Himalayan Diaries

Day 1 - Chandigarh to Shimla

My first aerial view of Chandigarh - cluster of houses packed together but neatly in squares... It was a sight to see! And then the air hostess announced - Chandigarh is a defence airport and hence photos are strictly prohibited... Well, didn't know that!

The airport is sparkling clean... It seemed a sin to not to take any snaps of something so good... My hands itched for my loyal mobile and then I saw a military guy walking purposefully toward me... 'Hey, just a thought, I didn't take any snap!' My mind shouted and then I watched him pass by me and breathed out a sigh of relief.

We met our driver - a Jatt from Delhi with excellent command over Hindi... Even when he swears at other drivers it feels very decent and respectful... He has good ambitions... Has been driving since 23 years and now wishes to buy a car of his own and start his own travel service... He says confidently to us, 'Next year, U will take a package only from me, I assure U. I will show U the entire Himachal in my own car. ' His confidence is impressive and we hope he succeeds in his plan.

I have come to believe that every place has a phrase associated with it. For eg...

After staying in Mumbai for three decades, the phrase that now comes to my mind when I think about it is - Peace amidst chaos. I have been staying in Hyderabad since three years and I would say that Hyderabad signifies - Growth amidst impermanence.. Half of the city is occupied by people from other cities staying there on rental basis. And yet, the city is witnessing tremendous growth at an alarming rate.

One hour in Chandigarh and the phrase that popped in my mind is - Big, Bigger and Biggest! People are of a big stature (even school-going kids are sturdy!). The roads are broad, the vehicles are mostly large trucks and to my amazement, even the animals seem bigger there ( I honestly haven't seen such huge and hefty cows!).

It is a pleasure to see a typical Punjabi with a tightly woven proud turban on his head, long beard, formal pants and shirt and a sleeveless sweater worn on top of the shirt. U almost feel that anytime the good old guy will approach U and tell U to save your hard-earned money in RD or FD. Or it feels like meeting that favourite neighbour uncle who always takes your side against your parents. It is a comforting sight to see these people.

As we entered the Himalayan Expressway, I got my first view of HP. Mountain on my left side, a deep valley on the right and large mountains at the far end of the valley. The expressway is more of a long series of S-bends that see a continuous procession of vehicles to and fro. As far as the drivers of these vehicles are concerned, heights don't matter at all while driving. Our driver, like all drivers, speeded like he was driving in any other highway - so what if it was the Himalayan Expressway? Doesn't matter, highway is highway!

The phrase that comes to my mind while thinking about HP is - Nature, untouched but not wild.( Well, almost untouched - the mountains won't agree with me. They are being chipped every day to extend the expressway). There is a gentleness to the imposing mountains and valleys. Time seems to have slowed down here. Except for the drivers, no one really seems to be in a hurry. Life goes on, on an unhurried and leisurely pace.

We stopped at a small stall to have some coffee. I stepped down from the car gleefully and then just stared around in disbelief as the first wave of cold mountain air struck me. Unbelievable! We rushed into the stall and the kind lady who was the owner of the stall immediately closed the door. The feeling of warmth was precious!

After a cup of hot coffee and steaming Maggie noodles, we rushed back into our car which felt warmer compared to the ruthless cold weather outside. After two more hours of driving, we reached our hotel in the evening.

And that's where we are now, shivering uncontrollably as the temperatures plummet to zero degree as the night progresses. The cold weather aside, I get the familiar exhilarating feeling of being in a new place and can't wait to explore the mystical land called Shimla!

Day 2 - The freezer called Kufri

We woke up to a glorious morning and stepped out of our room into the balcony. At first we saw only the big brown mountain facing us. Another view showed us snow-capped peaks behind the mountain. With a gasp, I realised that we were seeing the great Himalayas for the first ever time in our lives! I stared at the peaks in wonder and amazement. It felt like the culmination of the dream of a lifetime. Unbidden, Lord Krishna's assertion in the Bhagwad Gita comes into my mind - Among the mountains, I am the mighty Himalayas. What a feeling to see that which has been in existence probably before Time or History began!!!

We dared to take a walk around the hotel premises and found life-giving, heart-and-body warming sunlight!! We couldn't soak it enough... It lifted our hearts and spirits and we went to our rooms with a renewed sense of joy.

Today we had planned an excursion to Kufri which promised a grander view of the Himalayas. We proceeded outside our hotel room sans our winter wear, blissfully soaking in the warmth of the kind Sun that shines here.

Kufri isn't very far from our hotel and within half an hour we reached there. We got down from our car and something told us that it would be better to take the bag of our winter clothes with us(Just in case, you know).

As we slowly climbed down the lane in Kufri, a wave of harsh, cold air attacked us. It seems like this place doesn't get much sunlight(a large mountain looming on the east and a valley in the west, beyond which lie the magnificent Himalayas). Then began the uncontrollable shivering.. We hastily donned our winter clothes but they were no match for the freezer called Kufri. It took sheer effort to keep walking and climbing down the lane.

The only thing that made us forget the freezing weather, was the vista that lay in front of us. A deep beautiful valley and the Himalayas clearly visible... ( I secretly thought, well, that explains the unbelievably cold air!).

My words cannot describe the stunning view or the weather there. As they say, see it, feel it, to believe it!)

Kufri is a photographer's delight. We can keep clicking on snaps but they won't do any justice to the real picture. Having mixed feelings about this place - I would like to go there again and again simply to see the Himalayas but never, ever want to feel as cold as I felt there. Bone-chilling, heart-thawing cold - as if there were no sun there!

There is another peak in Kufri which is accessible only by horse-ride. I bravely agreed to attempt horse-riding for the first time in my life and left with my husband and kid towards the lane where the horses stood.The guys brought our horses - one look at the stallion and my confidence crumbled. I shook my head quietly and left from the place with my kid while my husband climbed on a horse and went to the peak. Well, that's something pending for the next time!

It was late afternoon as we left from Kufri. And hunger started showing its pangs. Our driver said he would find a 'first-class' hotel for us to have lunch. After some time he stopped in front of a small roadside hotel(which, I believe, has seen better days). Well, something is better than nothing, I thought miserably and hoped that we would find something decent to eat.

We bravely order a 'Deluxe Thali', keeping our fingers crossed. It turned out to be large enough but not overly stacked with lots of food. There were two hot rotis, one curry, an adequate amount of rice and steaming daal-fry.

Needless to say, the food was DELICIOUS. Everything was sufficient yet limited. The service was quick and to the point. As we barely glanced from our plate, devouring it hungrily, we heard the light-hearted banter of the people there. 'Arre jara achi si khadak ek chai pila de year... ' discussions about every day life.... It made us feel very humble and content as we acknowledged the feeling of having come to a town frozen in time - a good time...

After a sumptuous lunch we left for a view point called Naldehra which has a golf course and promised stunning views of beautiful small villages nestled among the hills. But again, it was accessible only by horse-ride. We felt bad to see that this place had very few visitors compared to the horse-riding range in Kufri though the views were much more beautiful here. We opted to enjoy the views from the viewpoint. After a brief photo session, we got inside the car and returned to our hotel. We braced ourself for the cold wave as soon as we got down. There is one thing that Shimla has taught me - if u are not its native, u can never brace yourself enough for it's cold weather.

Shivering and laughing uncontrollably we walked towards the lawn of the hotel which has a small play area for kids. As our boy played in swings and slides and I was shivering embarrassingly and uncontrollably, my husband showed a snap which I found difficult to see or comprehend.

