I stood before my cottage with my sleeping kid held close,
accompanied by a beautiful silent night. The journey was long, and the ascent
seemed longer in that hour of night. The weather was slowly taking its toll on
me. It was an October night but the chill in the air moved up my legs. I pulled
Khalid closer. He was still sleeping.
How come you look so
comfortable in this temperature?? For God sake, you are wearing shorts.
I had a jeans on which was helpless against the cold. The
cottage under these circumstances looked inviting. I went straight to the room,
got the heaters connected and laid Khalid on the bed. This was what I wanted, a
break from life for a week may be – but I prayed and wished to be taken away to
a faraway place where we could be alone in the arms of love and solace.
As the room heated up, the numbness left and sleep kissed me
gently. I remember a light caress and peck on my forehead, but I was already
asleep….. I know I was smiling though!!
The next day I woke up to a bright room with bright sunlight
blinding my eyes. The curtains were drawn apart, Khalid was still sleeping and
my husband was nowhere. I got up and searched for him and found him at the
verandah having a steaming cup of coffee.
“Feel married and frustrated?”
I smiled
It was something I
used to complain. Once you are in UAE, the problem is making a life, when you
are in India, too many conspiracy theories and too many accusations from
friends, family and relatives…. I guess every married person knows that phase.
“No” He gave me the
empty coffee cup and pointed to the lone path down to the gate “A walk my
lady?”
I smiled, took his hand and started walking….
The morning was beautiful. There was a faint fragrance of
something in the air and the chill was gone. It was still cold but there was
something beautiful to this face of winter .But the fragrance??
Can you smell it?? Its
Eucalyptus!!
I looked at him as he held me close and continued
walking……..
Destination 1: The rose Garden
No one at least someone like me with overflowing romance in
their heart and head can’t resist the charm of roses. A rose garden for a
soulful romantic is paradise, a paradise that she sees only in her dreams… for
me it was too but the smile on my lips faded as we stepped into the garden…
Rose shrubs stood everywhere but none had any roses… most of them had lost
their petals to the cruel rain that fell on them looting them of their
beauty…..so sad!! But something brought a mystery to the air, there were small
pillars all around with inscriptions about roses…… those men had said it long ago…. And it feels as if they are here,
their words echoing in the blushing rose haven.
Destination 2: The boat park
Into the boat park and
he expected my face to light up. I have always been quite fond of boating…. I
have always been fond of anything that constituted water.
But the park was overcrowded and the boats overused. The
place smelled rather badly and it hardly looked neat.
This time his face
fell for he expected to have a ride in bliss. I smiled and winked but he just
shook his head.
Destination 3: The Botanical Garden
We entered with a
frown on our face
beheld a paradise stretched long;
And gently blossomed a
smile on our face.
This I realized was the paradise I had dreamt of. I looked
up and saw the clouds with drops of rain hanging on their tip; waiting to fall
down. The wind blew smoothly and the air was fragrant with much more than the
Eucalyptus. Everywhere my eyes ventured to, I saw beautiful and exotic
flowers….. roses, dahlias and so many that I am not aware of….. There were
small huts where you could sit and everything looked heavenly….. The botanical
garden was neat and looked completely out of the world.
Destination
4:Dodhapettai
The car was parked outside the fence. The couple who came
along with us decided to stay back with their kid and ours. So we walked alone.
The road extended to the tip of that peak, the highest point in ooty. An
uprooted big tree was there on one side of the path, its huge roots like claws
trying to gnaw the people who pass by. We made it past the tree and walked to
the very tip; standing on the slippery rocks I saw the end of the world…. All
around me were big trees and far away against the sky I could see the
silhouettes on trees lining up the unknown. Mist rolled in and out, sometimes
playfully hiding the trees and mountains from us and then giving us another
peek.
What if I jump?? Would
I meet eternity??
“No chances are you might meet Azrael (angel of death)”
Sometimes I hate my
husband.
p.s – you have the observatory here but we couldn’t use it
as it was quite misty that day.