“My rubber plant… the only plant that has flourished in this room… its tendrils find a bit of wall to cling to… its stem travels slowly but surely along the wall… heading towards my bed… does it want to make love?”

Open the first few pages of the journal-cum-planner Words From The Hills to find these words written by celebrated author Ruskin Bond etched on a yellow-tinted spread. Also find the rubber plant of his fantasies, represented by a watercolour illustration made by Ahlawat Gunjan. The rest of the spread is made up of blank lines, placed there for you to weave in your own stories alongside the dreamy tales of an adored children’s writer. There are a few hundred such pages in the journal, all adorned with imagery that complements Bond’s words—imagine motifs such as green deodar trees, a lone white bench and autumn painted in shades of red, yellow and brown. When taken together, this charming journal presents an account of Bond’s philosophy, work and life.

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Words From The Hills does not give you an empty canvas to pen down thoughts and routines like a regular planner or dairy would. Instead, it first fills your mind with ponderings on the passage of time and the subtle beauty of everyday life. This way, it prefaces whatever you write, with poetry of a singular kind. ₹ 399; penguin.co.in