Shimla Bazaar

Shimla always fascinated the writer with its history, architecture, virgin forests and surrounding villages. Being a nature writer he does not feel to go to anywhere to look for the stories. This book contains 24 short stories all collected from different phases of life, nature, travels, visits to various places and the surrounding villages. The reader can visualize the incidents, mentioned in this book, taking place in front of him.

Sumit Raj Vashisht was born in Shimla in 1967. His father, a railway engineer by profession and at the other hand a well known Urdu Poet under his pen name as Talat Irfani, was never interested in leaving Shimla. But had to move first to Rohtak and then to Delhi, after his transfer. Sumit's education was divided into these three towns but he says that Mountains are ingrained in him and he was made only for them, so he could not adopt the culture of the big towns in the plains. So Shimla is always his first choice. After finishing his Post Graduate diploma in tourism from Delhi University he jumped into the field of tourism industry and returned to his beloved hometown Shimla in 2000. Here in Shimla he works as a Heritage Guide and a Tour Companion to the Himalayan Valleys. In his own words, 'It is impossible for me live away from the mountains. I always wanted to spend my life as a Himalayan Wanderer. I want to go and touch every single particle of the Himalayas and get its blessings. All the forests in the Himalayas want me to visit them and all the birds want to sing for me. Mountains travel with blood in my veins and when I inhale they enter my mind and body'. He can be contacted through his friend Anil Bhardwaj who runs a Travel company in the name of Band Box Heights & Valleys at the Mall Road in Shimla.

I would like to say special thanks to Brigadier Ranjit Banerjee for taking time out of his busy and valuable schedule and correcting the language of these stories. He added life to them and made them more interesting. So kindly add one page in the beginning to Brigadier Sahib. Special thanks to my 12 years old daughter Tanwangi who read all the stories and showed interest and inspired me to write more for children. Special thanks to Sarika my wife for going through the text and telling me the necessary changes required. I cannot forget to extend my hand full of thanks towards my two special friends in Shimla Mr. Anil Shakya (Commonly known as Shang) and Mr. Raj Chauhan for all the help they offered. My heartiest thanks to Janaab Talat Irfani, my father who is not in this world today but inspired me with his writings and injected the power of writing as he himself was a famous Urdu Poet. This was his pen name as his actual name was Mr. Tilak Raj Vashisht. Thanks to Mrs. Meena Vashisht my Mother, who shall be gratified on seeing this book as she shall remember her pleasant past.

Writing the Preface of my first Story Book is quite a challenge. I do not know how successful writer I shall be but a writer was always there, somewhere hidden in me. Writing poetry is in my blood as I inherited it from my father. He was a perfect Urdu poet and his writings carried all the pains and sufferings he went through in his life in India after Independence. The pain of migration from his village - Khanani, now in Pakistan, to India was always present in his poetry. I could never touch his level of writing but the writer inside me always dreamt of hills and attaining a certain level of success. I always saw myself sitting in a small cottage on the top of a hill where I was disturbed only by the itching of my pen on paper. The very first story that I wrote, in Hindi, got a place in a corner of my college magazine in Rohtak. I do not remember how that came to my mind. A copy of that magazine remained with me for a long time as I always take very good care of my books and papers. But one lovely October day in mid nineties when we were getting our house white washed, mother asked me to keep my books and papers at the right place. Most of the things had been taken outside the house and so my books too. In the afternoon an unexpected shower poured down and made much of the items wet including a few of my papers. That spoilt the copy of the college magazine too and I lost first published story. My Father used to attend a number of 'Mushairas' - The poetic symposiums and took me along sometimes. I always enjoyed the company of his poet friends. Although most of them were much elder to me but I learnt from their style and language. And now, when father is not alive and I still meet his friends sometimes, I touch their feet and like to spend some time with them. Once father had thrown a small party at home in Rohtak in which a number of his poet friends were invited. The party started with the recital of 'Gazals' and 'Nazams' of the poets. By then I had already penned a few poetry. That day it was declared by Kashmiri, my college friend that I was a poet too. I did not miss the chance to come forward and recite one of my latest 'Gazal' - a form of Urdu poem. It received a great appreciation from all, present there and I was immediately rewarded with a Five Rupee note by Mr. Miglani, one of the friends of my father. 'By a pen for yourself and write good things. God bless you' said Mr. Miglani. His blessings worked out and here I am today writing the Preface of my first Story Book. The writer has woken up but my Guru is still hidden. It is said that writers, Philosophers, scientists, artists' etcetera give a different turn to the life of people or the society. My life got a turn after I started reading him - My Hidden Guru, and learnt the art of living, behavior, writing and treating people around me. People find success in earning money but my Hidden Guru taught me that the true success is in earning people. He is Mr. Ruskin Bond, who lives in Mussoorie and writes for children. I have no hitch in saying that I am fully inspired by Mr. Bond and I am his disciple. Although I made various attempts to meet him but got no success. One rainy day I rang him and asked if he could spare five minutes from his busy schedule as I was planning to go to Mussoorie and see him. 'Any particular reason' he asked as he does not recognize 'Yes sir, I am also a writer and have penned a few stories which I want to show you'. 'That OK. You are welcome to come and see me but please do not expect me to write any forward or introduction for your book. I shall also not be able to find you a publisher'. 'No Sir, I have got a publisher, but I just want to show you my work and request you if you could write a few words for my book'.. 'No, I am already overburdened and I do not want this to become very common.' Initially I was disappointed but did not take his words to my heart. I shall keep working as Ek Lavya worked in front of the picture of his Hidden Guru Dronacharya. I am struggling to establish myself a nature writer, a writer of nature and a writer who can survive on his writings. I meet a number of children in the summer camps that I conduct for school students. They enjoy nature with me and I enjoy nature in their company more. They are clear minded people but ambitious too. I like them a lot as they are naturally comfortable in their own innocence. It reminds me a couplet of a great Urdu poet, Sahir Ludhyanavi: me. In Chote Chote Bachchon Ko, Bas Chand Sitare Choone Do Do Char Kitabein Par Likh Kar, Yeh Hum Jaisai Ho Jayenge. (Let these small children touch the stars only Once they have studied a few books, they shall be behaving like us) In Summer Camps I teach these children to be good to others and to the nature. I try my best to deliver the best towards the coming generations as I received the best from my parents and other people of their generation. Today the world is going through a number of problems due to the global warming such as pollution and weather changes. I know that I am not a scientist who can discover the reasons of these problems but as a writer or a Camp Trainer I try to contribute some of the awareness among the students to come over these problems. I think that children are the best Human Beings and can understand my language, so I shall keep writing for them. I promise my readers that I shall keep giving them more and more good stories.

**Contents and Sample Pages**