I have spent the better part of my life from last whole year and a half in my boredroom and not boardroom. Usually, I can be found in the corner, at my study desk, working. Before Covid hit, I was in the habit of walking 10,000 steps daily at Nariman Point on Mumbai seashore.
The pedometer strapped to my wrist ensured I didn't falter. Walking from the office to the Grant Road or Sandhurst Road station, crossing the road to grab a cup of nagori tea, and hopping across to have meetings with sources were all commonplace. But during the pandemic, my step count on some days reduced to less than 1,000. As habits changed, walking 50 metres to the neighbourhood street as we do not have much park in Mumbadevi under C & E ward, became a challenge. Last month, I decided to turn things around. I felt a need to break away from my urban routine, and embraced it.
On a whim, I signed up for a six-day trek in the remote hills of Kashmir Package. What lay ahead was an arduous 50-kilometre route made up of steep ascents and descents, rocky in most parts, slippery in others. The trek wasn't easy—over the course of four days, we ascended from 7,000 feet to the summit, which stood at 13,000 feet. My pedometer clocked an average of 15,000 steps each day. Standing atop the summit, I spied the lake we had camped at the previous night. It sparkled like a giant blue Mediterranean sapphire, studded with tiny emerald-like mini islands at its heart. On the other side of the mountain was a path that led to the erstwhile Silk Route, leading deep into Gilgit Baltistan and adorned with its own share of glistening lakes. That experience held valuable lessons for me, especially with regard to what we do @ Mumbai Multimedia Studio, in the congested lane of Mumbadevi, where daily unauthorised illegal structure comes up without any checking nor demolition.
Each of our staffers climbs mountains every day—reporting, editing, designing—eventually chiselling out a sharply spoke up articles for our readers without any delay or negligence. Some days are easy, others hard. When we are tired, we pause for a moment or two and breathe. But the beauty is in moving. So let’s walk together through the week gone by Yusuf Bhandarkar
