As published on December 16, 2015.

Being born and brought up in the coastal plains like Kerala, which experiences an equatorial tropic climate throughout the year, I was used to only two kinds of seasons; summers and monsoons. I read and studied in school about the four seasons, and waited to see the remaining two. Though I have been to Munnar and Ooty, those cannot be counted as experiencing winter for they are hill stations and are cold through the year. It was not until now, during my trip to Delhi, that I, for the first time, experienced winter.

The Delhi I left late summer was not the Delhi I came back to at the onset of winter. The people changed, their dressing changed, even the landscape itself had changed. The day starts later and ends sooner, all preferring the comfort under their blankets. Men and women crowd into metros wearing cloaks and jackets, resembling Hollywood movies. Kids play around, covered from head to toe in striking rainbow colours, their tiny faces full of laughter. Sleeveless tops, thin leggings, and mini skirts have been replaced by full sleeved tops, thick jeans and ankle length boots. Rooftop hotels draw a crowd for the comfort it now offers, with free music gigs. What was once open is now covered, where fans and Air Conditioners ran, now heaters do, and people prefer hot soups over the cold Coke and Pepsi.

A lot has changed, and a lot has unchanged. People still run behind the same buses, they still go to the same offices and same houses. They have ice creams and cold milkshakes too, and hot coffee at Starbucks.

Though it does not snow here, it is still a blissful winter. I wonder how many realise how beautiful winter is, for people born and brought up in such a climate would have gotten accustomed to seeing nature sheds her skin and take a new one, they themselves following suit. Then I wonder how lucky I had been to be born up in a place where I can wear all my clothes all throughout the year.

It is a change, a beautiful change, the only permanent thing. Have a beautiful winter, a merry christmas and a happy new year.