The Cat!!

Felis, the cat flew away in that white December of 2030.

Life has its own luster and glamour. I experienced the sheen from a bizarre encounter. While jogging in a neighborhood park I saw a cat, so brisk and agile capturing mice. Squirrel and cat were two mammals that would always attract my attention in those green pastures for their steadfastness. Though squirrel was quite vigorous not to ever look at me, the furry growling cat sometimes used to look at me.

Pets had never been my forte until that time though.

One evening when the sky was painted with the sunset hues so dark, the sun and the crescent moon shone at the same time, tree leaves danced to the sound of breeze, the birds returned to their nests in flocks and Mount Floyen stared at me, I felt a sense of loneliness in the small city of Bergen.

‘Hey! Go out to a friend’s place’, my smart neuro glasses told me sensing my cerebral emotions but then my smart pulsometer, considered my pulse rate and time of the retreating day to be 10 pm and suggested me to doze off.  I took off all my digital accessories to think alone and indulge in soliloquy.

Woo, Tinder I have had it all and didn’t trust a human at my home at all. I thought of creating a replica of cyber humanoid Wallis from my office to keep company and chit chat. “Ahhh! Another machine…..Noooo!!”, shouted my heart in anguish. I redirected my mind to think differently.

Life has its own luster and glamour. My mind reinstated showing signs of animation. “Why not explore myself some more on my appetite to deal with animals which I mostly tend to avoid?”, I whispered to myself.

“Why not lure the wild cat from the garden?”, my mind coaxed.

In a zeal to follow this idea, I started spending more time reading and talking about the cats. Moreover, I was also playing lot of guitar to remove the thought of all the robots who bugged me at work. I was humming ‘Nashville Cats’ by the Louina Spoonful followed by “When he calls me kitten” by The Kelly Deal 6000 and enjoyed the rhythm. Playing guitar with all kinds of music became a routine with a glass of red or white wine by my side.

After contemplating on hunting my prey, the cat from the garden, I went there on Saturday evening and started playing PURR music and sound of chirping birds on my guitar. I could see the friendless cat at a distance from me but he didn’t budge from his place. I came back home only to try my luck the next day. On Sunday, after having my capucchino and croissant I headed to the park again. After humming and playing some human master pieces, I again plucked the strings of my guitar to play PURR music. I didn’t see the pussy cat for half an hour or so but then he unexpectedly appeared only to gaze at me and my instrument for some time. This became a routine for a week or so and the tactful chase for a romantic rendezvous with the cat continued. Then, again on Saturday, I was playing cat tones with lot of variations for almost two hours now but feline or Felis as I had named him, didn’t turn up. I started to walk back home feeling jilted in my affair with the cat. Suddenly, he appeared from nowhere and started to walk to our abode. I was very excited and believed that I would tame and finally domesticate him. 

Life has its own luster and glamour. At first Felis didn’t want to join me but finally my charms worked and I had won him over. I pampered him with food and drinks he loved.  Moreover, since it was Christmas month and I didn’t have much work at office I mostly worked from home, rather worked for home and spent my time playing around with Felis. Though I had to be careful of his razor-sharp claws and teeth.

“Meeewwww”, he would say whenever I would gently scratch him.

“EEEeeeeww”, I would murmur if at all I would be busy and not paying heed to him as he would be shitting around feeling ignored.

I anticipated fresh and complex work at office starting New-Year. Thus, only machines could have come to my aid to nanny Felis.

“Why not build a Robo-cat like Wallis?”, provoked my subconscious. He would be of great company to Felis. I worked for a week and bondi-blue shaded robo-cat, Robbie was ready to pounce upon Felis.

“OOOwwwww”, grunted Felis and snuggled Robbie. But he interpreted soon that it was not living and lost interest.

“Boss! Welcome home. Today you are back home early”, said Robbie.

“Yeah, I was missing both of my dear cats, so came early!”, I casually said and started to look around for Felis.

Robbie was smart enough to understand my anxiousness and reported, “If you are looking for Felis, he is playing in the lawns”. I saw him from the window catching his breath and rolling on the grass. I went out to check if he was fine, but then an owl flew towards him, caught him and flung him high in the sky and then just dropped him. I was lucky enough to catch him in time. I was scared but Felis’s green eyes shone brightly, whiskers moved briskly and ears straightened up in hostility. I couldn’t perceive his strange behavior, but I had very well deduced that I couldn’t domesticate him and his wildness could make him indulge in some other adventurous activity.

I programmed Robbie once again that whole night, so that it keeps a close check on Felis’s movements.

“Alas! It is only a machine in learning”, I thought.

Life has its own luster and glamour. To make it brighter and fascinating a soiree was on my mind. So, even with mundane busy routine that followed, I threw a party after a few days and invited all my friends with their set of pets.

“Looks like Felis is the feisty of all, he is frightening all the others”, exclaimed Ria.

“That’s true, he just scratched my kitten”, said Joe painfully.

“Hahaha, but my parrots are making him run all around”, jested Maya.

When the music system’s thumping beats began followed by different Purr sounds that I had recorded, all the pets hovered around the speakers and rubbed themselves against them. Everybody had ounces of drinks and loads of fun.

As we all bade Good-Byes, Nahan shouted, “Better cage Felis in your absence”. I ignored his suggestion and slept, with Felis still roaming around.

Next morning it was snowing and with my gum boots and umbrella, I left. Since the previous night’s party hangover was still fresh in my nerves, I returned early by around 1900 hrs.

As an Algorithm etiquette, Robbie greeted me. I lay on sofa with my eyes on a look out for Felis.

“Oh! He wasn’t there even in the lawns. Where is he?”, I pondered.