In a ground in the backside of our hotel, some guys were playing volleyball - just dressed in normal casual clothes and no sweaters or mufflers or caps! At first, my uncontrollably-shivering ego took on a massive hit. But then I pacified it saying - These are not normal people. Either they are aliens in the disguise of human beings, or they have truly become Yogis - unaffected by anything!!

As I write this from the warmth of my room (cosily warmed by the heater) my husband shows the current temperature to me. 4 degrees , and I am dreading the impending visit to the dining hall of the hotel for our dinner.

Tomorrow we bid adieu to Shimla and are bound for Manali (which, by what the locals say, is a colder freezer than Kufri!). I am reminding myself of my desire of travelling to new places and trying to ignore the dread of going into another freezing place!

Day 3 - Shimla to Manali

We left our hotel at 9.30 in the morning and proceeded towards Manali. On the drive, we could see the Himalayan range from far. I felt a sense of loss and kept seeing the snow-capped peaks as long as I could. Someday or may be in some other lifetime, I hope I can see the mountains from as near as possible.

The first thing that made the drive eventful was a mini-traffic jam caused by - mass exodus of goats! It was a funny sight to see vehicles like Desire, Etios, I20 wait patiently to make way for the goats who took their own sweet time to pass the road. There were almost hundreds of them and they seemed to mock us as they proceeded ahead and we waited patiently.

Today being Monday, we saw kids in uniforms walking towards the bus stop which seemed way too far to walk for city-bred weaklings like us. The kids walked up the hill with the ease of years of walking. We learnt from our driver that even office-going people park their vehicles at one point and walk for a long time to their offices. Can't imagine walking so far but also can imagine the wonder and amazement of walking on a beautiful hill with stunning vistas of mountains around you!

We passed by the picturesque town of Solan where colorful houses can be seen nestled prettily among hills. I could only wonder about how the people staying here travel anywhere.... The town sure made up for a post-card perfect picture.

After a sumptuous meal at a restaurant named The Highness we proceeded along the town called Mandi. True to its name, it is a large market with numerous shops and road-side vendors. I rejoiced in the opportunity to see another new place but within minutes, dozed off! When I woke up we had already left the market place.

My sleepy self regretted the loss of seeing that new place till I woke up instantly as I took in the new scenery in front of me. All sleep vanished from my mind.

We had reached Beas Valley where the Beas river flows, in all its glory at some places, in the form of a gurgling steam or a trickle of water at other places... But always there with U on the road. The river and the omnipresent mountains of Himachal never left our sight from that point of time.

I have to say this, unlike the gentle mountains of Shimla, the mountains here felt a bit fiercer and commanded respect and awe. They seemed to say - we are just neutral witnesses, watching the proceedings of the world around us and have nothing to do with it. In the presence of these majestic giants, I felt my tiny identity melt away.

We halted at a place called Aut which has a temple of a Goddess to whom all the drivers pray before proceeding on the curvy highway. There was only contentment on their faces and no trace of any uncertainty or fear about the drive ahead.

As our driver started the car to proceed ahead I took out my mobile with the intention of taking some snaps. I had conveniently forgotten that our driver, like all drivers of Himachal, considered himself as a Ferrari driver. I found myself struggling to hold my mobile as I was flung from one side of the car to another side whenever our car took on a sharp turn. I just laughed helplessly as I kept oscillating from right to left in every sharp turn.

Just when I thought that it couldn't get any worse, our driver got a call in his mobile. To my disbelief and amazement he took the call. One hand on the wheel of the car and another hand holding the mobile, he sped on the highway blissfully talking over the phone. Luckily, a tunnel arrived after few seconds.

The tunnel has been wonderfully created right in the midst of the highway. It's illuminated with enough lights within and both its walls and the road are smooth. Needless to say, this is the first ever tunnel ride that I enjoyed (my mild case of claustrophobia not making its presence felt for the first time inside a tunnel).

After almost an hour, the highway slowly made way for small roads and we found ourselves at a spot called Bhunter which is a river-rafting point. Our driver parked the car in the area and gleefully said "Go ahead and attempt the water rafting!".

I looked at him in disbelief. Here I was shivering with cold and he wanted us to raft in the Beas river! I refused politely and instead we spent some time in the scenic place taking snaps and drinking steaming coffee.

After an hour we were back on the road. This time we passed through Kullu market which is a crowded and narrow road (narrow enough for just one vehicle to pass through). Our Ferrari driver masked his frustration with great difficulty as he couldn't fly his car on this road, however he may wish or try badly. I on the other hand enjoyed the slow and leisurely drive as I took in the market and its shops. Kullu has its own shawl-making factory and a visit to the same is impending.

By 6 in the evening it had already turned as dark as night and I checked the temperature. I stared at my mobile, not knowing how to react. It showed 1 degree and beside it was written, Feels like -1. It didn't feel like 1 degree inside the warm car. I hastily put on my sweater and prepared myself for the temperature outside.

After an hour we reached the area where our hotel was situated and our driver started searching for it. I felt like checking my faithful GPS but something told me that it would be downright insulting to consult GPS in the presence of a driver who has been driving for 23 years without any GPS. Suddenly realization dawned upon him and he exclaimed, "Achcha wo waali hotel!!! Yaad aaya mujhe! Bas pohonch hi gaye... '

Within five minutes we reached the hotel. After checking into the hotel room, we realized that we really didn't feel cold. In fact we couldn't feel anything at all as our hands and legs froze on their own and turned numb with cold.

Well that's a blessing. Because it is best to not feel anything at all than to feel the cold which 'feels like -1'!

Day 4 - Frozen at Manali

We woke up at 6 in the morning, woken up by the internal alarm clock that usually awakens us by that time, wherever we may be. By now we are slowly getting used to the chill but still it never fails to shock us to see negative temperatures.. It was -1 and we resigned ourselves for another cold and freezing day.

The cold in Manali is eerie... in the sense that, u may still manage without a sweater but u can never ever move without gloves or socks. While Shimla made us shiver, Manali thawed our hands and feet to such an extent that after some time we could not feel them at all. In comparison, Kufri feels like a warm hug!

Today's itinerary included a visit to Snow Point or Rohtang Pass ( any one of them). It broke our hearts to hear that Rohtang Pass has already been closed. It was something that we were hoping to visit very badly. Well, as my husband said, if everything is completed in one trip itself, there won't be any excuse to return here... So Rohtang, we will meet u next time for sure!

Now, about Snow Point... Apparently there are two Snow Points in Manali... One is at the Solang Valley and the other is at Hampta Pass... Our driver, on whom we relied heavily, assured us that Hampta is a far better choice than Solang as the views are spectacular there. We decided to follow his advice as we were just concerned with visiting at least one Snow Point.

We left our room at about 10 in the morning. Even at that time the cold weather froze us completely. It was difficult to walk and we took heavy and steps towards our car.

The route was awesome. The snow mountain that we had been seeing from our balcony loomed large in front of us. Most of the mountains had large dumplings of snow. The brown color of the mountains combined with the snow, gave the impression of a large mountain-shaped cake with vanilla and chocolate frosting on it. A snow-mountain is a thing of unimaginable beauty... Neither words nor pictures can do it any justice.

We reached an area called Him-Valley. Here we were supposed to take clothes, shoes and socks fit for snow-laden places. Our vehicle being Etios, the driver said that the vehicle won't take us up to Snow Point and we had to arrange another Vehicle for the same.

Hampta Pass is actually a trekking route on a mountain, at the top of which is Snow Point. The road is, if u can call it a road, narrow and rugged and more suitable for walking than driving. But the larger-than-life views of the mountains on the route more than made up for the bad road.

