Live in Hope,
Love to Laugh

Commended Entry: "Live In Hope, Love To Laugh" by Avni Singh from India

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2021 in the Junior Category 8 - 11 years.

Live in Hope, Love to Laugh

It is 25th of July. I’m in India, and the monsoon season is in progress. It had rained yesterday and is pleasantly chilly this morning. I’m sitting on my bed.

I get up, walk out onto the front porch, and look up at the cloudy, gray sky. It is eight o clock, but the dense rain clouds cover up most of the sun’s brilliant light. This environment triggers a memory of looking up at a similar sky around two years ago.

Unlike this time, when I had buildings all around me, I was surrounded by a fort of beautiful mountains. The mountains were cloaked with clouds, the same way a woman would cover her shoulders with a fur shawl. I was standing on the green grass and saw a line of picture-like cottages in front of me. These were the lodges in which we were living. To my left was a tributary of the river Ganga rushing by with all its might. Beyond it was a forest reserve, which could not go greener in color. There wasn’t that much to see, but there was a lot to wonder and feel. It was Rattapani Resort in Rishikesh.

In my thoughts, somehow, I hear my mom’s voice telling me to come inside and have my breakfast. In a flash, I am back in Varanasi amid the pandemic. I hurry back inside the house and devour my three slices of bread. As I walk out, I hear the slight thump-thump of rain hitting the cobblestones. It reminds me of another wonderful trip.

I remember being angry but awestruck on one rainy afternoon in Bharatpur bird sanctuary. I remember getting mad at everyone just because I hurt my toe. After a few minutes, the weather began reflecting my thoughts. Soon enough, I saw something that lifted my spirits greatly. We saw a herd of deer! They were perfect for a prize-winning picture, but we didn’t have any phones on us.

As the rain ceased, the sky turned a yellowish grey color, and there was a soothing chill in the air. I remember the rickshaw drivers stood up on their rickshaws to get java plums from the trees flanking the dirty road for us. The java plums made our tongues go purple, and we went about looking like chow chows the whole day.

As the rain ceases, I look up at a building-surrounded sky. It is grey and cloudy. One of the clouds I see is shaped like a tree. I hope the pandemic ends soon. I hope I get to travel the world. I hope everything returns to normal.

A lonely raindrop falls onto the tip of my nose. It makes me smile, and I laugh. Laughter is hope!

Thank you for the wonderful essay "Live in Hope, Love to Laugh", Avni. Another remarkable piece from one of our star contributors! Avni was one of the winners of the 2020 essay competition.

This time, the skilfully written essay brings back memories of joyful travels and we are sure our readers will smile again reading this fabulous excursion to India. Congratulations! Well done!

Avni Singh is homeschooled in India.