Of snow, solitude and ice

Ananya woke up blurry eyed and cold. The room heater had turned off by itself at some point in the night. Grabbing her jacket Ananya turned the heater on again and then walked over to the wash basin. It took a while for the warm water to start flowing and by then her hands were even colder than before. After brushing her teeth and drying her hands as quickly as she could, Ananya found her slippers, grabbed her phone and room keys, and headed towards the common kitchen. "A hot cup of coffee, that's what I need," said Ananya to herself. She liked to prepare her coffee the way she used to back home. This involved boiling the milk first, mixing half a teaspoon of coffee and one and a half teaspoons of sugar in it, and then pouring it into a cup. With her hands wrapped around the warm mug, Ananya sat down on the kitchen window ledge. The one on the inside, of course. It was then that she noticed the snow. The scene outside the window had transformed from one of many shades to nearly monotone white and a bit of grey where the snow had started to melt. It was still snowing steadily. Other than the occasional sound of a bus, all was quiet. Ananya sipped her coffee. Usually a housemate would have arrived by now and they would have exchanged greetings, perhaps even a quick catch-up on the highlights of the day before or the weekend to come. Anything. But there was no one in the kitchen today except for her, as they, as most students at the university, had headed home for Christmas. Ananya was staying at the student accommodation over the holidays. It was too expensive to travel home for such a short period. The scholarship amount was just enough to cover one round trip from home, her university fees, boarding and lodgings, stationery, mobile phone charges, and perhaps some localised travel. She called home everyday, Skype most of the time. Such an economical option. She knew that it was just a matter of months and she would be back home. "And then I'll be missing this place," thought Ananya. 

The college bells were ringing solemnly at 10 as Ananya made her way to the cathedral. On any other day she would have skipped up the stairs and entered the cathedral as the sound of the organ filled the air. But not today. The snow had started melting and had made the stone walkway slippery. Ananya skidded a bit but kept her balance by keeping one hand on the wall or hand rail. By the time she entered the cathedral everyone was seated and the choir were about to sing the first hymn. Ananya walked as silently as she could along the walkway parallel to the choir and sat at the back of the congregation that had gathered in the middle of the cathedral. She was not born or raised as a Christian. But ever since joining the college she had attended Sung Matins every Sunday. The choir never ceased to amaze and inspire her, and the architecture of the cathedral elevated the experience further. Although she didn't agree with all the words that were sung, she came to listen to the high and the low notes, strung together effortlessly. Seated in the small wooden chair and looking up at the high ceiling, Ananya listened. An hour later she was on her way out, passing the stand where a few candles were lit.

Ananya really wanted to take a walk around the college and along the river that flowed nearby. But given the snow and slippery pavements she decided to spend some time in the college common room instead. In the absence of the usual hustle and bustle the room looked strangely spacious. She made another cup of coffee in the common room kitchen, using a microwave this time. She was glad to have the warm cup in her hands but felt that the coffee wasn't as good as the one that she had prepared earlier in the day. There were a few magazines and newspapers on the table, but Ananya felt too distracted to read. She wasn't really sure why. She spoke to her parents for a while, telling them about the day so far. As she finished the call she saw a message on her phone, "Join us for lunch at 1?" It was from one of her collegemates, who lived in a different student accommodation. She'd forgotten that he was also staying here over the winter break. Looked like some of his flatmates were staying back as well. She replied, "Yes!" and got up to go to the kitchen to put her mug away. But she stood rooted on the spot as her right leg had fallen asleep while she was sitting on the sofa, and it took a while before the tingling sensation passed and she could walk again. It had started snowing once more, so Ananya pulled the jacket hood over her head and made her way towards the restaurant, one slippery step at a time. Once in a while she would stop to hold out a gloved hand and watch some snowflakes settle on it.

Ananya finally arrived at the restaurant and was soon seated with her friend and acquaintances. It was a warm, cosy place and the smell of food from the kitchen made her tummy rumble. They talked a bit about pending assignments but quickly shifted the discussion to Christmas day plans. There would be no transport service on Christmas day, so travelling to some place just for the day, other than on foot, was not an option. If there was enough snow, especially fresh snow, there would be some fun to be had there! They could definitely plan what they wanted to eat, although they admitted that their culinary skills were work in progress. One of them offered to prepare some mulled wine which drew a collective 'mmmm' from the group. And of course, watch new episodes of their favourite programmes on television. "That sounds very nice," thought Ananya as she tucked into her meal. She was glad she would not be spending Christmas day all by herself. The group remained seated for a while even though their plates were now empty. Not willing to leave the warmth of the restaurant. Eventually someone asked about plans for the rest of the evening. No one seemed to have a set plan until one of them suggested ice skating. There was a indoor ice skating rink nearby and they could get student discounts on the entry fee. Ananya wasn't sure as she had never done ice skating before. But her friend insisted and said, "You'll get to try something new. And we'll all be there to help you!" Ananya considered the offer and nodded her head in agreement. Bundled up in their coats, jackets, scarves and gloves, the friends made their way slowly to the ice skating rink. They watched other people skating for a while before heading over to the counter to pay the entry fee and to collect their ice skating boots. "How on earth am I going to stay upright on a pair of blades?!" thought Ananya. Nevertheless, she strapped on the boots, got up slowly, and then half walked half wobbled till she reached the edge of the ice. The lines that had been cut into the ice by the other skaters were clearly visible. She hesitated a bit till her friend called out, "Come on Ananya! It's just one hour. Here, hold my hand." Ananya took a deep breath, held her friend's hand, and stepped on to the ice.