I reached the village of Chota Singtam after a long day in Gangtok and stepped into the large, stand-alone bungalow a little too exhausted than usual. I greeted the friendly host Mrs. Lalita Besnett and waved a Hello to her husband swimming in the tiled pool, the highlight of the property. I was tempted to retire to my room immediately but watching me look so sick, Mrs. Besnett quickly prepared a glass of fresh lime and ushered me to the verandah for some fresh air. The sun had almost set and I could see lights beginning to flicker on in the villages that lay in the valley at a distance.
A few minutes outside and I began to feel myself again, and broke into a long conversation with my chatty hosts. After a long successful career with the Government, having spent years in different parts of the country, Mr. Besnett decided to move to a quieter location, further away from even the small hill station of Gangtok, whose increasing commercialisation tends to distress them. In their quest for some solitude, they moved to the quiet village of Chota Singtam, located about 21 km from the capital city, built a beautiful house, and surrounded it with acres of organic field and a small dairy farm.
As they showed me around, I was instantly impressed by the tasteful décor of the duplex, complete with an attic floor and terrace balcony, only to find out that most of the wooden artefacts had been carved by Mr. Besnett himself out of sheer passion. I spent long minutes admiring the delicate cuts of the Ganesh statue, the perfectly shaped horns of the wooden deer head, and the strong legs of the center table – the work of a skilled craftsman. Shying away from the attention, Mr. Besnett waved away my compliments and began to sing praises about his wife’s cooking skills instead. I couldn’t help but agree with him as I devoured a bowl of hot vegetable soup, a plate full of chicken momos and took long swigs of Bay Breeze, a delicious cocktail of white rum, cranberry and pineapple juice perfected by Mrs. Besnett in minutes. Needless to say, I am a fan.
The next morning, after a good night’s sleep and a heavy breakfast with Mrs. Besnett, I walked around the property with the resident dogs, soaking in its inherent warmth and finding it hard to say goodbye. Leave I did, but the next time I want to escape city life for some great food and company, I know where to pack my bags for.
About the Traveller: Born and raised in Assam, Sarita Santoshini has been travelling around India and penning down her experiences over the past year. You can read more of her travelogues in her blog-http://crumbsfromyourtale.wordpress.com .
