Main Hindustan aur Pakistan ja raha hun!

I'm obsessed about civilisations and cities. These two nations Pakistan and India are inheritors of an exceedingly brilliant subcontinental culture which don't just produce ancient architectural gems or great conquerors but also modern thinkers in the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Arundhati Roy, Amartya Sen, Satyajit Ray, Pankaj Mishra, Tariq Ali, Rabindranath Tagore, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and the list never ends!

I am hoping to traverse through the contradicting & sublime landscapes and cities that have long been drawing invaders, pilgrims and immigrants, and people like me who are just simply curious. I've been told it's also a deeply flawed and frustrating place - its terrifying wealth gap can be haunting to the conscientious. But a useful advice from a good friend of mine, a frequent traveller to India, is what I'll to hold on to throughout the journey - pack a healthy dose of sense of humour. Without it, I may risk descending into either rage or the abyss of depression.

That said, I struggle to shake off some of the romanticism I have built up over the years - the grand histories of its kingdoms, the architecture, the literary language of Urdu. This trip may be the way to humanise my view of the subcontinent, and deconstruct the epic history into small personal narratives of everyday India and Pakistan.

Cities I'm really looking forward to are Lahore, Jaipur, Delhi and Srinagar. On the shopping list are several tailormade salwaar kameez (to wear to work) and a blue azure necklace similar to the one I bought in Inner Mongolia many years before (lost this in Shanghai).

May I find what I seek for in my journey.

 

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