After 30 minutes of a bumpy ride, we got our first close-up view of snow at the side of the road. It looked like a fluffy and wet cotton ball. I have always wanted to see snow and this was one of my long-time wishes come true.

We reached Snow Point finally and I have to say, it is an absolute delight to walk or trod on snow and to play with it. Your feet will get painfully numb, you will have trouble breathing and you will no longer be able to feel your fingers and nose... But nothing will matter at that point of time. Holding snow in your hands and playing with it, can become seriously addictive. I couldn't keep my hands off the snow and even made my very first snow-man!

We spent two hours there but it didn't feel like two hours. Time hurried up and soon it was time to leave. Leaving the snow has been one of the most difficult things that we have had to do in this trip. It's a precious rarity, this snow, as we won't get to see it in our cities. Someday I hope to return here again.

It was lunch time and our driver suggested a small hotel named Sher-eh-punjab Da Dabha. By now I had learnt to not to doubt our driver's choice of hotels. This time also we weren't disappointed.

The best part of the hotels here? U can safely order a Thaali. I love Thaali but never order it in any hotel in our city. The enormous platter of food tucked in the Thaalis is too much for a single person. But here, in Himachal, I have ordered Thaalis at three hotels and found that the Thaalis here are sufficient with limited amount of food. Normally there would be 2 or 3 rotis, one curry, rice just about enough for a single person and delicious Dal. There is no system of stuffing three types of curries, three types of sweets or the usual amount of food that is stuffed in the Thaalis of big hotels. I just love this system of Himachal - sufficient food, minimal wastage. Wish the hotels in cities also followed this system.

Our driver had yesterday brushed off Solang Valley as not that imperative to visit. But our friends had been recommending a visit there. So we insisted that we would like to visit the valley just to see it. Our driver agreed and we proceeded towards the valley, the snow-mountains never leaving our sight.

Solang is a beautiful valley totally surrounded by snow-mountains on all sides. I seriously doubt whether the valley gets any sunlight. The moment we got out of the car, we were hit by harsh and chilled air. I couldn't stand there for more than five minutes and rushed inside the car, shivering badly.

To visit the Snow Point of this valley, you have to ride a horse or take a small cart. And here is where we are confused. We never got a chance to compare between Solang Valley and Hampta Pass. The heart is satisfied, but the mind whispers - what if the Snow Point here was bigger, better and cheaper than what we paid for Hampta? Being new to this place, we cant help but wonder whether we have been taken for a ride here. Anyways, that's spilled milk now but it's a lesson learnt.

From Solang we proceeded towards the Mall Road. It's a fairly large market with a wide assortment of shops selling winter wear, food, clothes and almost everything that a tourist wishes to buy. There is a Durga Mata temple in the center of the market. We leisurely strolled through the market and took in the city's busy life. Compared to the leisurely and unhurried pace of Shimla, Manali seems to be busy, crowded and active.

The end-of-vacation pangs slowly set in as we reach our hotel room. Just one more day in Manali and then we leave for Chandigarh. I know that it will take a long time for my eyes to get used to seeing just buildings and roads instead of mountains, streams and rugged, twisted, curvy highways. Hoping for time to slow down... Himachal, I am not ready to leave you yet...

Day 5 - In love with Manali

Mornings in Manali can wreak havoc with your mind. One minute, U see dark grey clouds obscuring the Sun in the morning... When U call your partner eagerly to show him the pretty picture, U will see that the Sun has won the battle and is peeping out from the clouds, weak yet determined. U rush inside the room to get your mobile to take a snap and when U come out, the clouds have won over the Sun. This goes on till U don't know how to describe the morning. Cloudy yet sunny? Sunny with a chance of rains? So confusing!

And this is how the first hour of the morning was spent. Even without the sightseeing plan, today was special as it was our tenth anniversary. The plan for this special anniversary celebration has been going on since June and today felt like the culmination of a long process of planning and coordinating and getting excited with the progress of the plan. This anniversary will be always special!

We left the hotel at 11 am. My husband, by now, has become immune to the weather and walked out of the room without winter wear. My over-confident self decided to mimic my husband's gesture but made it only till the car waiting for us outside the hotel. The sweater and gloves were back in two minutes. May be next time, Manali. At least for ten minutes, I would like to stay here without a sweater.

Our first halt was Hadimba Temple, dedicated to the wife of Bheem, the Pandava. The temple as such is small yet the surroundings are awesome. There are tree groves and awesome views of Solang Valley. There is also a small amusement park offering some games for kid. In the same area there is an open temple dedicated to Ghatotkach, son of Bheem and Hidimba.

And here the weather fooled me. A bright Sun shone on the area and I gladly removed my sweater to soak on as much of sunlight as I could. Within seconds, the clouds gathered and it started drizzling. With a tired sigh, I put on the sweater and just shook my head at the sky.

From there we went to a ClubHouse, which, our driver said, is a popular tourist attraction. It is like a Fair, having many stalls selling woolen wear, toys and junk food. It also has a small rivulet where you can try boating and river-crossing. We wanted to try boating but came to know that we only would have to pedal the boats. Me and my husband looked at each other, each one asking the silent question 'Will U?' and both shook our heads simultaneously. I guess, that is the telepathy that U achieve with your partner when U have been together for ten years. Needless to say, we decided to give it a pass.

We then proceeded to Vashisht temple which has hot sulphur springs. While we were driving, the Sun and the clouds again played hide-and-seek with me. Seeing some sunlight peeping in, when I eagerly opened the window of the car, the clouds again blocked the sun and a cold breeze started blowing.

The temple is situated at the top of a hill. Our car dropped us at a point and we had to walk uphill to the temple. I tell U, climbing uphill in the cold weather is equivalent to having an asthma attack. By the time we reached the temple, me and my husband were gasping for breath. After dipping our hands and feet in the hot water(which, by the way, felt wonderful) we took Darshan of the deity of the temple, Rishi Vashist and also went to another temple in the same area dedicated to Lord Ram. The downhill journey to our car seemed relatively easier and quicker.

Our driver brought us to the same hotel as yesterday for lunch. I ordered a Thaali again, realising that this is probably the only place where I can finish a Thaali's contents completely without wasting any. This is one of the things that I will miss in the city.

After lunch, our driver took us to Him Valley which is a small amusement area that showcases some cultural dance programs, magic shows and some games for all age groups. We spent an hour there and enjoyed the dance programs.

Tibetan Monastery was next on the list. It's a very beautiful Buddhist temple having a large statue of Lord Buddha. There are several rotating mettalic cylindrical disks placed on the walls of the temple. We have to rotate the disks one by one, all the while repeating the words Om Mani Padme Hum. It's an ancient Mantra for meditation and peace. We could have achieved both today, if it were not for the steady stream of people that kept visiting the temple.

The monastery is located at Mall Road and we strolled leisurely , taking in the many shops and food stalls there. There is a wide choice of winter wear and we were strongly tempted to buy some. Only the fact that we won't be needing these in Hyderabad , kept us from buying anything.

At a food stall we saw Maggi and it invoked a strange kind of emotion. Maggi seems to be the favorite food of most of the tourists here and it has become a special delicacy of both Shimla and Manali. Feeling ridiculously sentimental we ate Maggi at the stall. It seemed like a proper way to end our last day here.

We kept strolling through the market, not wishing to return to our hotel. We strolled as much as we could, until we could no longer dally and returned to our hotel with sad hearts and happy memories.

The staff of the hotel in Manali are really good in building relations with their customers. Because of these simple and good -natured people, this hotel is much more harder to leave though it wasn't as posh as the resort in Shimla. We really wish that this hotel gets more and more customers in future and grows rapidly as a brand of Manali.

