White Night

By Debjani Basu

NO – I am not talking about the timeless piece of Russian author Dostoevsky’s short story “WHITE NIGHTS” but I am talking about the nights which wrapped it into some magical white sheets. We had arrived just a few months back to Sheffield. Our new home… All set to start a new life. It is entirely a new geographic location for me, very far away from motherland physically as well as culturally. I had heard about the unpredictable weather of UK and now it was time for me to experience it.


One fine night, I was sleeping cosy in my bed. I got a call from Varun (my dear friend) - “Hey - It’s snowing outside. And it will be your first experience with snow. Go out experience the British winter, there is your chance to capture some white pictures!”I extended my arm to move the curtains in an attempt to get a clear picture of a somewhat bizarre image outside the window. Things were flying in the air and the roads looked crystalline. As soon as I realized that it was snowing heavily I jumped out of my bed, grabbed the camera and rushed out to snap the lovely scene. Within few clicks the battery ran out however I did manage to snap a couple of nice shots and record a small video clip. I woke up to this wonderful sight. The road, roofs of houses, trees, the cars all covered with lovely white snow. It was snow all over. It seemed as if somebody had piled heaps of cotton wool on the road. It was cold, but beautiful picturesque nature at its best. The snow that fell overnight was a gift.....everything became clean, white and unsullied. Next morning as the sun warmed the trees their branches released, and the snow powder sifted through their needles. The wind carried it in wisps and plumes of white, like descending spirits returning home to earth.