Kolkata has never been so dear to me. Far away from the City of 
Autumn must have silently said goodbye by now...winter is gradually setting in with a feeling of coolness and coziness.
Falling leaves and thick fog in the mornings characterize winter in Kolkata…The day starts with sipping a steaming cup of hot coffee and ends with a cozy sleep among the thick blankets that remain tucked up in the cupboards all through the year.
The quaint lanes of the oldest part of Kolkata become vibrant and lively with the smashing and thudding sounds of badminton rackets. Sundays and holidays in winter are great times to play badminton and cricket on the streets.
As a slanting sun peeps round the corners of the big buildings of the city, the cable wires and the dry branches of the trees seem to be the best places for the crows and sparrows to perch on. Breakfast is a yummy experience on winter mornings. Added to the holiday mood, they tend to be spicier and lip smacking. ‘Koraishutir Kochuri’ or ‘Luchi-Alur dom’ seems to be the ruling preferences in every household.
As the day rolls into afternoon, lunch is followed by a snug nap, with orange peels all around…with the sun coming in through closed glass window panes…with goosebumps in your thighs because of the cold…with dreams in your eyes…
Evening follows, cold as ever…with hot tea and fries…doordarshan news…ma’s kitchen seems to be the best place then…the warmth of the stove…the smell of dinner.
It’s no longer a snug winter anymore…no longer warm anymore. Far away from city of joy, the sunrays no longer warm up my cold fingers…
