Latif Hussain

27, Collins Lane,

Bombay 400 056

The 5th September, 19

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My dear Ismail,

The students of our class went to Mahabaleshwar on a happy excursion trip during the last summer vacation, being escorted by our two teachers. Forty of us went by a reserved deluxe bus. The bus left the city at about 7 o’clock in the morning. We reached the spot of excursion in the afternoon. On the way, we saw many beautiful sights of the streams and the hills which kept our eyes and heart charmed all through the thrilling journey.

On the day at Mahabaleshwar, we did not move much outside our hotel that was reserved beforehand by our teachers. But on the following morning, we went to the beautiful lake, the sight of which pleased us greatly. It is a wonderful lake surrounded by hills. The water is very clear. Many tiny motor boats and also ordinary boats, which are plied by oars, were seen on the bed of “the water with tourists on board. The coloured sails attracted our curious attention. Some of us took snaps of that enchanting scene of the lake from different angles.

Our teachers, however, did not allow those, to row who did not know swimming. I was allowed. I went with three of my friends in a red-coloured boat with a blue-and-white sail fitted to it. Our boat went not very far from the shore, but it floated slowly as far as about fifty feet from there.

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I remembered the scenes that I had sometimes watched in the past on the movie screen, wherein this particular lake was shown with the hero and the heroine on board on such a boat as we were in. A sudden feeling of romanticism overwhelmed my nerves. It was something like the childish dream of a fairy land, where we had been roaming, as if, carried away by an inexpressible spell or hallucination.

Some other adjacent places we had also visited with an escort, a local guide. There was a nice temple and an old mosque side by side in one corner of the small town. There was a point on a high peak of the mountain, overlooking a deep valley down­wards, and appearing terrifying for a nervous person. It was called the ‘suicidal point’ which was surrounded by an iron fence” so that a vehicle or a human being can not accidentally slip into the deep valley downwards.

We returned to the hotel in the evening, and took complete rest. The food was moderate. Our teachers asked us, if we had enjoyed the sight. All of us joyfully expressed our gratitude to them for taking us there.

Next morning, our bus left Mahabaleshwar. It was a strange experience that I still remember as a golden piece of memory. When I grow up, I have thought of going there again with my family.

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Please let me know at an early date, if you have any such experience of a particular nice place. If so, kindly write to me in details. I would definitely like it.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Latif

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To:

Mr. Ismail Khan

23, B. N. Saigal Road, Amritsar, Punjab.