You know what I miss? Well, one of the things I miss out of the millions that used to give my life meaning and happiness? Walking. Putting on my headphones and just walking; aimlessly, without purpose, without intent and always to the beat of the song. I used to do that all the time in Insti. Almost every evening, after my daily dose of egg sandwich from Usha, I used to tie my pink running shoes, fill my Milton water bottle, put on my walking playlist and just walk. Sometimes I used to take an egg sandwich parcel and eat it in a quiet place where I wouldn’t have to share it with anyone.
Delhi Avenue was the route of my choice. The bus never took that route and I liked that. I used to walk all the way to the main gate, return to GC through Bonn Avenue and then walk all the way till Jam, then SAC and then return back to Sharavati through SAC road. The routes changed frequently but I loved walking in the residential area. I liked seeing kids going home after school, children playing in the park, families walking their dogs (I regret not petting more of those cute doggos) and everybody revelling at the day ending – it reminded me of home. Summer evenings were the best as the bougainvilleas would be in full bloom and the sky would be clear. I liked watching the sun slowly setting as the sky turned a thousand shades of orange, red and pink. The darkness then quickly took over while the sky shimmered with millions of teeny-tiny stars. I liked feeling sweaty and tired, sitting down, catching my breath and then continuing walking. Physical exercise was never my intent; I just liked to enjoy my solitude.
Sometimes my friends accompanied me and on our walks, we built even more beautiful memories. One time me and my friend, Anagha, were walking while talking and we were so immersed in whatever we were discussing that we weren’t aware of where we were heading. At one point we passed the Main Gate and by the time we looked up, we were in Guindy, in our shorts and pyjamas. We had to walk all the way back and take the Insti bus. Even then, we were reluctant to go back and rode the bus several times. Another time, again with Anagha, I went for a walk and we reached Jam. We were tired and hungry and therefore we decided to take the bus. In front of Jam, there is this bench nestled under this huge beautiful tree. We sat there waiting for the bus and started talking about God knows what. Our stomachs were growling and the mess was going to close soon, but neither of us wanted to leave. So every time a bus passed, we said “next bus”, “next bus” until there were no more buses to pass. We had to eat at the Himalaya food court – famished but happy. We used to walk when we couldn’t sleep, after midnight when no one was around and make the streets our own playground.
Even though I liked walking with my friends and can’t wait to do it again, I liked it best when I walked alone. I liked the time I spent with myself when I walked. I liked my company. I was fun, friendly and kind and I never felt lonely like I feel now in a house full of people. I miss this and all I wanna do is just walk again.
Article 19 