Travel Tale | Gradations of Ludhiana

Usually i love traveling.. but this was one trip i was not looking forward to.. it was uncalled for, too unplanned and i was running high temperature to be able to feel any good about it. This part of North India never excited me either and if it had to be alone with only buyers accompanying u.. it would be worst i presumed. I wasn't given a choice and i reached Delhi sulking.. (not to forget the uncountable number of medicines that helped me survive the 2 hour flight).
Next morning was our train to Ludhiana. As we drove towards the station in the morning thick fog engulfed us.. leafless trees peeping through dense grey fog.. a bridge vanishing into thin air.. it all seemed like a scene from a horror flick.. thanks to the hot cup of coffee, that got me back to reality. The journey was good apart from the stink of the toilet in the train.. and we got off at Ludhiana.
"Would there be anything good to see in here?" I thought.. someone answered.. "Yes.. the best thing in Ludhiana is the road back to Delhi!" I must have thought aloud! Everyone laughed. We passed the still unconstructed bridge that someone said took 20 years to get built. It was like a dilapidated city clad in poverty. Brick houses left un-plastered.. almost broken iron rickshaws.. smoke of dusts all around and sometimes sparkling hi-end cars to strike contrasts on your face.. Ludhiana seemed like a photographic place to me.

The next four days while traveling in the city i enjoyed every bit of it. It was chilling cold and yet through the gradations of grey i couldn't miss the colours, the place had to offer. Caught off-guard when u come across a lush green stretch of paddy field after a long dusty road.. a truck carrying vibrant purple rolls of single jersey fabric through the fog.. a lemon yellow cellophane kite stuck in the iron rods of the terrace.. few kids running behind a bright red kite.. a tube well plastered to the house wall.. a group of men around a bonfire along the highway.. a man selling orange juice on the streets hoping someone will come and buy a glass just at sunset.. the silence that slowly starts setting in as night arrives.
I don't know how those 4 days passed by quickly.. was relieved it was time to get back home.. prayed the train would be on time.. It was.

Looking back now.. Ludhiana was never so beautiful ever before. Wouldn't mind going back again but yes with a camera this time and of'cors without work. :)