderloost.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-post_20.html?m=1

Namaste

All pics are from my own collection