  Nearby interstellar clouds with high (|v| >/= 10 km/s) random velocities
although easily detected in NaI and CaII lines have hitherto not been detected
(in emission or absorption) in the HI 21cm line. We describe here deep Giant
Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI absorption observations toward radio
sources with small angular separation from bright O and B stars whose spectra
reveal the presence of intervening high random velocity CaII absorbing clouds.
In 5 out of the 14 directions searched we detect HI 21cm absorption features
from these clouds. The mean optical depth of these detections is ~ 0.09 and
FWHM is ~ 10 km/s, consistent with absorption arising from CNM clouds.

Astrophysics