Our life in Mumbai was a dream and we had worked very hard to make it just that—a beautiful home nestled in a leafy neighbourhood, a packed social life with friends and professions that kept us fulfilled—my husband Gaurav balancing his corporate career and I, busy with running my brand advisory. And best of all, our nine-year-old daughter Jiya, who coloured our lives with endless chatter and fun. It was a hectic life, and happily so. The pandemic descended upon us gradually—starting as faint whispers around January 2020 to a complete lockdown in late March. It was not just the concept of home confinement that was unprecedented but also the eeriness of silent neighbourhoods and the heightened anxiety over this unknown virus. When the airports reopened at the end of May, we took a quick call and the three of us took the first flight out of Mumbai and headed to our family home in Chandigarh.
Our first stop was at my brother’s farmhouse in the village of Kurali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, where we quarantined ourselves for three weeks. Away from the city, we experienced a sense of calm even as our days became much more active. We rose at dawn and went to the fields to pick fruit and veggies for our daily meals. We walked past endless fields of watermelons and watched ambling peacocks and trundling tractors with equal amazement. We chatted with the people who worked on the farm, occasionally bathed at the well, cooked and ate in an unhurried manner and took long afternoon naps. Our lives were simple, bookended by spectacular sunsets set to the music of the gurbani wafting in from the local gurudwara.
Denne historien er fra May - June - July 2021-utgaven av Condé Nast Traveller India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May - June - July 2021-utgaven av Condé Nast Traveller India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Made In Nagaland
From home textiles to jewellery, clothing, and more, here are the 10 Naga craft brands you need to know. By Sohini Dey
TOKYO RIGHT NOW
As impossible to pigeonhole as ever, the Japanese capital is buzzing with fresh influences and new ideas
RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Raghu and Avani Rai on connecting via worlds seen through their lenses.
GILDED WATERS
Paula Hardy boards one of the last remaining dahabiyas on the Nile for a different perspective of Egypt's storied river
THE GIRL WITH GRAND DESIGNS
Gauravi Kumari is part of Jaipur's new creative set that is bringing fresh perspectives to the city's design legacy.
A FACE FOR ADVENTURE
Retooling the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II for fresh explorations.
THE GRAND seduction
Palermo's chaos, swagger, and temperamental charm cast a hypnotic spell.
Rhythm Divine
Wherever you go in Gwalior, the myth and magic of Tansen are inescapable, as Sam Dalrymple finds out.
IDEAL WORLD
Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan explains why he went ahead with the publication of Bethlehem, his celebratory cookbook.
NUJUMA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE SAUDI ARABIA
On alittle-visited Red Sea archipelago, the Middle East’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve reflects both untapped nature and hyperreal modernity, finds Noo Saro-Wiwa.