Did u know that, Goa is India's smallest state by area
and the fourth smallest by population? If you didn't know, your general
knowledge is not up to the mark. Just kidding! J I just found out
about that, before writing this piece, courtesy Wikipedia.
I along with Abishek, Aditya, Arjun, Joey, Nandhan,
Chetan headed off to Goa for a week. It was one of the most memorable trips we
ever made together. I get a kick out of the fact that Arjun's mom considered
him, not mature enough to let him go on the trip. I can never stop laughing
thinking about that. She quite literally told him on his face, "Arjun you
are not mature enough, you cannot go to the trip". He looked like a kid. I
mean who doesn't? We just turned 20 that year and our parents were not sure if
we were big enough to take care of ourselves. After a lot of convincing, Arjun
eventually made it through. I met Nandhan and Chetan much later after I met
Abishek. But they quickly became an important of the group. All of us along
with Prithvi and Joey became a set of very close friends. Unfortunately
Prithivi could not make it to the trip. I had a fair of bit of convincing to do
at my place and also at Abishek's place as their initial answer was a plain NO.
Parents finally agreed to the trip finding solace in the point that Joey's
father was residing in Goa at that time.
I
and Aditya arrived at the train station, Abishek arrived late as usual. He has
a habit of showing up in the last moment for almost everything. He proved it
once again coming just minutes before departure. Nandhan's and Chetan's parents
had come to give them a sendoff. I was subdued initially, but later something
got into me. I was at my maddening best, cracking some stupid jokes and PJ's.
It was as if someone injected me with a pill which sorts of awakens the madness
in one. Now that I think of that, I was always like that. I was very happy to
be with these guys, it sort of gets out the best in me. The fact that I was
leaving Aksha for so many days made me feel sad, but quickly came over it.
So
there we were, train from Bangalore to Goa, if I am not mistaken it was like an
18 hours journey. I am not sure about the railways in other countries, but the
railways in India are really interesting. Constant activity, people getting in
and out all the time, children making a lot of noise, elders submerge
themselves in a novel or they end up talking the entire journey at the end of
which one will know the other person’s entire life history including their sons
or daughters annual paycheck. There is always something special about a train
journey. One can see people travelling from all walks of life. The train stops
at many stations on the way and the best part about it is that there are so
many vendors selling the local delicacies that one can sit and buy everything
that comes along. If you are a foodie, you will be surely in for a delicious
ride!
The
journey was fun. We spoke about all the possible topics under the sun, sang
songs, and played cards. Initially we were quite apprehensive about cards in a
public place as they might mistake it for gambling, we took a chance and ended
up playing UNO as well. That is one hell of a game if you are not aware of it.
There
were some breathtaking landscapes and sceneries as the train made its way from
Bangalore to Goa catching up steady speed as she moved along.“Dudhsagar” is one
of the most exquisite water falls in India. The water plummets hundreds of feet
in large volumes during the monsoon season and we were blessed to see her in
full swing. Legend has it that a beautiful princess lived in a forest where
there was then a beautiful palace. She loved and enjoyed bathing in a lake
nearby, while at it she used to drink "sweetened milk" from her "Golden
Jug" after finishing with her bath. One fine day, she found herself being
watched by a young prince while she was in her inadequate bathing attire. To
cover herself, she poured the jug of milk in front of him to form an improvised
curtain to hide her body, while the maids rushed to cover her with her dress.
And it is said that, it is that sweetened milk that cascades down the mountain
slope to this day as tribute to the virtue and modesty of the Princess, as the
"Dudhsagar Falls".
Just
as we were awestruck by the beauty of the falls and mesmerized by it, there
entered the Eunuch's!!
