Every time I would step on to the Force Traveller back in college, I’d heave a sigh of relief. The satisfaction was instantly doubled when I’d manage to set my bum on a vacant seat.

The trip from NID to IJM was as short as the acronyms but somehow, felt shorter on the days I’d be exhausted from drawing straight lines all day or having toiled at the workshop sanding a piece of teak. These trips, the return journeys, would always be more memorable than the morning ones. Maybe dozing off to the shifting amber lights of the Guntur-Vijayawada expressway felt better than struggling to find a footing, clutching onto your belongings while you’re still munching on the last bit of chutney laden idly.

Towards the end of my four years at college, I had completely switched over to my trusty single-speed, a gift from Mustafa who, after finishing his Bachelor’s degree, left for Delhi and then Iraq. However, the occasional Traveller trips still gifted me a basket of memories, some warm, some steamy, some I barely remember. Now, the Bus Service group on WhatsApp stays relatively quiet, beeping once in a while, serving as a reminder that fewer days remain till it buzzes again — “Buss to IJM!”.

This was a house which was opposite to our beloved Pretaste cafe, Kazi Road where we would occasionally go to have meals and snacks. Even after we licked the plates clean and drank the soup bowls empty, we’d stay there and chat for those were the few times in the day we’d get to stretch our legs and fill our lungs with fresh air.

Studio Echostream at that time was basically located on the top of a hill. One day, we took a long walk, circling the tip of the hill (frustrum). On the other side, it was very peaceful as it didn’t face the city, but a valley. I remember making this drawing from the edge of the road, overlooking this valley.

I normally carry a few small sketchbooks when I’m travelling. While one would have paper good enough to withstand watercolor washes, the other lighter books would be enough for ballpens, pencils and the occasional picked up charcoal from the roadside. I try carrying a fixative spray when I travel but obviously rarely find it at hand when needed. There’s a beauty in slightly smudged obscure drawings as well.

We didn’t go to M. G. Marg as much. On a leisurely Sunday, when we did manage to go there, I was working on this spread much to the disappointment of my friends who wanted to get photos clicked. We did end up getting photos clicked. Good ones.

Deorali butterfly bridge. In the evening, this road is essentially a train of taxis crawling at an average of 5km/hr. You can see the famous Gangtok ropeway in the background.