Every time he went to the mountains, he “always” vowed to never return. He hated the tortuous roads on which one had to travel. These roads were the only means to reach the top, unfortunately and he had a really bad case of motion sickness.
Still, he always returned.
There was something about the hills that made him want to go back to them. Some magical other worldly charm.
Life in the hills fascinated him.
The experience of sitting on the banks of the lake and taking in the serenity of the hills, with the white mist slowly masking out the green outgrowth all around, was something that could only be experienced.
Words did little justice.
Here he was, again. This time alone.
With just his thoughts for company.
It had always been his dream, to travel alone. He just could not stand people pulling him in all directions, ever fidgety, running here and there, like chickens released from the coop.
What is it that they wanted?
Why could they not just sit in a place and absorb, experience the surroundings. It had always been the case. Starting out with the trips with his parents and then thereafter with his friends.
He had fought, cried, begged and even threatened his parents to stop such trips, filled with travel to just spend an hour in that one place. A few photos and a short walk around that place, and they moved to the next “Sight”.
Who the hell, invented the term “Sight Seeing”, he wondered.
Well, people had different motivations and this fact, he knew well.
“Why spend so much money, just to sleep. You can do that here, at home”, was the standard reply he used to get. He could not blame them. He could not make them understand, his reasons. He never could.
Today though, he was finally free.
Free to do as he wanted. Free to just sit in that corner coffee shop by the lake and observe. Take in the cacophony of scents, sounds and emotions, swirling around him like a whirlpool…
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
It was about 9’o clock in the morning.
He had woken up and after finishing his morning rituals, had dressed up and set out at a lively pace, towards the lake.
“This was how you explore a place”, he exclaimed to himself.
On foot, things were so much more, sharper.
He could see the small shops setting out their wares. The old shop owner, fresh and sprightly ready to start the day. He saw people shouting and running around, in that narrow road that lead to the lake. Small cars and bikes were fighting for space to move ahead. A policeman was castigating that impatient rider who tried to overtake in a single lane road.
All this chaos or is it order, happening around and not a single soul stopped to see it.
Slowly the 1.5 Km distance had been covered and he was in sight of the lake.
On the way, he had seen pretty little girls, climbing up steep stairs that lead to what looked like a school. He had noticed nurses in their white attire, making their way into a small nursing home. He had seen small stalls preparing sandwiches and steaming noodles, with a small crowd waiting for their order to be served.
He had been kissed by the chill morning breeze, ever so gently and made to shiver. The taste of sweet fresh air and the beauty of the hills, covered by thick green foliage was enough to rid his mind of all his worries.
As, he was moving downhill towards the lake. He observed a four way junction. The place where life in this hill, revolved around or so it seemed.
He went over to a small restaurant, just opposite the lake. It was situated in one corner of the junction. It had an open seating area, overlooking the entire junction and with a clear panoramic view of the lake.
He ordered a cup of coffee and a club sandwich.
He was hungry.
He had not had dinner, the previous night and was starving. As he was waiting for the coffee and the sandwich to arrive, he began to observe the scene around him.
The junction seemed to be a very important one, by the looks of it. Quite a number of cops were standing around. He also figured that this was mostly probably the center of the hill.
He noticed streams of bikes and cars, stopping at the junction to drop little kids in green uniform jackets. All of them smiling and waving goodbye to their proud dads.
The fathers all sported big smiles and waved back lovingly at their cute kids. Adorable little things bobbing up the slope, energetically, chatting with each other. There was a school up there, he figured. A few minutes later, he saw a group of girls and boys in the pink of adolescence moving up the slope, towards the same edifice, albeit a bit less enthusiastically.
Ah, there are somethings that are constant, where ever you go in this world. He remembered similar scenes from his childhood.
The food was served and he dug in ravenously, reminiscing about his school days.
Once the food was done, he started on a stroll around the big lake. A walkway had been built and it went right around the lake.
The walkway consisted of two parts.
One was on the side of the shops and restaurants and the other, opposite side, had the lake on one side and the hill on the other.
He slowly made his way around the lake towards the later, cemented side of the pathway. The scenery around him changed almost instantly, as he entered the metal gate marking the start of this part. The green foliage on one side and the lake to the other.
It was beautiful, serene and really quite. It was quite early in the morning and it was off season, as well. Not a single soul was there in the pathway.
As he was walked, he observed intently the sounds of crickets and the chirp of the birds, with the occasional flap of fish in the water. He was in a good mood and feeling light. The chill breeze and the warmth of the sun, set the perfect tone for this morning stroll.
Halfway through the pathway, the vegetation had grown thick and the entire area was awash with green.
He slowly made his way through the thick foliage. A few feet later, he noticed a wooden platform on the banks of the lake, jutting out into the water. A boat Moore or such, but there were no boats there that day.
There on the wooden girl, sat a petite girl, with her legs playing in the water.
He walked further towards the wooden jetty and tenderly stepped onto the wood, not wanting to startle the girl. His weight on the wooden jetty, alerted her to his presence and she turned back to look at the source of the disturbance.
He got a good look at her face, for the first time.
She was breathtakingly beautiful. A slightly thin and narrow face, with high cheekbones. She was fair as snow, with a deep rosy blush in her cheeks and had painted her fingers dark green. She was wearing a jacket of pure green silk and had dark black hair. She was wearing a brown silken skirt.
He guessed, she must have been in her early twenties.
Her eyes were what caught his attention. They were black, with a brown mix and had such depth in them, that it made him look away.
She calmly and without emotion studied him, looking back over her shoulder.
A few seconds later, she turned around and continued padding her feet in the water, without even acknowledging his existence. The fish in the water, were swarming around her feet. They seemed to like her and were frolicking around. They even let her touch them.
He did not blame them, he could understand.
He stepped in further and slowly went in and sat at the jetty, a few feet away from her. A few minutes of silence ensued and then, “Beautiful Place” he exclaimed aloud, trying to break the silence.
He turned around and noticed that, she had not reacted. She was silent and engrossed with her fish. He spotted her brow frowned a bit, disapprovingly.
He turned around and was looking around aimlessly, a bit embarrassed.
“Yes it is, I know”, she answered back.
Her voice made his heart tremble. It made him feel oddly nostalgic and weak. He felt he had heard this voice somewhere before.
He turned around and looked at her. She was looking at him intently, with a small smile playing on her face. She seemed amused.
“Yes it really is”, he replied, with a smile.
“Hello, I am Harsh”, he greeted her, offering her his hand.
She shook his outstretched hand and replied, “Hi, I am Naina”…
To be Continued…
My Discovery of India 