Tomorrow we leave for Chandigarh. The only thing that is saving me from end-of-vacation depression is the prospect of the 8-hour long drive (one of my favorite travelling fantasies come true).

Last Day - 8-hour long drive to Chandigarh with memories of the trip

Time has a way of speeding up when U are enjoying yourself too much. The days of our trip sped by, one after another and today we found ourselves moving out of Manali and subsequently out of Himachal for good.

It was a slow, backward rewinding of our trip from Shimla to Manali. The wonderful tunnel came first, followed by the temple of the Goddess to whom the drivers pray. Then came Beas River and Beas Valley where this time, we halted for half-n-hour and took some snaps of the breath-taking vista before us. The village which I had missed in the trip of Shimla-Manali by dozing off, Mandi, gave another chance to me and this time I checked it out. We had lunch in the same hotel The Highness and reached the same place where the goats had created a mini traffic-jam. A left turn from there would have led us to Shimla and we took the right turn, gazing longingly at the direction of Shimla with whom we had fallen in love at first sight itself.

The rest of the journey was uneventful as we again passed through rugged highways and saw the beautiful lake of Bilaspur (no, not of Chattisgarh, there's one at HP too).

At a small Dabha at the outskirts of HP, we bid adieu to the last mountain in our sight. Thereafter the route took us on a smooth highway directly to Chandigarh where we checked into a very good hotel.

And that is where I am writing this from.

Himachal has changed my perspective about many things. Maggi will never be the same again. It has always been my favorite food, but now, due to its association with HP, it has become really special. Shimla taught me the real meaning of cheating. It is not when someone lies to you or dupes you. It is when U turn on the knob of the tap but realise it too late that it is the knob of the shower. The icy spray can leave you paralyzed for several seconds. Speed has altered it's meaning forever. I will no longer crib about Hyderabad drivers, thanks to the drivers of HP. A highway won't be a highway unless it is twisted and curvy, with a mountain on one side and the deep valley on another side.

And on this note, I am ending my Himachal Diaries. Thank U reader, for being with us all these days. Those who have already been to HP, we hope we refreshed your memories. And those who are yet to visit this wonderful place, I hope that when U visit HP (and I hope that blessed moment comes soon in your life), U will remember us while visiting all those places mentioned in my Diary.

The Night That Lasted For Twenty Years

They both just stared at each other for few uncomfortable seconds.

“Didn’t expect to meet you again…” Shruti initiated the conversation.

Ashwini merely nodded her head and studied Shruti. There was anger, lots of anger on her face. Ashwini had hoped that time would heal everything. Apparently, it wasn’t so.

“How are you?” She asked Shruti who shrugged at her question.

“Going on. What about you?”

“I am cool.” Ashwini replied back. They both stood feeling awkward.

They had unexpectedly landed together at a farm in the outskirts of the city. The farm owner had arranged a camping event for those interested in watching the meteor shower that was expected on that night. It was supposed to be a shower that would ‘turn night into day’, as the scientists had 

predicted.

Ashwini cleared her throat and said. “All set to watch the shower?”

“If it really happens…”

She’s not being really helpful, Ashwini thought with a little bit of regret. Just when she thought that any further conversation would be futile, Shruti spoke up.

“What are you doing now-a-days?”

“I am a travel writer. It’s a dream job as it combines both my hobbies of travelling and writing.”

“Plus, you get to meet a lot of people. You must be loving it. You always were very social.”

“Not any more. I prefer solitude to company.” Ashwini said in a low voice. “What about you?”

“I am a software programmer. I am working solely from home. Like you, I too seem to have developed a liking for solitude.” Shruti said and after a brief pause, she asked. “What about family? Are you married?”

“No! God help me, I am happily single. My parents are abroad and I visit them occasionally. My job keeps me pretty busy. Where’s your family?”

“Parents live here. I have taken a separate flat in the same building where they stay. It helps me to work uninterrupted and keep an eye on them as well. Not married, thankfully.”

Ashwini nodded thoughtfully. “It’s strange that we both ended up being single and are actually enjoying it.”

Shruti didn’t comment on that. She looked around. Everywhere small tents were being set up by hired hands in the farm. It was scenic. Mountains bordered the far end of the farm and currently, the sun was beginning its slow descent there. The sky was a kaleidoscope of orange, red and grey as the sunset painted the world red. A large area that was devoid of plantation was being used for the camp. Shruti guessed the number of campers to be around thirty.

“Come, let’s find a tent.” Ashwini gestured to Shruti and they both walked towards their tents, a world of questions, regrets and pain lying beneath the awkward silence between them.

The campers had a sumptuous home-made dinner which the farm’s owner had arranged for them. By nine at night, everyone had settled comfortably in their tents. Shruti and Ashwini had taken up tents next to each other, either coincidently or deliberately.

Ashwini came out of her tent exactly at the same time as Shruti stepped out.

“Going there...” They smiled lightly as both had said that at the same time while pointing to a small hill that lay on one side of the farm. They left together for the hill.

“The view is just awesome.” Shruti commented as they both lay down with their hands folded under their heads. They were gazing at the sky which was lit by infinite number of stars twinkling brightly.  

“I never get to see this at the city. So much pollution, so many artificial lights, so crowded…”

“I get to see a lot of this, you know. It’s a great feeling to lie down in the grass and know that you are watching the same sky which you were looking at, from the other side of the world somewhere at some other time. Everywhere I go, the sky remains unchanged.” Ashwini said almost lazily as she was feeling contented and blissful.

“You have become poetic.” Shruti commented with a chuckle.

“Maybe… Travel does it to you, you know. You start watching for beauty in everything around you, from the tiniest leaf or bud to the majestic mountain. You really start observing everything.”

“So this trip will be going on the records too?”

“Yes, definitely... And now it has taken a personal turn too.” Ashwini said carefully, looking over at Shruti who didn’t say anything for a long time.

“I wish I could turn back the clock and bring the wheels of time to a stop.” Shruti said after a while, looking at the sky so intently, it felt as if she were wishing that it would absorb her.

“At what point of time would you like the wheels to stop?” Ashwini asked, already having guessed the answer. She hoped Shruti would speak it all out and lighten herself.

It seemed to take forever for Shruti to answer. “That moment, when I didn’t hand over your letter to Kartik...”

A heavy silence permeated the air. Shruti turned over and looked at Ashwini who was looking at the stars.

“I know.” Ashwini said.

Shruti got up, totally stunned. “You know? How? When did you come to know about this?”

“Three years after we left college… I had called Rahul casually just to catch up with our old friends.” Ashwini said, referring to their mutual college friend.

Shruti took a sharp intake of breath. “You knew this all along… and yet, you are here with me today…” She hung her head down – shame, guilt and pain making it impossible for her to face Ashwini.

Ashwini slowly got up and put a hand around Shruti’s shoulders. “It’s okay, you know. It was really a long time back. It doesn’t matter now.”

“How do you even have the strength to say this to me?? I have ruined your life and yet, here you are, consoling me! Don’t be so kind to me. It’s killing me from inside! I don’t deserve you, your friendship or your forgiveness!” Shruti burst out into tears as the guilt and shame that had accumulated in her heart since the past two decades finally burst out in the form of heavy sobs.

Ashwini just held her shoulders and kept quiet, waiting for her to let it all out. She felt a deep pain in her heart for Shruti’s suffering and badly wished that they had met sooner.

“Cry as much as you want, Shruti. And then, when you feel calm enough, you can tell me why you did it. Speak your heart out today. I want you to get rid of those feelings which you have apparently suppressed in your heart since all these years.”

