A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

in a city where you had spent such happy
days. Even if I try to smile at the thought
of those happy times it only brings tears
to my eyes.”
“Grace, when did we go to the Mall
Road last time? You remember we also
had coffee at the Coffee House? When was
it?”
“About three years ago when we had
to go to the court in-connection with our
will.”
“I don’t know when are we going to
visit the Coffee House again. It’s impossible
to walk such a long distance and the rickshaw
fare is so forbidding. Are you listening,
Grace?”
“Ruby darling, if you ask me, no more
visits to the city. We should stay put
in our kothi. And ... ’’.
“Miss Ruby, thousands of tourists visit
Shimla,” I said interrupting her. “It’s a
beautiful hill resort. They call it the Queen
of the Hills.”
“Queen of the Hills my foot! It’s a
Beggar Queen, Mr Nath! With so many
ugly buildings around, it creates such a
chaotic scene. I feel like fainting.”
“Yes, Mr Nath, this place is not the
same that we had left behind years ago.
Oh, my beloved Shimla! It looks like a
slum now.”
“Listen, have you ever been to
Bangalore?” Ruby suddenly asked me as
if springing a surprise on me.
“Tell me the truth,” she continued
without waiting for my answer.
“What does Bangalore look like now?
I know like others you’ll also say that
it’s a beautiful city. But we have heard
that it has changed a lot and is not what
it used to be when we were there ....
We have an eye for beauty ... Don’t mind,
Mr Nath. Just try to understand.”
“R-u-b-y!” Grace almost cried as if
warning her sister not to run berserk.
“India is a beautiful country,” she said
turning to me. “And the people of this
country are so nice. And it is quite possible
that Bangalore is still as beautiful as it
was before. And Shimla too ... “ She became
sad.
“Then why do you want to leave this
country?” I asked trying to give the talk
a new turn.
“You won’t understand how cruel the
winters here are. They make Ruby cry.”
“But the London winter is equally
severe, isn’t it?” I countered.
“And you are used to this climate.
The English had selected Shimla because
its climate is akin to that of your country.”
“Yes, Mr Nath, you do have a point
there. But the living conditions here and
there are so dissimilar,” Grace said in
an animated voice.
“ ... Mr Nath, the truth is that we
122 :: January-March 2012