FOR those of us who want a quiet retreat, a mini sabbatical at the height of summer, Simla seems to be the last place to which to flee. My late brother, when Simla became Shimla, remarked: "It sounds like a Bengali mispronouncing Simla." But Simla was not only one of the first to change names, long before Mumbai and Chennai, it transformed itself into The Karolbagh Honeymooners' Chaat Paradise almost overnight. With buses hurtling down former rickshaw alleys and the security for the president's visit keeping terrified trekkers indoors, not to speak of respected citizens not being allowed to cross the road after drawing household money from the bank, Shimla now has touches of Delhi which are easily recognisable and nothing to do with holiday resorts.
