The autumn breeze carries more than just the crisp scent of fallen leaves through the streets of Srinagar; it carries whispers. Today, as I walked by a magnificent old chinar tree, its broad leaves, now a vibrant tapestry of crimson and gold, danced and rustled with a silent language of their own.
Each leaf, glistening with the morning dew, felt like a miniature canvas of time. How many stories have these trees witnessed? How many seasons have they stood sentinel over, as the Jehlum flowed by, ever-present, ever-changing?
It struck me then that perhaps our own lives are much like these chinar leaves. We begin green and vibrant, full of youthful vigor. We absorb the light, endure the storms, and as the seasons turn, we deepen in color, gaining richness and texture from every experience. And in our final, most beautiful hues, we hold the essence of our journey, ready to be carried by the wind into new narratives.
Voice of Jehlum, in its own way, tries to capture these whispers. Not just the grand narratives, but the quiet, personal reflections that give meaning to the everyday. It’s in these subtle shifts, these ‘reflections,’ that we often find the deepest truths. So, as you navigate your own journey, take a moment. Listen to the whispers around you, and perhaps, find your own story etched on a chinar leaf.