By: Shradha Rani Chhetri Wooded Landscape with Waterfall and Approaching Storm (ca 1655) | Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, 1628/29-1682) Pravina hates trekking. Or to be clearer, she hates walking uphill. Sanu and Nima, the culprits for today’s exercise, are but two dots of blue and yellow a long way ahead. Their clear lungs filled with the scent of youth. Pravina checks her phone. 11:37pm. No new notifications. She looks up at the grey sky, air heavy with moisture. The humidity

By Ishita Lohani Google gemini I walked behind Arvind. I felt like a timid figure. The Dhauladhar rose to our left, all white this December. My shoulders drew themselves in and I imagined a bend in my spine. I looked for the bent coconut trees that line the trails of Konkan. This knowledge – of still yearning for elsewhere, while Arvind walked only a little ahead of me – made me feel guilty. I sped up. We had been arguing lightly since the morning – about pace, stops, and pre