Her words only made Shruti sob harder and she fell down into Ashwini’s lap and cried out her heart. Ashwini stroked her hair gently, deep pain and compassion reflecting in her face.

It took a long while for Shruti to calm down. Even after she stopped crying, dry sobs racked her whole body, making it very difficult for her to speak.

“We were best friends since our childhood… How could I do such a thing to you?” She managed to say, stammering out the words as Ashwini shook her head and held a hand towards her cheek.

“No, don’t be so good to me. Hit me or throw me off this hill… I ruined your life! I took away the love of your life!”

Ashwini stared at her without saying anything.

“You, me and Kartik have been together since our school days. I knew you were in love with him right since childhood. And I knew the moment when he too fell in love with you. It was during our school picnic when we were in eighth standard.”

Ashwini turned her face to look the other side. Shruti’s words had brought a sweet and severe ache of memories and they were threatening to overwhelm her.

“You were playing cricket, or rather, trying to play. You kept missing the ball that Rahul was pitching and were laughing uncontrollably. I too was laughing until I saw Kartik look at you as if he were mesmerized. You really were looking very cute in that skirt and top, you know. With that short pony tail and clear complexion… You were glowing with happiness that day.”

Ashwini smiled sadly and didn’t say anything.

“It was then that I felt something pierce me like a knife. I couldn’t bear the idea of Kartik liking you more than me. I have always been territorial. I guess you know that about me. The wave of jealousy that arose in my heart baffled me totally. I don’t have any logical explanation for this. I didn’t even love Kartik. I just couldn’t bear that suddenly you got more of his attention than me.”

“You never forgave anyone who overtook you in any manner, be it marks, good looks or even competitions. You always wanted to be the first, be the winner.” Ashwini said this without any malice.

“And yet you never left my side. Even when I started cribbing if you got more marks than me... It was partly due to my inherent nature, partly due to Kartik. I was angry with you for having grabbed his attention.  All sorts of negative thoughts came to my mind. I started thinking that if and when you both became a couple, I would be the proverbial outsider, the third-person who would interfere with all your plans and who would shortly but surely become an unwanted nuisance.”

“If you really thought that, then you didn’t know me and Kartik as well as we thought.”

“I wasn’t thinking correctly. Jealousy had blinded me. I am not proud of what I thought or did at that time.”

Ashwini kept quiet and sat looking at Shruti who took a deep breath and resumed talking.

“Every day before leaving for school I would worry that may be Kartik would express his feelings to you and you would become a couple. I closely kept a watch on Kartik who became more and more enamored with you as the days passed by. I didn’t have to worry about you as you were always shy around him and never gave him any cause to know your feelings towards him.”

“Yes, he had that effect on me, you know. I could never look in his eyes for more than a few seconds. I felt terribly shy and conscious in his company. I was always grateful for the presence of you and Rahul as it made things less awkward for me.” Ashwini said sadly.

“I knew that… and I am ashamed to say that I took advantage of your shyness to never let you alone with Kartik for more than few minutes.”

Ashwini nodded her head and asked her. “So, about the letter…?”

Shruti gulped visibly and a look of utter shame crossed her face. “I was secretly glad when we finished school and Kartik still had not expressed himself to you.  Fate put us in the same college. And there, on Friendship Day in our first year, you gave me the shock of my life.”

Ashwini smiled. “I told you openly that I love Kartik and I wanted him to know it. I wrote a letter to Kartik where I had written my heart out and I gave that letter to you to deliver it to him as I was feeling too shy.”

They both sat quietly for few minutes, each relieving the day and moment when their lives had changed.

Ashwini frowned. “But, I saw you give him my letter.” She looked at Shruti with a confused expression on her face.

“I gave him a letter all right; it just wasn’t your letter.”

A look of understanding came over Ashwini’s face as she shook her head and laughed. “I knew it would be trouble when people started saying that even our handwritings match each other’s.”

“The letter which I gave him was written by me in your name.”

“What had you written in that letter that made him leave our entire group altogether?”

An infinite moment seemed to pass through before Shruti spoke in a very low voice. “I wrote that you love Rahul and that you need Kartik’s help to get Rahul to fall in love with you.”

Ashwini felt a mountain of grief and regret fall over her heart as she stared silently at the stars. They didn’t seem to shine as brightly as they had a little while ago. She heard Shruti sob quietly and felt perilously close to tears herself.

So this was the answer to the questions that had plagued her since almost two decades.

She had never really understood why Kartik changed his college right after the first year. She had assumed that may be he didn’t love her and her proposition had only made him feel awkward. But she had known that he would never leave the college for just a silly reason as this. What had hurt her most was, he didn’t even say goodbye to her. After the day the letter was handed over to him, she noticed that he spent lesser and lesser time with her group and had withdrawn unto himself. Even Rahul had stopped spending time with them. It was the most miserable time of her life as Ashwini lost everything at the same time – her childhood love and her best friend Kartik and her very good friend Rahul who had always been there for her with his rock support.

Her second question was also answered. She now understood why Rahul was so keen to end the call when she had called him, three years after they had all left college.

“Rahul was really angry with me, you know.” Ashwini said quietly. “When I asked him about Kartik’s whereabouts, he said it would be better if I didn’t ask anything about him at all after hurting him in a very bad way. He just changed the topic and ended the call within few minutes. That was when I realized that something was amiss.”

Shruti continued to sob while Ashwini said thoughtfully. “I sat back and remembered the day when I gave you the letter, trying to find out what exactly had gone wrong. What struck me first was your reaction. I remembered seeing your angry and shocked reaction when I gave you the letter. I remembered watching you go over to the loo before giving the letter to Kartik. I remembered the change in your expression, from anger and shock to something much more sinister… I slowly realized that somehow you were behind this entire fiasco. I never noticed this at that time because I was too nervous about the outcome of my proposal. It all came back to me that day after I spoke to Rahul. And today you have enlightened me and freed me from two questions which have been troubling me since I left college.”

Minutes, hours, ages passed between them as Shruti finally stopped crying and Ashwini tried to get rid of the feelings of loss and regret that were piercing her heart.

 “I am glad that you told this to me today. I hope you are at peace now.” Ashwini said.

“Do you know about Kartik’s whereabouts?” Shruti asked in a hollow voice completely devoid of any emotion.

“Yes, he is settled abroad now. Happily married and has two boys.”

“How do you know? Are you in touch with him now?”

Ashwini took out her cell phone and showed her a snap of a family… Kartik’s family... He looked older and happier. “I check his updates on Facebook from time to time. I have never contacted him directly. But I like to know that I can reach him anytime I want to. I never stopped loving him, you know. He was the one, the only one for me.” Ashwini said in a voice thick with emotion and grief.

Shruti no longer felt anything. She seemed to have exhausted her stock of emotions and tears. “Will you forgive me please?”

“Yes, I forgive you. Because you have spent the past twenty years in regret and guilt… No one should go through that, Shruti. Twenty years is a long time to grieve and regret. I forgive you, and hope you will forgive yourself too.”

Shruti nodded, unable to say anything. “Any chance that we can be just like before?”

An immensely sad look came over Ashwini’s face when she replied. “No Shruti. And it is not because of what you did… It is because of what I have become. Something changed in me after I left college. Parting from you all, losing Kartik and finally, my job… they all have made me long for solitude. I visit many places but never make any lasting friends. I enjoy the moment, that’s all. I can’t go back and be what I was when we were all together. That’s not me anymore. I hope you will understand that this has got nothing to do with you.”

“I fully understand. I didn’t expect that you will agree. I can see why.”

They both sat in silence for some time.

“So what do we do now?” Shruti asked.

