About the 'Adventures' Section
As outlined in other sections of this Substack, this space was initially dedicated to childhood stories from Manali, Himachal Pradesh. However, an idea evolved along the way, leading to a semi-fictional genre for the stories of my early years. Before writing these episodes, I would often tell bedtime stories to my eight-year-old daughter. The characters of Attu and Rattu are real—Attu, my childhood nickname, and Rattu, my dog from those years in Manali. My daughter and I would improvise the stories, weaving in imaginative scenarios, and she grew to love them.
This sparked the idea for a storytelling platform where the characters and settings exist in real places in Manali, but the stories themselves blend fact with folklore and imagination, capturing the curiosity and adventure of childhood. Not only does my daughter eagerly await each new episode, but she’s also excited to contribute as the illustrator for each one. Her illustrations add a special touch to the stories, making the adventure come alive in even more vivid ways.
While Attu and Rattu are real, so too are the other characters in each episode—they are family friends and acquaintances. The places mentioned are also real, but the stories within the stories are woven with imagination and folklore. Like many children, Attu and Rattu have a keen love for adventure stories.
The goal of this section, Adventures, is to share tales of exile and the making of a modern nomad through the eyes of a child, embracing the daily adventures of life. It’s a way to convey the complexities of exile while invoking the wonder and curiosity that come with the journey. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I have enjoyed creating them.
To read the intent behind this Substack blog, click here.