During my one week stay in Srinagar, the thing that impressed me most is the kindness and hospitality of Kashmiris. That’s even more than the beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks. There is this one incident that illustrates this point.
I stayed for a few days in Hotel Grand Mamta before deciding to move to a HouseBoat on Dal Lake. While checking out, I forgot my hoodie in the room itself. It’s not just another hoodie. It’s the Himalayan Writing Retreat branded hoodie which is special. (That’s where I really got my blogging mojo back and hence its special).
It was only at night that I began to realize I had lost my hoodie. That’s when the temperature in Srinagar drops and my hoodie was my only warm dress.
The owner of the Lake Palace Houseboat, which I had checked into, found that I had no warm clothes on me. Without so much as asking me, he went to his modest little floating home behind the boat and brought his son’s jacket for me to wear.
The next evening, I went to the Grand Mamta hotel only half expecting to get my hoodie back. Much to my surprise and relief, they had my hoodie packed in a bag with my name and room number written on it.
That’s the happy me feeling snug and happy. The hoodie is a lucky charm. And even more charming are the Kashmiris.
