Ranikhet’s Gift

1. Describe how the monsoons arrived at Ranikhet.

A dull morning light emanated from the overcast sky. There was a stillness in the
atmosphere- the tall looming pines stood absolutely motionless awaiting an attack of
rains from the sky above. A gust of wind followed by a clap of thunder unleashed the
rains from the clouds and it came down with full ferocity marking the arrival of
monsoons in Ranikhet.

2. “It was a wonderful sight.”

a. Which event brought the wonderful sight?
b. Describe the wonderful sight.
a. The arrival of the monsoons at Ranikhet brought the wonderful sight.
b. The arrival of monsoons at Ranikhet was marked by an overcast sky radiating
a dull light, from which moments later, after a gust of wind and clap of
thunder, the rains came pouring down. The water flowed down the slope
with a gurgling sound. The trees along with their leaves swayed in the wind
and it appeared to the narrator that they were dancing to the sounds of the
roaring winds and the almost symphonic din of the rain splattering on the tin
roof of the narrator’s bungalow. The noise only grew louder as white marbles
of hail came crashing down on the earth covering the lawn in white gravel.

3. How long did it rain? What happened immediately after the rain stopped?
The heavy rain continued to incessantly pour down for two hours.
A sudden calm descended over the hills once the rain stopped. The haze
made the distant mountains invisible. The winding path at the foot of the hillock was
also obscured by the haze. The temperature dropped considerably and the clouds
descended on the hills. It appeared to the narrator as if the clouds had come down
from their heavenly abode to visit the mere mortals on the earth. When the narrator
opened the door to the cottage she found to her delight the clouds floating into the
house, caressing everything with their moist touch.

4. What does Lady Cloud refer to?

When the rains stopped in Ranikhet, the narrator was greeted with the wondrous
sight of clouds descending down on the hills. When she opened the door, she found
to her delight the clouds floating in, carrying their watery sensation. The narrator
was so mesmerized with the beauty of the clouds that it appeared to her as if the
clouds were an embodiment of a heavenly goddess- Lady Cloud- who wore her white
flowing gossamer gown and caressed them with her moist touch.

5. Describe the sight when the haze started disintegrating.

 When the haze, formed after the heavy shower, started to get lifted, the first glint of
sunshine shone over the green mountain side which appeared like green velvet to
the eyes. As the haze lifted the a brilliant blue sky appeared with bright, white fluffy
clouds. The hilly slopes, rocky crevices and all the gardens were coloured with
splashes of red, crimson, yellow and orange of flowers. The whole view had an
artistic quality with all the shades of green, from the lightest to the darkest,
beautifully adorned with flowers of every hue and colour. The air was cool and crisp
in the aftermath of the shower and the birds and butterflies were out again.

6. Why were there no puddles on the ground?

Ranikhet was a hilly region. The soil was rocky and sandy. So the water from the
rains either dried easily or the water ran off downhill. That is why there were no
puddles on the road after the heavy rain.

7. Describe the view of the hills at twilight.

The sky had cleared substantially by twilight after the heavy downpour in the
morning such that the whole mountain range was in clear view. A full 180 degree
stretch of snow-clad mountains glimmered in the rays of the setting sun. It appeared
to the mesmerized narrator as if the orange rays of the sun, on being reflected from
the snow, had set the whole mountain range aflame. As time progressed, the orange
glow disseminated to the neighbouring clouds and slowly yet steadily interlaced with
darkness as night gradually set in.

8. What did the narrator find out when she returned home? What did she do? What
sight awaited them? What was her reaction?
The narrator had wandered out of the house at twilight and she returned home as
night gradually set in. On returning, she found out that there was a power cut.
The narrator enjoyed a steaming cup of coffee in the candlelight and then
stepped out of the bungalow to assess the power situation.
When the narrator stepped out of the bungalow in the evening she was in
complete awe at the wondrous sight that awaited. The night was pitch black and
carried an eerie atmosphere- so much so that even the slightest of sounds made one
jump. But one look at the night sky took one’s breath away. The dark dome of the
night sky was adorned with millions of stars the sight of which created a sense of
wonder within the narrator and she stood transfixed, looking up at the star-spangled
sky.
The narrator had never seen such a multitude of brightly lit stars at such
close quarters. It seemed as if the stars were reachable just by standing on the toes.
The narrator was in such great awe of the celestial aura of the sky above and the
ethereal beauty of the surroundings that she experienced a flood of different
ineffable emotions and the only a sense of reverence escaped her lips as she
thanked whoever created this beguiling beauty of nature.