Monsoon in Uttarakhand

“Ugh! Jonk!(Leech)” I hear this frequently these days. Leech is everywhere. Those icky creatures inching up every direction they smell humans, not even shoes can shield us from them. 

Every morning, as students glide their way up the steep stairs to the school, they would invariably make their way to the school kitchen, requesting, “Aunty toda namak dedo… (Aunty, give me some salt)”. Salt kills the leech in a jiffy. Besides the power of salt, they are almost unbeatable, so stretchy and flexible, that stomping them wouldn’t even kill them.

Monsoon season is not all fun and games up here. It gets chilly sometimes, allergy is on the rise, omnipresent leeches (always waving “ta-ta bye-bye” at us), the constant threat of landslides, muggy rivers, susceptibility to cold and flu – the list goes on. I had to battle with a bad chest infection for weeks. But then, there’s this unwavering beauty of the mountains. They transform into vibrant fresh green mounds. Waterfalls and natural springs appear out of nowhere. It’s really a pretty sight and a breathtaking experience.  

The community here embrace the season with humor and resilience. Didis at school are the true leech-fighting champions, bombarding these creatures with salt in every classroom. Occasionally, I would hear Hemlata scream from the other side because tiny baby leeches clung to her feet. Ah…I’ll never forget the unique fusion of screams and cries from Ranju during our failed fishing trip in Barsu. And, it’s the perfect season to munch on pakodas and sip chai in Meru restaurant with Sid. 

I think my love for Uttarakhand deepened a little more through the experience of the Monsoon season here.