Ashwini smiled brightly. “Now, we both make peace with our past and let it go. Then we will go our separate ways with forgiveness in our hearts.”

A sudden ‘oooooh’ from the crowd below interrupted their conversation as the first batch of meteors shot into the earth’s atmosphere with celestial speed. Indeed, the night turned into day as the burning meteors illuminated the sky with their brilliance and beauty.

Unconsciously, Shruti and Ashwini held hands and watched the sky in wonder. Shruti smiled, for the first time from her heart as the twenty-year old night of her soul ended and made way for a beautiful morning with the promise of flowers and spring.

The Goddess Outside the Temple

Nisha stifled a yawn and earned a hit on her elbow from her mother who was sitting beside her. She looked into her mother’s eyes and felt that they were asking the inevitable question – “Yawning inside the temple???”

Nisha felt a stab of guilt and tried to concentrate on her prayer book. It was a long prayer addressed to the Goddess. It was supposed to give peace and power to the reader. Ironically, Nisha felt neither peaceful nor powerful here. Going to the temple was something that she always dreaded. Firstly, she had always been intimidated by the Goddess. It probably had something to do with having a strict mother. Secondly, she didn’t believe that God or Goddess existed. Her excuse was the classic excuse given by half of the people of her generation – If there really is a Higher Power, then why is the world in such a state? She never really believed that prayers would help her to get good marks in her college exams or cure a broken heart. She was ‘practical’, she liked to say.

Nisha shook her head and brought her attention back to the book. The other ladies who were reading the prayer had advanced far ahead, she realized. She gave up her pretense of reading and instead looked around. She felt a pang as she saw devotion etched into the face of every reader. She longed for that kind of child-like faith and trust.

“Bored?” She heard the lady seated beside her whisper to her. She turned around and saw the lady smiling at her with amusement. She was very beautiful to look at. A large red Bhindi, black curly long hair and a very pretty face with a beautiful smile… Nisha felt unsure about how to react. She kept looking at the lady with a confused expression on her face.

“That’s ok. Even I am bored, you know…” The lady said.

Nisha smiled with relief and whispered to her. “This prayer is very long. I can’t concentrate for more than five minutes. I wonder how these ladies can read with so much focus and concentration…”

“Even I wonder that too. You know, you have to give credit to them. Not many people can do that. Tell me, are you fasting too, as it is Ekadashi today?”

Nisha automatically shook her head in response. “I can’t fast at all. In fact, the day I decide to fast, on the same day, I feel like eating more food. I keep thinking about food for the whole day. I tried once or twice, and then I gave it up.”

The lady laughed heartily. “It’s ok. If it is difficult for you, you should not do that. The whole idea behind fasting is just to cleanse your body and not to please any deity. I really don’t think any God or Goddess would want you to fast to give blessings to you. That sort of feels like a trade, isn’t it?”

Nisha decided that she liked this lady a lot. She was precisely saying those very things which Nisha always thought but was too reluctant to admit publicly.

“It’s so refreshing to meet someone who shares my views. I just wish I were as open-minded and honest as you are.”

The lady nodded her head with understanding and said. “In fact, I believe in a different kind of fasting. Just like people abstain from eating food on Ekadashi, why can’t we abstain from thinking negative thoughts for one day, twice a month? It would work wonders for our mind if we can go one day without any gossip, negativity, arguments or fights. What a difference it would make!”

Nisha was struck with the idea. “Why not everyday? Why for just two days in a month? This is an awesome idea!”

“Oh, you think it is that easy to stop negativity? You try it for two minutes. For two whole minutes, try not to think negative about anybody or anyone. Your time starts now.” The lady gestured to her watch and gave a challenging smile to Nisha.

“I can do that.” Nisha said confidently and sat silent. What does she think of herself, challenging me in this manner? I can do this! For two minutes I can stop thinking negative and I will show this lady what I can really do… Just when I thought I liked her… Shows, how wrong we can assume about people… I can do this.. I won’t think negative for… Nisha’s fell face when she realized that for the first whole minute she had already thought negative thoughts about the lady.

She looked sheepishly at the lady and saw her smiling with amusement.

“Agree that it is difficult?” The lady asked her kindly and Nisha nodded with a slight smile.

“You know what, on Ekadashi, along with abstaining from eating too much food, we should also refrain from thinking negative or being negative. It will be difficult at first, but I guess with time, we will learn. How wonderful it would be if for one whole day, we ignore everyone’s mistakes, we do not fight or argue or gossip about anyone and just let go of our ego totally! I wish people would do that…”

Nisha nodded and smiled at her. They both sat silent and looked around. The ladies were reading the prayer reverentially.

“You don’t believe in prayers, do you?” The lady asked Nisha.

“No, I don’t. It is easier to believe in prayers when you are a child and the world is filled with just happiness and peace. As I grew up, I realized that my deeds are more deciduous of my results than prayers. If I don’t study at all and attempt an exam, no prayer in the world can save me.”

“That’s also a good system of belief. When you know that your deeds will determine your results, you will act responsibly, I guess. It’s good.”

“What do you believe in?” Nisha asked the lady.

The lady thought for a while. “I believe that, to each one, his/her own way… At the end, no one is really going to make it alive. Whatever people find easier to believe, and whatever makes them strive to lead a good life, let them choose that. It’s as simple as that. Why to complicate with theories and proofs and beliefs?”

“Wow. That’s cool.” Nisha looked at the lady, thoroughly impressed. She looked at the deity of the temple. The Goddess looked serene and beautiful, but totally unapproachable, she thought. Immediately she felt guilty.

“Tell me something.” Nisha began hesitatingly. “Do you really think that God or Goddess exists?”

“Oh my, the Question of centuries!” The lady laughed lightly. She kept quiet for few minutes, seemingly pondering over the question. “Okay, what do you think?”

“I asked it first!” Came Nisha’s automatic response and it made the lady laugh again.

“Such a child. All right, I think that God or Goddess exists. There is a force which is the witness of the history of the universe. I won’t say it governs, but it exists and witnesses everything that has been happening since the beginning.”

“Very clever of you. By saying that the force witnesses and doesn’t govern, you effectively stopped my next question.” Nisha said admonishingly while the lady’s eyes twinkled with merriment.

“I know what you would have asked. Why do bad things happen if there is a Higher Power. Right?”

Nisha nodded her head and looked expectantly at the lady.

“Well, that’s a topic for another time to discuss.” The lady said and gave her a mysterious smile.

“Do you live nearby?” Nisha asked her.

“Yes, I stay very close to you, actually.”

“Oh really, that’s great to know!” Nisha said happily. She must be mom’s friend…

“I think the prayer session is over.” The lady gestured towards the ladies who had finished their prayer and were now seated with folded hands and closed eyes.

“I guess I can leave now.” Nisha said with relief. She was about to get up when she saw that the lady hadn’t risen. “Oh wait, I had the best conversation of my life with you and I didn’t even ask your name.” Nisha laughed and looked at the lady.

There was a sudden shift in the air and Nisha felt something stir in her heart when she looked at the lady who seemed to grow more beautiful by the minute.

“Ha, my favourite question! I am known by many names, but my personal favorite is Shri. It stands for everything that is feminine, auspicious and powerful. Just like me!” The Lady said with her mystic smile and as She smiled at Nisha, the latter felt wave after wave of love hit her till the universe was nothing but a huge ocean of love.

When Nisha recovered her senses, she realized that she was still seated inside the temple and the other ladies were still in the same position. It was as if time had stopped for few precious moments. She looked around herself and found that she was alone.

No, you are never alone. I am there, inside the temple and outside… I am there wherever you are.

