Any good chef will tell you, often vehemently, that the secret to a good recipe lies in the ingredients you put in it. That’s quite correct. It’s quite rewarding when something you and your friends do together turns into a ravishing success. The ingredients are few in such cases, but they all amalgamate to make a memory that lasts a long time.
Take the recent trip our gang made to Marble Palace and Princep Ghat, both of which are locations in Kolkata, dubbed the “City of Joy”. I must confess that I had no idea that there were such beautiful places in my city, though I’ve been living here all my life (crazy as it is).
Marble Palace was a revelation. One got a sense of awe there and it was really breathtaking, seeing floor-to-ceiling mirrors in each room, flawless white marble pillars, the odd painting or statue of a Greek god or Indian princess and of course the immense statue of Queen Victoria carved out of rosewood, which is kept in the main hall. That place truly had it all- those hard to believe things you read in history- sprawling grounds, places to sit in and chandeliers. Walking through the place, one’s mind kept wondering about the many events that could have occurred there. My friends and I were debating marrying into this sort of a family, just to live in a house like this. Funnily enough, I guess part of the royalty’s respect was drawn from their palaces. Imagine a place you can get lost in, amplify it by about 5 and you get Marble Palace.
But the highlight of the day was another bus ride away. Princep Ghat, by the riverside. Needless to say the first thing we kids did there was grab some junk food (Yes mom, I know it’s bad for me. Now shoo!). Munching sprouts, we headed down to the waterline, where we snagged a rather disgruntled boatman and went for a half hour row on the water. I wish I had more than words to describe the serenity of the water. It wasn’t too hot, not too cold. Just right. Leaning back on a boat, gently rocking to the mild current, with the sun making it seem like there was liquid gold in the water and the friendly smell of that tangy air, while up above your head the city rumbles on. We didn’t talk much really, at least I didn’t. I just drank in the view. The water seemed to stretch on forever never ending or pausing, seeming to have a life and mind of it’s own. Yet again, that feeling of nostalgic awe swept over me and I could understand what Lennon was talking about when he wrote “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.
In retrospect, every second of that day was totally worth it! Even the part where we got slightly drenched in the rain, and started cracking PJ’s under a giant pink umbrella. I wonder when we’ll do it again? What say guys?
The Bilge Master
>>>>> Pic credit goes to Arnav
