Life is composed of journeys of many kinds: the literal, the metaphorical, the imagined and the real. This May issue, we feature poetry, fiction and non-fiction on journeys.
As the storm clouds gather over the hills of Garhwal, Maagi Devi remembers her first trip with her husband, to the distant coastal town of Calicut and the excitement they shared as they began their journey together as husband and wife. As life took an unexpected turn, Maagi remembers a promise that lies beyond the sea. Shweta tells the story.
Chandramohan Nair muses on the life-enriching nature of journeys without a destination as epitomised by the unusual sailing voyage of an Australian linguist.
Mankind has been looking up and reaching for the stars probably just after he descended from trees. Towers and monoliths were created over the centuries to help him achieve this lofty goal. In recent times, we have progressed enough to not only propel ourselves through space, but also send replicants of us who can withstand the harsh unknown of interstellar travel. Robin Ray writes a poem on a journey through space.
In the confines of an AC coach, the narrator struggles to reconcile herself to sharing a few hours of her life with people who check none of the boxes in the list in her head that lays out what a well-ordered existence looks like. Renuka describes the journey.
Annapurna writes a poem about an old woman whose only desire is to eat fish. The poem traces the woman’s journey since childhood and speaks about how she wishes to end this mortal journey.
Richard Rose’s essay reflects on the joys of travelling to the seaside and contrasts experiences in the UK and India. It reports an amusing true incident when visiting a beach near Chennai in Tamil Nadu and suggests that such experiences are unique to India and part of the charm that rewards such a journey.
Ankita’s story is about someone who anticipated the journey of a lifetime but found that he was left behind. How did he make sense of it all? Where did he end up? Does the absence of an experience make us know it in a way that we wouldn’t have if we had had it?
Tabish’s poem is about the dual nature of journeys. One that takes place on the surface, and another that takes us to our own selves, and helps us understand the higher purpose of our lives. The poem highlights that even though death is inevitable, it is important to set a destination beyond it and make the journey of life a meaningful one.