Nisha’s eyes filled up as she heard the voice whisper to her and she folded her hands in supplication and fell prostrate before the deity of the temple. I believe… her heart said finally.

The Visarjan of her Vanity

“Look at you! You look so beautiful!” Prakash exclaimed when he entered his room and saw his wife Amisha. She smiled at him and looked at the mirror again, as she had been doing since the past half-n-hour. Blue jeans, thigh-length white Kurti and a bandani dupatta draped casually on both her shoulders… A long sleek shiny pony tail and copper dangling ear-rings completed the pretty picture.

“Too bad I can’t wear bangles. They would obstruct me from beating the Dhol.” She said and turned towards Prakash. “Do I really look 40 years old?”

Prakash shook his head and laughed. “Who would say that you are 40? You look like you are in your late twenties. But why the sudden consciousness about your age? As far as I know, you have never been sensitive about matters like age or beauty or whatever makes you females emotional.”

Amisha shrugged and didn’t say anything.

“I know.” Prakash said with amusement. “I think it all began when you started attending your Dhol practice classes. The girls with whom you practice…. They started it all isn’t it?”

Amisha gave a frustrated sigh. “I never was conscious about my age. But do you know how depressing it is to be addressed as ‘Aunty’ by those girls? They must be in their early twenties!!! I feel very awkward with them.”

“Do they give you a hard time?” Prakash asked with concern.

“No, on the contrary, they are very respectful and cordial with me. But it only makes me feel more aged. They would be having some conversation and laughing loudly but the moment I enter the hall, they would all become silent and greet me somberly.”

Prakash tried to restrain his smile.

“And you know what really set me off? When they decided the dress-code for today’s Visarjan programme, they actually said that I can wear a saree if that is what I want. Why would anyone assume that just because I am a senior, I would not wear jeans?” Amisha asked with indignation.

“You are not a senior, dear. You are the senior-most in the group.” Prakash said and laughed when he saw Amisha’s eyes flare up. “This is going to be so much fun now. I can’t resist teasing you about your age.”

“Ya, ya… very soon you will start talking about me getting gray hair and a wrinkled forehead.” 

Amisha dismissed the topic with a wave. She looked at the mirror again for what she hoped as the final time before leaving for the Visarjan. “I want to win today’s Dhol competition. I have been training myself for it.”

“Take care. You have to beat the Dhol for, what, two hours at a stretch?”

“Yes. The one who keeps up the beat for two straight hours wins today. I want to show the girls that age doesn’t matter.” Amisha said with determination while Prakash shook his head.

“Listen. Go easy on the girls okay. No need to vent out your personal feelings in the competition.”

Amisha said with a bright smile. “Oh, I will surely go easy on them. Don’t you worry!”

An hour later, she was at the Ganesh Mandal, with her enormous Dhol hanging around her neck. She stood in front of the Ganesh idol and bowed with folded hands. Bappa, help me to win today. It is a question of my self-esteem… She muttered a silent prayer and looked up to the idol’s face. She felt the same pang of emotion that she always felt in every visarjan. She had been a part of the Ganesh Mandal of their area since almost ten years. It always broke her heart when she saw the idol being immersed in the water.

This year was special as one of her dreams had come true. She always had a desire to beat the Dhol in front of her favourite Ganesha, either while welcoming Him or while sending Him off. This year, she had been offered a chance to make her dream come true. As a part of their annual Ganesh celebrations, it was decided that ladies would be beating the Dhol. On top of that, there was to be a competition too for them.

By evening, a crowd had gathered at the street of the Mandal. Amisha stood on a raised dias, in front of the Ganesh idol, along with the other girls. She pressed her lips firmly, trying to ignore the irritation that she had felt when the girls had exclaimed as one after seeing her. “Aunty, you look so good in jeans! You are actually looking younger!” One of the girls had said that and Amisha had barely managed to control her temper. She had gracefully acknowledged their compliments, all the while thinking about how the girls would react when she would win. It was now a do-or-die situation for her and she needed to win at any cost.

While one guy from the Mandal anchored the programme, Amisha scanned the crowd and saw Prakash and Shri, her ten-yr old son waiving to her eagerly.  She smiled and gave a small wave to them. Their presence encouraged her.

The anchor announced the start of the competition. Amisha shifted to the center of the dias with the other girls. After counting upto number three, they all began to beat the Dhol. Soon Amisha lost herself in keeping up the rhythm and beat the Dhol vigorously. The crowd turned crazy and soon started dancing to the beats.

Time lost its meaning as Amisha concentrated on her Dhol. At times, she changed the tempo, while other times, some other girl introduced a new tempo. But they all worked in coordination and synchrony. The crowd continued dancing non-stop.

In between, the anchor announced on the mike that only twenty minutes remained for the competition. It was then that Amisha lifted her face and looked around. Apart from her, there were only three more girls who were continuing. The rest had slowly given up. Amisha started feeling the strain in her hands but she carried on without showing any signs of slowing down.

When the anchor announced ten minutes left, two more girls gave up. Amisha looked at the only girl besides her who was keeping a good tempo with the beat. Vrushali.. She remembered the girl’s name. It was this girl who had commented that Amisha was looking younger in jeans. Amisha renewed her enthusiasm and changed the tempo to a fast one that required continuous use of both the hands.

The anchor announced that only five minutes were left. Amisha lifted her face to look at Vrushali. The latter was now showing all signs of tiredness. She was sweating profusely and had clamped her mouth tightly. Now was the time for Amisha to revert to a faster tempo.

And then she saw Vrushali give her a tired smile, though she didn’t stop beating. Vrushali also looked at all the other girls who had lost and she shook her head, as if she was saying that she couldn’t go on. The girls cheered her, shouted her name and encouraged her to hang on. Amisha saw Vrushali bravely attempt to keep up the beats.

And then Amisha did something that she never had imagined she would do. She slowed down the beats and brought in a very slow tempo that required use of only one hand at a time. She saw surprise register on Vrushali’s face and smiled inwardly. She looked at Prakash who was standing with his arms folded and a tender smile on his face. She kept up the slow beats, allowing Vrushali to regain her strength.

When the anchor announced that only two minutes were left, Amisha and Vrushali looked at each other and smiled. By an unspoken understanding, they both picked up a fast tempo and carried it on till it was announced that the competition was over and they both were winners.

The crowd burst out into applause and gave them a deafening ovation of claps. Amisha slowly placed down her Dhol and went towards Vrushali to congratulate her with her hand held ahead. Vrushali shook her head and came forward to hug her tightly. Pleasantly taken aback, Amisha hugged her back. “Thanks.” She heard Vrushali whisper in her ears and tightened her hug.

“You were awesome…” Prakash told her while he held her shoulder. She had come down to rest for a while before proceeding ahead with the Visarjan.

“Thank you. I did say that I will go easy on the girls.” Amisha said with a tired smile and Prakash laughed.

They stood quietly beside each other for few minutes. Amisha saw Vrushali talking to her parents excitedly.

“Do you think she will look as young as me when she turns 40?” Amisha asked Prakash playfully.

“Not a chance. You are the best.” Prakash said warmly and Amisha leaned onto him, feeling at peace. Before the immersion of the Ganesh idol, she had immersed her vanity and pride. 

From the Frying Pan into the Fire

Continued from The Day Of The Fight…

They both got inside the lift to go home.

“Dad, are you really sure about this?” Satish asked again with a tensed expression.

“How many times do you need assurance? Trust me, this is the best and the only way to get the females to talk to each other again.” Raman replied with confidence.

“But why do we need to sacrifice ourselves for this?”

