#2
28th, September 2016. In the late hours, a black
Honda City vroomed through the streets of Indira Nagar, Bangalore and plunged
onto the Outer highway. On the seat, controlling the steering with a sheer look
on face, was a bold and beautiful women in her late twenties who seemed so
determined.
The Caricature of a dancer bowing an arrow painted fluorescent,
on the driver side of the bonnet attracted attention in the traffic signals.
She was on the Lepakshi route and that continued towards Anantapur. The streets
where lit for Dusshera celebrations along the road sides. For once she had
stopped the vehicle, and it was 4.30 am in the morning of 29th,
September. 27th year of her life span started that day. A moment she
took to look at the rear mirror, to adjust her hair that fell over her eye lids
from her misplaced headband. She loosened up her stiff hands that were tired
steering for a long time. Her face shined bright when she read Kamalapur on the
sign boards leaving a dimple in her cheeks. She smiled so beautifully that even
the sun could wait to rise until she stops smiling.
Sight of the herdsman steering his large herd of sheep on the middle of the road forced her to slow down. Neither she honked nor she raised her voice for the obstruction caused, but remained silent inside the car waiting for the herdsman to clear her the way. Only a moment paused before the sheep's were lined on the both sides of the road, as the herdsman requested her to accelerate, he who was busy controlling the herd asked her apology for the discomfort caused. The generous behaviour of a normal common man during the early dark hours in a stranded place moved her. For a moment she felt lucky, in a time where women are not safe even in the broad daylight, even in their own houses. Her thoughts weren't exaggerating but a matter of real concern.
Sahasra, stepped out of the black Honda city, stripped her headband, let her hair loose and embraced the morning breeze that touched her face. Her face was already glowing out of excitement and happiness. She removed the funky ring that she had received as a gift from Tania, A traveller she met during her previous trip to Kailash. She relaxed and stood there as she was already feeling dizzy and sleepy at the same time.
Sight of the herdsman steering his large herd of sheep on the middle of the road forced her to slow down. Neither she honked nor she raised her voice for the obstruction caused, but remained silent inside the car waiting for the herdsman to clear her the way. Only a moment paused before the sheep's were lined on the both sides of the road, as the herdsman requested her to accelerate, he who was busy controlling the herd asked her apology for the discomfort caused. The generous behaviour of a normal common man during the early dark hours in a stranded place moved her. For a moment she felt lucky, in a time where women are not safe even in the broad daylight, even in their own houses. Her thoughts weren't exaggerating but a matter of real concern.
Sahasra, stepped out of the black Honda city, stripped her headband, let her hair loose and embraced the morning breeze that touched her face. Her face was already glowing out of excitement and happiness. She removed the funky ring that she had received as a gift from Tania, A traveller she met during her previous trip to Kailash. She relaxed and stood there as she was already feeling dizzy and sleepy at the same time.
The Darkness Ceased to exist as the dawn break smiled so bright
on the architectural monuments of Hampi most of which were carved out of Situ
stone. Shadows of tall structures kissed the land as vendors kept moving in to
the bazar to start their day.
Born into a North Malabar family Sahasra was a trained dancer and a natural talent in Bharatanatyam. Having performed in numerous youth festivals, her talent remained untapped because of the reservations her orthodox parents had, in letting her compete at every stage opportunity that came her way. Like every girl in their teenage, she was also ambitious and wanted to reach a better position with the sole motive of becoming independent.
She had nothing else to worry about, until she realized that,
many of the people she sees does not exist in the real world. She was already
in the 3rd year of Engineering by then when she started feeling insecure about
the unusual company around her. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the
late months of 2011 after she was found chatting with her imaginary friend in
the middle of a stormy night.
She was responding well to the prolonged treatment, as her will
power and ambition overpowered her hallucination.
***
At some point of her life, she had left behind her passion for Bharatanatyam. In the early months of 2013, she was inducted into one of the top IT companies in Bangalore. From then, her life started taking turns. She lived in a way she wanted to live. She learnt to drive, she travelled like she was born for it enjoying the nomadic life. Only the name was classical about her anymore, everything apart from that had changed, or she had forced herself to give in to the change.
Soon, she started finding a pattern in her travel and that was visiting the places from the books she have read, living with the characters in the stories that she had read. Destination of her first such trip was Mumbai, after reading the books about the dirty underworld by Hussain Zaidi, and the second was to Kailash after reading various articles on the subject. In a way she was giving back into the hallucinations, neither her nor her friends and relatives understood the change.
