Shillong transforms itself into the rock capital of India (or so it is called by many) at night from its quirky evening café culture. People of Shillong have that spunky sense of style that comes with a unique combination of brains as well—it shows in the basic things of daily life like cleanliness, traffic sense and overall safety. While the capital and hill station of Meghalaya always buzzes with energy, a few kilometres outside the city, the life suddenly slows down to a more leisurely pace. I drove from the capital city, stopping occasionally at small hamlets to have a cup of coffee. I was in search of a quiet village life not far from Shillong. From a friend, I had heard stories of the countryside of Meghalaya where sheep graze in fields dotted with few clusters of wooden houses engulfed in the beautiful silence of nature. I was going to search for those stories myself by exploring the following weekend getaways from Shillong: