City Meets The Mall

(Day 62 of 112)

The word most commonly associated with Shimla (apart from holiday) is the Mall Road. While tourists make it a point to be found on the Mall at some time (or every day) during they stay here, I was surprised that a lot of the locals also go to the Mall every evening. As far as I understand, it’s almost a ritual.

Yesterday I was part of this ritual when I accompanied the in-laws to the Mall. The first thing that struck me was how everyone there (and there were many) was comfortable with walking. Having been witness to women and even young girls who insist their chauffer driven cars drop and pick them up right from the doorstep of whatever shop they want to go to, seeing women and men of all ages comply willingly with the no automobiles rule was…well…confusing!

I mean, I’m a city girl and can’t imagine considering a parking spot, a ten minute uphill walk away from the destination, a very good one. Maybe if I was a tourist, and there was the whole novelty factor involved, I would have enjoyed that uphill trek and even recommended it to everyone I knew in that annoyingly excited manner tourists have. But not if I have to do it everyday for several weeks! I mean by the time I got to the Mall I wanted to go back and rest with my feet in a salt water bath. Ok. That’s an example of gross exaggeration. But you get the idea right?

To add to it all, as if the cardio workout wasn’t stressful enough for my body, there was all the fresh, crisp mountain air, free of car pollutants and other poisons. My lungs almost went into shock I tell you!

And so for the next few days (at least), and at the cost of being an undutiful daughter-in-law, I’m going to work in the evenings, use the cold as an excuse (and sniffle a bit), maybe even offer to make dinner (we have a cook so it’s not like I’m being a bad bahu or anything). Because if I don’t, I know all the greenery, the unpolluted air, the people all smiling and greeting each other at every step and all the walking will traumatise my fat little city soul!

Ps: For all my body feeling like it was going to collapse, I have no stiffness and/or soreness today. I’m physically fit. Yay!