As I look out of the window, the highways, the cars, the rush of the morning hour, I can’t help but think about my home. A city I belong to. A city from where I migrated. Varanasi.
Banaras, where I would just run down the steps of the ghat, listening to the bells of the temples, the fragrance of the freshly arranged flowers amalgamated with hot tea in a kulhad , I would just sit by the ghat and admire the water. People walking past my shadow on the steps, the sounds of mantras all around me, sometimes overlapped by the sounds of azaan, a beautiful tune of its own; it is perhaps an experience which I would only get in Banaras. As I would walk down the streets and alleys, I would find numerous shops, surrounded by the known faces, and the unknown, all around the market. The sound of lassi being made, and oh, the sight of it! My craving knows no bounds when it comes to food, and Banaras is my one giant thali.
As I wrapped my shawl a bit more comfortably, the winters of Banaras flashed in front of my eyes. Oh, I would trade all my life just to have a taste of malaiyo right now! I remember, as I walked by the hushed alleys, my ears would stop at one tune of a sitar, or my heart would skip a bit with the sound of ghungroo, and its jhankar would make my heart full of happiness. My city has been my source of enthusiasm, and all my life, I have felt this aura around me that Banaras reflects. The simplicity that blends so beautifully with subtle elegance, disperses a vintage feel all around the city.
My city is tipsy in love and enthusiasm, and all things delicate. It is a perfect mixture of tradition, culture, and heritage. It is my muse. Mere sheher ke na, hawa mein hi bhaang hai. Sab madhoshi mein jhoomte hain.
As I dive deep in reminiscing the best parts of my life, I hope deep in my heart to visit you soon, Varanasi. To run down the stairs of the ghat, once again like before, losing myself to the sounds embracing my mind.
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