Choti-Choti Baatein

A short trip (just 24 hours) to a nearby location (just 30 kms away) left me with so many memories that the holiday hangover it caused was hard to shake off. We (my friends and I) didn’t gaze in awe at any sweeping, magnificent landscapes or sample exotic, unusual local dishes or even shop around for interesting souvenirs. We drove down to this resort, stayed a night and returned the next day. It was a much- needed, much-anticipated and well-deserved (honestly!) break for us. So, is that why we came back with so many memories? Maybe. But I think it was more about all those fun moments that we were able to cram into this brief sojourn, that made it so memorable.

It helped that the resort was located in a beautiful, lush green valley that looked even more picturesque because of the monsoon. We were surrounded by thickly wooded green hills which had clouds drifting across them all day. Sometimes the clouds would stop drifting and assemble together instead, causing rain to fall and drench the countryside. Then they would move around a bit and allow the sky to show itself before deciding ‘Nah, let’s keep the rain coming.’ The distant hills were marked with numerous slivers of white which were actually waterfalls. We couldn’t get a close look at them but there was something reassuring about it- these waterfalls must have been there since the hills and the rains existed and hopefully would remain so for a few more centuries. Untouched and undisturbed by human ‘development’

Another factor that made our stay so enjoyable was that we were the only visitors there. We had the place to ourselves and it was bliss! All three of us are at that stage where we find most members of our species an annoyance and a nuisance. Even more so in close quarters. Less is more as far as we’re concerned, the lesser the better. When a large group of youngsters arrived the next day, we must have exchanged more ‘looks’ with each other than we did words. Although we did have a good time judging the group members and drawing our own conclusions as to who was what. That’s always fun! And proof that we can find pleasure in the smallest of things, heh heh.

And since this post is about the choti-choti baatein that made our stay so much fun, here are some of them in no particular order:

1. Enjoying plates of hot, crisp, crunchy ‘pakodas’ (both onion and potato) while listening to and watching the rain as it came pattering down. The dining area was not enclosed so we were surrounded by rain and trees and trees and rain.
2. Returning to the resort after tramping up a hill in the rain, and getting our shoes muddy and our feet wet. But it was an exhilarating feeling. Not like we scaled any great heights but the track was muddy, stony and slippery, so every step felt like an achievement for us. The pakoda platters were our reward.
3. Arriving at the resort in the pouring rain and realising that we had blundered by not bringing along ANY of the following: an umbrella, jackets, spare shoes or even spare socks. This was followed by desperate attempts to procure umbrellas so we could go out and explore the countryside. Till the staff at the resort kindly gave us their own.
4. Falling asleep to the sound of…nothing. Nothing except the deep, deep silence of the hills. And a few night insects and frogs.
5. An early morning walk down to the river was cut short because the track was steep and slippery. So we stood and listened to the myriad chirps of birds and the sound of the river as it wound its way through the valley. With the backdrop of those ever present hills shrouded by clouds. The only other sound was that of temple bells in the distance.
6. Our laughter. Hysterical, uncontrollable laughter over the silliest of things. A game of carrom that went awry because we decided to make up our own rules. Soon there were counters flying all over the place and no one was keeping score. But we did work up an appetite for dinner.
7. The companionship. There were periods of animated chatter followed by comfortable silence. There were intense discussions interspersed with wisecracks and comments. There was the helping hand stretched out when someone took a tumble. There were those intervals when we were in range of the WiFi and all three heads would be bent over mobiles- sending pictures, getting and giving updates. The WA group that was formed so we could post all pictures in one place to gaze at once the trip was over.
8. The memories of shared moments. The reminiscences of another trip. The hope that there will be more. And the treasure-trove that we are creating- of all these precious moments and these choti-choti baatein.