At some point of her life, she had left behind her passion for Bharatanatyam. In the early months of 2013, she was inducted into one of the top IT companies in Bangalore. From then, her life started taking turns. She lived in a way she wanted to live. She learnt to drive, she travelled like she was born for it enjoying the nomadic life. Only the name was classical about her anymore, everything apart from that had changed, or she had forced herself to give in to the change.
Soon, she started finding a pattern in her travel and that was visiting the places from the books she have read, living with the characters in the stories that she had read. Destination of her first such trip was Mumbai, after reading the books about the dirty underworld by Hussain Zaidi, and the second was to Kailash after reading various articles on the subject. In a way she was giving back into the hallucinations, neither her nor her friends and relatives understood the change.
In other ways she was becoming a living example, for what turns
out to be bad depends on how you choose to use it. None of her books influenced
her trip to Hampi, It was a pure destiny call. All she wanted is a solo drive
to a less crowded place on her birthday.
***
Madam, Guide? , the auto driver quizzed. She smiled at him and humbly asked him to help her find a place to stay. Thanks to the freaky jean shorts rolled up to her thighs and the blue denim jacket she was wearing, with one black thread tied on her right ankle, the guy took no time to suggest her a perfect place that he thought she would like to stay. She was excited to cross the river as well. She could see the Bazaar decorated with flowers, serial lights and the road-side vendors building temporary sheds. Looking at her bewildered looks, the auto driver interrupted her thoughts and said
Madam, Guide? , the auto driver quizzed. She smiled at him and humbly asked him to help her find a place to stay. Thanks to the freaky jean shorts rolled up to her thighs and the blue denim jacket she was wearing, with one black thread tied on her right ankle, the guy took no time to suggest her a perfect place that he thought she would like to stay. She was excited to cross the river as well. She could see the Bazaar decorated with flowers, serial lights and the road-side vendors building temporary sheds. Looking at her bewildered looks, the auto driver interrupted her thoughts and said
"Madam, all these
are for the Dusshera festival which starts from 3rd October".
She was surprised, to see a lot of dancers walking around in
dance costumes at the early hours, even before the market woke up. The
auto driver looked puzzled when she asked him “where
are the dancers heading to?” because all he
could see was a cow, grazing at the gates leading to Virupaksha temple and a
few local residents. The tourist crowd were just a handful due to the lack of
rainfall and raise in temperature from the past three years. Characters
that never existed had already started to frame up in her mind.
The auto driver then introduced himself as Ramu Batti, took no
time in explaining the guide package which will help her to see and know Hampi
in one day. But, Ramu had failed to understand that Sahasra was not the one, among
the usual traveller crowd who wanted to see places for the sake of it. Her type
of travel were to live and love the place with the people of that locale. With
one mid-sized travel bag on her shoulders she asked Ramu to walk her to the
hotel. All her childhood fancies of broad necklace, cotton fabrics, Ear rings
were taking toll in her mind while Ramu was explaining her about how she could
reach the other side by driving forty kilometres. She was excited about
crossing the river as that will add to the thrill.
The shortfall in monsoon showers have already left the river in a dried up state that, one can walk up to the other side. Ramu, explained in short about the Kingdom of Vijayanagara and Raja Krishnadevaraya during the walk and also guided her the direction to reach the hotel, located seven kilometres from Virupapur Gadde. Ramu, waved her a timely good bye until she comes back after visiting places on the other side of the river.
As Sahasra stepped into Tungabhadra river and shivers went through her spine. Being fascinated and attached to the stories narrated by Ramu and after witnessing the preparations for Dusshera in the river banks leading to Virupaksha temple, her freaky outfit had nothing to do with what she was tuning herself up to be.
The shortfall in monsoon showers have already left the river in a dried up state that, one can walk up to the other side. Ramu, explained in short about the Kingdom of Vijayanagara and Raja Krishnadevaraya during the walk and also guided her the direction to reach the hotel, located seven kilometres from Virupapur Gadde. Ramu, waved her a timely good bye until she comes back after visiting places on the other side of the river.
As Sahasra stepped into Tungabhadra river and shivers went through her spine. Being fascinated and attached to the stories narrated by Ramu and after witnessing the preparations for Dusshera in the river banks leading to Virupaksha temple, her freaky outfit had nothing to do with what she was tuning herself up to be.
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