A June afternoon for love
I realized that I fall in love with Kathmandu in bits and pieces for different reasons. This afternoon, I fell in love with Kathmandu as the horizon glowed with a faded yellow light of the setting Sun. Given, the dust was still swirling in rage on the Ring Road as I watched the city dwellers commute to and fro. The sky was painted in shades of blue. "This is my favorite time of the day," I whispered quietly to myself as the light afternoon breeze passed by me. I also felt myself smile a little as a light sadness seeped into my heart.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
To my right, was the west horizon where the Sun hid behind an off-white Cumulus cloud. The clouds rested lightly on the blue hills. The concrete jungle was there too. I don't really mind it. There is also this slight rumble of a large lifting machine roaring at a distance where a new mall is being built. I can also see the blue tile of Bhatbhateni and I remember that there is some grocery shopping that I have been avoiding for a while now. I will do that soon. The sun rays aren't anywhere near to where I am standing but I see the sun peeking out through the curves of the clouds. That's when I remember Ama saying that it was really hot during the day. "Dahi khana aau!", she had called out to my brother and me. I scan through the concrete blocks around Naikap, Kalanki.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
Now, I am looking at Kirtipur. My eyes trace around the points, lines and curves of the Bag Bhairab temple as some faded memories of my school days overwhelm me a little. I remember the cliff edge where I had stood scanning the tumbling hills of green, watching over younger kids run around with their school bag dancing off their backs. I also remember being a little too scared to walk closer to the cliff because I have always been afraid of hilly slopes. There are some houses there that reflect back the rays from the peeking sun. It looks like they are on spotlight, and the rest of the valley is all just an audience applauding at them as they sing their hearts out. I am an audience too, just like the rest of the city. There's also a little dash of darker shades of blue there at this side of the valley. The dashes are trees. They don't appear green from this side of the perspective. They are blue.
The ring road dust is still dancing in a tune of it's own. A bike is moving to the right, other's is running towards the left. A blue bus passes by, then a red one comes along. The buses don't shield the cloud of dust; they just race through it. The dust chases them around.
There is vast past of green ahead of me now. That's where the Republic Tower is. This patch of green looks lovely against the evening sky and I actually feel my heart flutter a little. It looks absolutely stunning with the little bundles of clouds flying in the backdrop.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
Trailing along the path traced by the dust, I see the hills in the shades of blue- some lighter than the other. The high-rises in Sanepa area look prettier in the afternoon light. Somewhere at a distance is smoke reaching out to the sky. The concrete mass is a contrast to the blue hills with scattered, tiled roofs. The eastern horizon looks clearer than the western. No Cumulus clouds here. The patches of white are placed perfectly to match the twilight blue. This is almost too much for my heart.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
I watch four planes move from the west horizon to the east (where the airport is). The planes move in an almost straight line till they are close to the hills and then take on a downward trajectory with the grace of a dancer and the rumble of a beast. Also, the airplanes are more than just specks of white on the big blue sky. Airplanes are heavier than how much they weigh. They carry dreams and hopes and a whole lot of love.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
I like how I fall in love with this city- everyday because of a reason different than yesterday. I like how I love this city with her concrete backs painted in shades of pink, grey, yellow, blue, white, red, brown and green. I like how I love this city in the warmth of the morning sun, in the cool breeze of the afternoon light, under the blanket of the midnight stars. I like that I am in a raging love with this city that I want to escape away from. I like that I love Kathmandu with a love that doesn't make me sad for holding on. I like that I love Kathmandu with a love that doesn't make afraid to let go.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
To my right, was the west horizon where the Sun hid behind an off-white Cumulus cloud. The clouds rested lightly on the blue hills. The concrete jungle was there too. I don't really mind it. There is also this slight rumble of a large lifting machine roaring at a distance where a new mall is being built. I can also see the blue tile of Bhatbhateni and I remember that there is some grocery shopping that I have been avoiding for a while now. I will do that soon. The sun rays aren't anywhere near to where I am standing but I see the sun peeking out through the curves of the clouds. That's when I remember Ama saying that it was really hot during the day. "Dahi khana aau!", she had called out to my brother and me. I scan through the concrete blocks around Naikap, Kalanki.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
Now, I am looking at Kirtipur. My eyes trace around the points, lines and curves of the Bag Bhairab temple as some faded memories of my school days overwhelm me a little. I remember the cliff edge where I had stood scanning the tumbling hills of green, watching over younger kids run around with their school bag dancing off their backs. I also remember being a little too scared to walk closer to the cliff because I have always been afraid of hilly slopes. There are some houses there that reflect back the rays from the peeking sun. It looks like they are on spotlight, and the rest of the valley is all just an audience applauding at them as they sing their hearts out. I am an audience too, just like the rest of the city. There's also a little dash of darker shades of blue there at this side of the valley. The dashes are trees. They don't appear green from this side of the perspective. They are blue.
The ring road dust is still dancing in a tune of it's own. A bike is moving to the right, other's is running towards the left. A blue bus passes by, then a red one comes along. The buses don't shield the cloud of dust; they just race through it. The dust chases them around.
There is vast past of green ahead of me now. That's where the Republic Tower is. This patch of green looks lovely against the evening sky and I actually feel my heart flutter a little. It looks absolutely stunning with the little bundles of clouds flying in the backdrop.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
Trailing along the path traced by the dust, I see the hills in the shades of blue- some lighter than the other. The high-rises in Sanepa area look prettier in the afternoon light. Somewhere at a distance is smoke reaching out to the sky. The concrete mass is a contrast to the blue hills with scattered, tiled roofs. The eastern horizon looks clearer than the western. No Cumulus clouds here. The patches of white are placed perfectly to match the twilight blue. This is almost too much for my heart.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
I watch four planes move from the west horizon to the east (where the airport is). The planes move in an almost straight line till they are close to the hills and then take on a downward trajectory with the grace of a dancer and the rumble of a beast. Also, the airplanes are more than just specks of white on the big blue sky. Airplanes are heavier than how much they weigh. They carry dreams and hopes and a whole lot of love.
Oh, this city in the afternoon light.
I like how I fall in love with this city- everyday because of a reason different than yesterday. I like how I love this city with her concrete backs painted in shades of pink, grey, yellow, blue, white, red, brown and green. I like how I love this city in the warmth of the morning sun, in the cool breeze of the afternoon light, under the blanket of the midnight stars. I like that I am in a raging love with this city that I want to escape away from. I like that I love Kathmandu with a love that doesn't make me sad for holding on. I like that I love Kathmandu with a love that doesn't make afraid to let go.
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