GARDEN OF FABLES
THE FOG IS SO MILKY and dense that the valley and mountains disappear in front of my eyes. I am at the quaint Makaibari Bungalow, sited beside the world’s first tea factory and estate of the same name in Kurseong, an hour and a half from Darjeeling. The original bungalow, more than 100 years old, burned down in an electrical fire in 2017. The refurbished structure retains some of its old-world charm—there are hand-woven Obeetee carpets in every room, wooden floors that creak under your feet, and a fireplace to remind you that winters are chilly here.
I hear a clamour down the hall—the workers are shouting at each other. I set down my first cup of