“Satish, listen to your dad. He knows stuff. Before you go to sleep today, you will be thanking me for this master plan. Another piece of advice – when it comes to ensuring peace at home, every sacrifice is worth it!”

“Ha… you and your quotes…” Satish said with a chuckle but immediately took on a serious expression when the lift reached their floor.

“Come on quick!” Raman eagerly got out from the lift.

“Uh.. Dad? Don’t mind, but can you appear to be less exuberant and enthusiastic? You look way too happy for someone who is going to be executed.”

Raman paused and stared at Satish thoughtfully. “You know what, you are right! That was smart thinking… Now I am sure that you are my son.”

“Dad!” Satish exclaimed in irritation and followed Raman who had now assumed the air of someone feeling great remorse.

“Kusum, please come to the front room. There is something that I and Satish wish to say.” Raman pleaded with his wife who was lying on the bed with her arm folded across her eyes.

“If this is about the fight that we had today, I don’t want to speak about it.” She muttered.

“It is definitely not about the fight. There is something we wish to tell both of you.”

“Oh, all right.” She slowly got up and sat cross-legged on the bed. “Why does she take everything personally?” She exclaimed with anger suddenly.

 You said you don’t want to talk about the fight… Raman almost reminded her, but he wisely refrained from saying anything. He felt that reminding that to her would somehow make matters worse. He opted for the easier path and looked at her very attentively, as if listening to her woes was the only thing that he wished to do.

“It seems that I have to think twice before speaking anything in this home.” She shook her head and muttered angrily.

Ah female, how I wish you would take this statement to heart! Raman thought wistfully but still kept quiet.

“All right, let’s leave. Blurt it out, both of you, whatever you want to say.” She got up from the bed to Raman’s immense relief and they both went to the front room.

Satish also was sailing on troubled waters in his room.

“Why does she have to keep comparing me with those too-perfect-to-be-true Bahus that they show in the tv serials? Why can’t I wear Sari like they wear, why can’t I do Pooja like they do… I am also human, how long can I endure this?” Ritu said tearfully.

Right, you are human. What am I, robot? Satish tried to keep his irritation at bay and said to her calmly. “I know. Just come to the front room. We won’t take much time.” Hopefully, Satish thought. The ordeal should get over within minutes after their confession.

“What exactly do you both wish to say? You are being very secretive today.” Ritu said suspiciously.

Oh my God, the female’s brain is on overdrive now! “Please come out before you start assuming anything!” Satish forgot to plead and urgently took her hand. They both came out of the room.

Satish viewed the scene. His mom was sitting on the sofa with folded hands and staring at the coffee table while Raman was pacing the room from one end to another with his hands held at his back. A little less of enthusiasm and more of remorse, Dad! Satish thought helplessly as he saw his dad bouncing on his heels almost gleefully.

“Ah, Satish and Ritu, you are here! Come Ritu, sit here.” Raman exclaimed while Satish tried to gesture to him to calm down.

“Not there, Beta. Sit on the sofa, here!” Raman gestured to Ritu who had intended to sit on a chair. With a pensive look at Kusum, she sat on the sofa, as far as possible from Kusum who acted as if she had not seen Ritu.

“All right ladies, there is something that I and Satish wish to confess!” Raman said, rubbing his hands together. Satish silently shook his head. Way too happy, dad, way too happy…

“Kusum, I told you that I had to go to see Sharmaji who is sick with fever. Well, firstly, Sharmaji is hale and hearty thankfully! He never had fever, you see!” Raman began earnestly. Kusum slowly released her arms and stared at Raman.

“I went to a hotel to have dinner.” Raman continued as Kusum’s eyes widened.

“After the fight that you and Ritu had, something made me follow you into the kitchen. My biggest fears came true when you went for the container of Moong Dal. I then knew that it would be the dreaded Khichdi today.”

Kusum looked at Raman with wonder and disbelief.

“See the climate, female. It’s so cold and breezy. Do you honestly expect me to eat Khichdi on a day like this?” Raman said with a pleading expression which only made Kusum’s eyes turn into stone.

“And that’s not all!” Raman said happily and gazed at Satish with a proud expression. “Satish will do the honours now.”

Satish looked at Raman with awe. You really killed it this time, Dad. He silently came to stand beside 

Raman and looked at Ritu who had her mouth opened and jaw dropped.

“Ritu, I too lied about having dinner at office. In fact, I had dinner with dad today at the hotel.” He said it all in a single breath as if eager to let it all out.

“What?” Ritu said in disbelief.

“You forgot to say what we ate, boy.” Raman thumped Satish’s shoulder happily.

“A minute, dad, to let it all sink in first?” Satish said in a low voice and looked at Raman with narrowed eyes.

“What is done, is done, Son. Kusum and Ritu, we both ate Butter Naan and Veg Kolhapuri curry. You know, the one which has two chillies designed beside it on the menu card.” Raman said with a smile. Satish couldn’t resist it this time and slapped his forehead.

“You ate spicy and butter – laden food in a hotel and you lied to us about it?” Kusum slowly got up from her seat, anger emanating from her very being.

“Yes.” Raman shrugged, though he appeared to be less exuberant than before.

“You let dad eat that food, knowing fully well that both butter and spice are forbidden for him?” Ritu asked a bit more dramatically than Kusum. Satish had the gals to nod and drop down his head.

There was silence in the room for few minutes.

Kusum and Ritu looked at each other at the same time and shook their heads. “What do we do with these guys, Ritu?” Kusum asked in frustration.

“I really don’t know Mom. We both try to make tasty yet healthy dishes only for their sake and they betray us in this manner!”

“All our efforts are wasted on these guys! Go and eat whatever you both want! Don’t come running to us if you get sick!” Kusum scolded both the men who were now looking really downcast.

“Come Beta, let us take a walk in the lawn garden. At this moment, I can’t stand the presence of these two guys!” Kusum said and with a long and angry look at both the men, Ritu and Kusum left the house.

“What did I say? What did I tell you! Am I the expert or not!” Raman exclaimed loudly with happiness and pride. When Satish didn’t comment or give any reaction, he shook his shoulders and asked, “What’s wrong, boy? Our plan worked! The females have ended their feud! Ah blessed peace, how badly did I long for Thee!” Raman exclaimed dramatically and made Satish smile.

“I have a bad feeling about this, Dad. Let’s not do it again, ok. “Satish said slowly and left for his room while Raman just shrugged and ran towards the tv set. He grabbed the remote and switched on the sports channel which he had been longing to see the whole day.

“I need some grocery items. I have mentioned in this list.” Kusum handed over the list to Raman after they all had breakfast the next morning. Both the females were still mad at the guys but were on speaking terms with each other now.

“All right.” Raman took the list and scanned it. He frowned, and read it again.

“Hey, you seem to have made a mistake. You have written 3 kgs of Moong Dal. We don’t buy that much at a time, isn’t it?” He reminded her cheerfully.

“Oh, but we will, this time.” Kusum smiled sweetly at him and gave a victorious look to Ritu who was tapping her fingers lightly at the kitchen counter and looking at Raman and Satish alternatively with a reserved smile.

“I don’t understand.” Raman said in a confused tone.

“Khichdi, for the next ten days… For lunch and dinner...” Kusum uttered the words with finality.

“No!” Raman gasped and looked at Satish who was looking at Kusum and Ritu with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

“It won’t matter whether any of your friends are ill, Dad. And you Satish, whether you had dinner at office or not, you cannot escape your quota of Khichdi for dinner for the next ten days.” Ritu said with a fierce smile.

Leaving both the guys to accept their fate, the two ladies gave a hi-fi to each other and holding hands, left the kitchen.