Pocket Diary Book Club

If I am given the chance to do what feels comfortable – that is, staying in my cozy cocoon of familiarity – or doing something completely opposite, like stepping outside my comfort zone, I would definitely choose the former. So, every time I sign myself up for even a slightly unfamiliar event, like the PDBC retreat, I end up having doubts about going through with that decision.

Being an introvert and having what I call Socially Avoidant Personality Trait (self-invented and self-diagnosed), I often find it amusing how some people are gifted with the ability to communicate with others the moment they meet.

My first PDBC retreat (in Dehradoon) felt like a stroke of sheer good luck. So, when I started packing for the second one, the night before leaving, I wondered if it was too much to expect another retreat to be just as perfect and magical.

The tiny little bug in my head, which takes its overthinking job far too seriously, immediately fired up the engines – and soon, the train of thoughts was running at full speed, carrying all the reasons and justifications for why this journey might not be a great idea. But to my surprise, I decided to ignore that little fella and went straight to sleep, leaving the packing for the morning.

After just a couple of hours of sleep, waking up was definitely a struggle. Nevertheless, I packed in 10 minutes and left for the meeting point, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

The names from the Bambora Retreat WhatsApp group slowly started matching up with faces, one by one. Our first introduction happened at the chai stop in Gandhinagar.

Most of us were still sleepy after the chai break. Chirag, risking being thrown out of the tempo, kept trying his best to stop anyone from falling asleep.

We finally woke up fully at the breakfast stop. After some initial ice breaking over breakfast, the journey resumed with high spirits and laughter. What followed was lots of masti, interesting conversations, and an eclectic mix of songs (featuring none other than Lord Himesh Reshamiya).

From crowd-sourcing songs through Shivam’s personal-but-public phone(iykyk), to pulling his leg, to interesting discussions, to some of us reading quietly while others relaxed in silence – the tempo kept rolling towards our destination. The topics we discussed seemed to mimic the roads we passed: some were smooth and free flowing, others had tiny bumps, changing directions every few minutes like the curvy uneven roads. Priya grew nostalgic about her childhood in Jaipur; soon we were discussing Jaipur’s delicacies and chai spots – and somewhere between all this, we even played two rounds of Ek Machhli Paani Mein Gayi. What an energy!!

Finally, we arrived at the Bambora Fort and were given a royal welcome at the entrance with खम्मा घणी and tilak and delicious nimbu paani. Everything had been precisely pre planned by the PDBC team – the check-in was seamless and so were the rest of day’s activities.

After checking in, the group headed straight to the pool. Everyone’s true competitive spirits came alive. The pro level water volleyball, played with hardcore sportsmanship, was something to behold! (You know what I mean!) The folks were playing like old friends, not a bunch of strangers who had only met that morning!

After lunch and some rest, we gathered again for pottery and horse riding. Later, we spent time exploring the regal landmark standing proudly through the ages. The views from the terrace were majestic – we all witnesses a beautiful sunset together.

After that, some went for round two at the pool, some bonded over conversations, while Akanksha and I enjoyed a warm back massage – lying on the stone parapet sloping towards the pool, wondering why we always chase one thing or another, instead of simply lying under the vast sky, watching the starts slowly emerge at dusk, listening to innumerable birds chirping as they head home. The rustling winds along the old fort walls seemed to carry the echoes of old forgotten stories.

After dinner, we all gathered for the night edition at Diwaan-e-khaas, where the sudden change in weather seemed to work in our favour, providing light, sound and wind effects throughout the session. The mild lightening in the background, the stormy winds and the discussions over books – what a splendid night!

The edition ended with the reading of MoM by Abhishek and one very intriguing question by Sameer ji – which sparkled further conversation among the members – except for a few who surrendered to sleep.

Next day morning, before gathering for breakfast, everyone spent some time on their own: going for an early morning walk or little trek, watching the sunrise, journaling, meditating, stretching or simply sipping coffee in the quite morning hours.

After breakfast, it was time to head back home. – but then came an impromptu addition: stopping at Dungarpur Palace and the Vintage Car Museum. It was the perfect closure to the heritage and royal experience of the whole retreat. Both Bambora Fort and Dungarpur palace beautifully painted a splendid picture of Rajasthan’s rich, vibrant and magnificent heritage – the marvelous architecture, stately culture and heartwarming hospitality.

On the way back to Ahmedabad, ghost stories and horror movies were passionately discussed – well, mostly by one particular ghost enthusiast – let’s call her Manjulika (the name here is fictional; real name is not revealed to protect and respect the privacy of ghosts!).

Finally, we all bid farewell to each other – our hearts full of beautiful memories. Once again, the magic happened:  we – strangers, connected only by our love for the written word – were now heading home with a connection that is hard to describe in words.

Until next time!

PDBC Literature Retreat – May 2025 at Bambora Fort, Udaipur.
– Nija