As I stepped out of my house, the bracing morning air was a welcome relief from the sultry atmosphere within. I made my way to the neighbourhood park where there is a neat round walking track.

Already there were about fifteen early morning walkers, making the most of the unadulterated air, not yet polluted by vehicle emissions and factory smoke.

There  was Mr. Briskwalker with his ‘chappan’  inch chest and his erect back, taking long strides that enabled him to cover one round before I had covered half of it.

Mr. Effeminate walk was already there with his small lady-like steps and a gentle swaying of the waist, determinedly covering round after round. He reminded me of the slow and steady tortoise.

The ambience was congenial not only for walking but also for communion with the Almighty. There were the devout walkers with their walkman sets or smart phones plugged to their ears listening to the Vishnu Sahasranam or M.S. Subbalakshmi rendering the Suprabhatam in her mellifluous voice.

There was Mr. Hunchback in his usual white T shirt, which was slowly being covered with sweat as he walked. He would leave each day only after the T shirt looked ready to be squeezed and dried on the clothesline.

    Mr. Looselimbs had me worried that one of his limbs would fall off as he walked, but he continued in gay abandon unaware or unmindful of those who walked behind him.

Miss Chubby Cheeks and a well rounded figure was about to sit and take rest after her very first round but was being urged by her mother to walk ‘at least five more rounds’. So the poor thing trudged on, with eyes half closed. Why should the mother feed her all the carbs and then force her to walk I wondered.

Two saree-clad women walked briskly in spite of the six yards wrapped around them. At least they wore walking shoes, unlike the other lady who made a slip- slap noise with her hawai sandals. But she walked quite fast in spite of them and caused quite a few hurt egos to accelerate in her wake!

I wondered why the lady of the Maharastrian (my guess) couple did not come today. Was she ill? Or maybe her maid was absent and she had to do double duty. Or was there a sick child at home?

A pair of salwar kameez clad, well built women were regulars at 6.30a.m. But as soon as they came in, the soothing silence of the park was broken with their loud chattering. They looked very much alike. Sisters, I guessed, who had a lot of catching up to do, away from the inquisitive overhearing of their families or walls that had ears.

And so we walked in silent camaraderie till the gentle morning breeze chased my thoughts away and the sun had risen, telling me it was time to go home.