The aches and pain in every part of the body remind us that we’re finally here in Hartola. However, despite the pains of settling down to a rhythm, since the second half of yesterday we are upbeat and content – at least I am!
As for Katie, she is having the time of her life. Since the time she arrived in Hartola, she doesn’t want to go inside and has been exploring all the nooks and corners of the place. This is the same Katie who 72 hrs ago, refused to come out of the AC bedroom in Noida.
Although when we entered Hartola yesterday, it was pretty warm and I was quite comfortable with half sleeves. But as we started settling down, we could feel the heavenly chill creeping in. Not that it is very cold, but it’s like a room where the AC is cranked at 18 degrees.
Now some flashback:
After a lot of negotiations with several packers and movers who were quoting unrealistic estimates to cart some furniture from Noida to Hartola, I decided to do the packaging myself and to just hire a small truck of tempo to bring the stuff.
Got down to Amazon and bought a couple of cartons and roll of cling film. An 11-kg roll of corrugated sheet, roll of plastic rope, and four 3-inch brown tapes were bought from the nearby Bhangel market. Recently we had bought a sofa for our Noida home and it came wrapped with foam sheet and bubble wrap which Deepa had kept aside for a rainy day (she’s a big one for reusing stuff).
The house was in complete chaos as I started packing, but in about 48 hours with breaks in between, every piece of furniture was packed, and all the other stuff, like clothes, books, etc. were inside the cartons, secured with rope, tape and a layer of cling film.
The things you do when you are on a tight budget!
Since we had a very small number of articles to be transported, we settled for an Ashok Leyland Dost, which is basically a pickup truck and all our stuff perfectly fitted into it. By 8 pm they were off and after an early dinner we too hit the sack because we were to leave early next morning.
Today, as I unpacked every piece of furniture, I can’t help being proud of myself. Not a scratch! When we had taken the services of a professional packer and mover in 2020, there were several damages. Can say I have an alternate career prospect.
As I started writing this blog, the sky changed its colors and it seems like it’s going to rain. The breeze changes to a forceful wind and the next second it comes down by a couple of notches. BTW not to show-off or make you jealous, that’s my desk in our Ashwagandha room. 😊
We have friends coming tomorrow, so will cut short this blog here and get back to work. Until then stay safe and don’t forget to plan a stay at our homestay.
