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Autumn is the annual harvesting season in Kashmir, also known as ‘Harud’ locally. Farmers return to their fields to harvest paddy and saffron, as well as choose several species of apples for export, as the leaves in the valley turn yellow and golden. Autumn has arrived, and the entire valley is bathed in various shades of red, orange, and gold. Under the shadow of the huge Chinar, which is a fundamental element of Kashmir’s spirit and existence, children rush around eagerly trampling leaves and playing cricket. In the autumn, the chinar trees take on a glistening appearance, and the sight of colourful leaves in shades of crimson, gold, and orange carpeting the ground appears fantastic. As autumn approaches, tens of thousands of migrating birds from far-flung Siberia, China, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe begin to arrive to spend the winter months in the local water bodies. Kashmir has a distinct wildlife department that safeguards local bird reserves from poaching and human intervention for the benefit of migratory birds. Autumn is more subdued than summer, with less preconceived notions. It’s also full of beginnings. Even people who no longer attend school have a feeling of starting again: new books, new clothes, new thinking, and cooler, brisker air. The leaves will fall to the ground and feed additional trees. Hibernation is sleep, conservation, and a promise that what feels like falling is also about resuming one’s life, a kind of to use the wonderful phrase of Ali