Mussoorie

Like familiar landslide,

little school children tumble down steep alleys.

Overrunning happy divinity.

Welcome to Mussoorie.

The queen of all British leisuredoms

looks over the Doon valley,

like a father to a teenaged girl.

Distant but concerned.

November is kind.

The sun, Bombay's nemesis,

is a dear friend here.

The virtue of selfishness.

At Mall Road,

cold couples peer into shops

as old, mountain women

sell warmth for a living.

Mussoorie,

with the landour of umpteen mountains

and the quaint residue of royalty

is like your glass of good wine.

It grows on you.