It was the funniest, craziest, awesomely insane decision that I would have ever taken. To my surprise, though, I have absolutely no regrets for having done so. my mother and two of her sisters had decided to go visit my place in khandala. I was asked but I had cordially turned down the offer. I felt I could do better here. My cousin urged me to come along and she said we’ll get back the next day. It was 4 in the evening in any case and it would not hurt too much to go there for twelve odd hours and get back the next day. So, in a matter of ten minutes I packed and we upped and awayed to Khandala.
That would be my pool-side. The most serene places I have known. Just sitting around here doing nothing much is the most euphoric feeling ever.
Anyway, so we reach the Khandala station at 7:30 or so and its purple… the sky is this shade of purple I have never seen. The temperature is just perfect and its raining just enough to wet you but not drench you to a sticky gloom.
The three cousins and I decide to walk it to my place (a fifteen minute uphill climb) and the three sisters decide to take the auto. Alls well as we reach home and comfort ourselves with hot coffee and toast. I realize soon enough that I should meet my sweet-heart, Karishma, while I am here and so I promptly call the lady. Little did I know that I was going to be invited over to breakfast with her and that too at 7:00 a.m for she had her class starting at nine… ugh!
A note on Karishma: Kash (for I call her so…) has been my friend for the past 6 odd years and nothing has ever changed the kind of bonding we shared. She did her BMS from Jai Hind and an MBA from S.P.Jain Dubai. Now placed with TCS and is being trained at Khandala’s North Point Training center (which by the way is a mind-blowing place.)
We seldom meet and barely talk but we have never been blank about what the other is up to. Quite amazingly, we meet up at weird places like we did this day. This is how the most beautiful day of my life went…
As planned, I wake up bright and early at 6:30 and get dressed up. It was odd because I had to be presentable and at the same time I could not screw my formal attire up in the rain. Never the less I was ready to leave and sure enough the lady calls to check whether I would be keeping my appointment or not. I had never heard of the place I was supposed to go to and at seven in the rains, in the middle of a bloody forest, I was not to find any mode of transport or the faintest sign of human existence to even guide me through my unknown path. ‘no sweat’ I thought and walked straight out of the gate armed with an umbrella. Rustic Highlands was what I had to head for and from the bare minimal that I knew, I took the direction I trusted my intuition to show. Then began the wildest, most breathtaking walks I have ever taken.
This was the road that lay before me as I breathed every bit of fresh air my lungs could facilitate.
I them came across a board that showed me direction to ‘North Point’ and I was happy that I would at least be seeing her. (I really doubted that I would make it in time, or make it there at all!)
This is the sight of North Point from where I stood and I did not know then that it was three kilo meters away from where I saw the board. I still walked on. The fog got thicker and the road steeper. The air became crisp and the light spray on the face with chilling gusts just felt heavenly. I know I sound insane ranting about it but I could possibly write a book on how I felt as I inched to the top.
I have never liked trekking but for something like this….. What can I say?
After 45 minutes of blissful agony I made it to North Point and that, sadly, was not the end of my trial. I lost my way in the jungle that the place was and there was no one to even guide me to the reception. In the process, though, I took the trip round this magnificent estate. At one point I felt I wanted to take a job in TCS only to be trained here for a month.
This here, is the view offered by the lobby in the reception area. This is where I met Kash, all formally dressed. She looked gorgeous as always.
We met her friends and I had a brilliant breakfast and some amazing conversation. Half an hour later she had to get to class and I had to head back home. Considering my mother would be quite shaken not to find me around, I’d better minimize the time lapse. She offered to call for an auto but I had to walk back…. Had to!
These are some more pics I took on the way back.
This is the whole estate…. Splendid!
A small waterfall on the side of the road that lead down to Rustic Highlands. The whole way was dotted with these on the side every few meters.
I must have walked twelve kilometers overall and it was totally worth it. The scenic beauty and the weather. The falls, the rain, the mist, the thin air compeling one to breathe harder with each step and of course this killer of a smile….
Totally paid off!
That would be my pool-side. The most serene places I have known. Just sitting around here doing nothing much is the most euphoric feeling ever.
Anyway, so we reach the Khandala station at 7:30 or so and its purple… the sky is this shade of purple I have never seen. The temperature is just perfect and its raining just enough to wet you but not drench you to a sticky gloom.
The three cousins and I decide to walk it to my place (a fifteen minute uphill climb) and the three sisters decide to take the auto. Alls well as we reach home and comfort ourselves with hot coffee and toast. I realize soon enough that I should meet my sweet-heart, Karishma, while I am here and so I promptly call the lady. Little did I know that I was going to be invited over to breakfast with her and that too at 7:00 a.m for she had her class starting at nine… ugh!
A note on Karishma: Kash (for I call her so…) has been my friend for the past 6 odd years and nothing has ever changed the kind of bonding we shared. She did her BMS from Jai Hind and an MBA from S.P.Jain Dubai. Now placed with TCS and is being trained at Khandala’s North Point Training center (which by the way is a mind-blowing place.)
We seldom meet and barely talk but we have never been blank about what the other is up to. Quite amazingly, we meet up at weird places like we did this day. This is how the most beautiful day of my life went…
As planned, I wake up bright and early at 6:30 and get dressed up. It was odd because I had to be presentable and at the same time I could not screw my formal attire up in the rain. Never the less I was ready to leave and sure enough the lady calls to check whether I would be keeping my appointment or not. I had never heard of the place I was supposed to go to and at seven in the rains, in the middle of a bloody forest, I was not to find any mode of transport or the faintest sign of human existence to even guide me through my unknown path. ‘no sweat’ I thought and walked straight out of the gate armed with an umbrella. Rustic Highlands was what I had to head for and from the bare minimal that I knew, I took the direction I trusted my intuition to show. Then began the wildest, most breathtaking walks I have ever taken.
This was the road that lay before me as I breathed every bit of fresh air my lungs could facilitate.
I them came across a board that showed me direction to ‘North Point’ and I was happy that I would at least be seeing her. (I really doubted that I would make it in time, or make it there at all!)
This is the sight of North Point from where I stood and I did not know then that it was three kilo meters away from where I saw the board. I still walked on. The fog got thicker and the road steeper. The air became crisp and the light spray on the face with chilling gusts just felt heavenly. I know I sound insane ranting about it but I could possibly write a book on how I felt as I inched to the top.
I have never liked trekking but for something like this….. What can I say?
After 45 minutes of blissful agony I made it to North Point and that, sadly, was not the end of my trial. I lost my way in the jungle that the place was and there was no one to even guide me to the reception. In the process, though, I took the trip round this magnificent estate. At one point I felt I wanted to take a job in TCS only to be trained here for a month.
This here, is the view offered by the lobby in the reception area. This is where I met Kash, all formally dressed. She looked gorgeous as always.
We met her friends and I had a brilliant breakfast and some amazing conversation. Half an hour later she had to get to class and I had to head back home. Considering my mother would be quite shaken not to find me around, I’d better minimize the time lapse. She offered to call for an auto but I had to walk back…. Had to!
These are some more pics I took on the way back.
This is the whole estate…. Splendid!
A small waterfall on the side of the road that lead down to Rustic Highlands. The whole way was dotted with these on the side every few meters.
I must have walked twelve kilometers overall and it was totally worth it. The scenic beauty and the weather. The falls, the rain, the mist, the thin air compeling one to breathe harder with each step and of course this killer of a smile….
Totally paid off!
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