I switched on the CCTV’s recordings but nothing was captured except Felis moving out of the main entrance door. I shouted for Robbie’s recordings and was shocked to see him playing with the previous fortnight’s dark brown owl. While I was watching curiously, I noticed that they both had similar traits. They both were acrobatic and powerful nocturnal hunters bonding over their similar nature. I wanted to ask Robbie, as to why he didn’t stop Felis from loitering out, but knew the answer that I had programmed into him, “do not force anything on Felis”. Machines indeed learn the hard way with no emotional logic attached, I reasoned.

Life has its own luster and glamour. I murmured to myself after seeing the spectacular flesh frolic at display. With heavy heart, I played the paused video only to see the climax wherein Felis was happily wagging his tail while being carried away by the owl. “An uncommon union”, captioned Robbie, the steel. When they were out of sight, all that was left behind was white pristine snow.

Courtesy : Google Images

A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER

Breath-taking views of the green valleys, sparkling waters, flying seagulls, clear skies with beautiful clouds, good food, great people and comfort. What else could one ask for!

Such was the amazing last week that greeted me and my parents with warmth and cold alike. Sunlight’s warmth and the mountain breeze made the experience a beautiful one for us.

A day’s visit to Alibaug via ferry from the Gateway of India created a perfect teaser of the journey to come. The wait in the long queue at the ticket counter, the bumpy bus ride and the wait in the scorching heat was worth the experience. The ferry ride over the not so calm waters with seagulls flying past the main deck seemed out of the world. It was a calming experience altogether. Alibaug seems to be a “Beach house” as it houses numerous beaches and the famous Murud Janjira Fort surrounded by water on all the sides. However, the paucity of time led us to Varsoli Beach which had water sport enthusiasts on one end and families and friend groups occupying the rest. Taking a ride in the horse carriage with the horses breaking into a gallop as soon as their feet touched the water added to the beauty of the moment. Though the beach was not a sandy one where the sand slipping beneath feet feels surreal, a casual walk along the coast with slippers in one hand felt nice. 

The ride back to Mumbai in a ferry with the sun setting in the backdrop marked a perfect end to a perfect day

What followed the next day were long hours of drive along the highways and by-lanes of hamlets to reach “the Queen of all Hill Stations” - Mahabaleshwar. A homely resort with courteous staff welcomed us in Panchgani which was to be our home for the following three days. Time flew by in unpacking and with food of course! 

The evening was spent in a boat ride along with a friendly family and a good natured helmsman in Venna Lake. The cool breeze got us put our sweaters on and the coldness of water added to the chill. However, nothing could dampen our spirits. With cameras on in selfie mode, big smiles on our faces and a green backdrop, we tried to capture each and every moment we could. Mapro Farm was our next stop where we were awestruck with the number of strawberry products present and the strawberry farm. We tried varied flavours of crushes while my mother was busy selecting the stuff she could take back 

home.That marked the end of Day 1 for us.

The next day was to be devoted to Mahabaleshwar sightseeing.  The journey started off from Kate’s Point with Echo Point and Elephant Point adjacent to the same. The place gave a beautiful view of the valleys below which shone in the bright sunlight. The packs of monkeys creating a chaos was unbelievable. Though they only approached the tourists for food, particularly “chanas” and snatched away a water bottle or two from the unsuspecting tourists, the monkeys kept to themselves in complete harmony.

Arthur’s Seat awaited us a few kilometres away. It appeared like a natural balcony to the mighty mountains. However, the walk to the point involved climbing up and down a long flight of stairs that passed through the Tiger Spring, Hunting Point, Malcum Point and Echo Point. We braced ourselves for the long walk with juicy carrots from the hawkers. We made a brief stop at the Marjori Point and drove by the Savitri Point, Castle Rock Point and Monkey Point on our way back. 

The next pause was to be at the Elphinston Point. The Point provided a mesmerizing view of two valleys: Koyna Valley and Savitri Valley.  I could see high mountains as far as my eyes could take me. The skies were the perfect shade of blue with the clouds of different shapes and sizes spread across till what appeared to be the horizon. The depth of the valleys, the height of the mountains and the faraway skies made it a great picturesque location. We had masala corn at the point and left for our resort post a savoury fruit snack.

      

 The journey would not have been deemed complete without a visit to a strawberry garden. The garden had a main garden where the plantation is done and a smaller section with cardboard racks set on the iron pillars where the saplings were transferred from the main garden. The iron pillars were actually a part of drip-irrigation system and had small sprinklers at the bottom to water the plants growing underneath the shelves. The efficient systems complete with checks to conserve water was commendable. The last visit for the day was Lingamala Falls where we took the shorter route to the smaller falls which I’m sure will become incredibly huge during the monsoons. We sat on the rocks and soaked in the bubbling voice of the spring before proceeding to the final destination for the day, that is, the resort.

      

 The next was to be spent in the valleys of Panchgani. However, the journey took a toll on our health and we spent the day indoors taking rest and well, ORS too! The day turned out to be an unforgettable one as it showed us the human goodness that touched our hearts. In the difficult terrain when we were writhing in pain, the owner of a local pharmacy delivered the medicines to us after making numerous calls with queries regarding the address or apologies for the delay. But he got to us well in time and helped us as we were tourists in the part of the country he calls home. I don’t know his name but I just want to say that I’m really thankful to you and equally touched by the gesture.(Hope you are reading this post; Fingers crossed)

We ended our stay in Panchgani on a positive note with gratitude in our hearts under the blissful skies.

The onward journey to Shirdi was strenuous beyond our expectations and we were troubled by a tout who took us places with promise of a comfortable accommodation and a guidance for the darshan to the famous temple. It was with great difficulty we got rid of him after giving in a bit to his whims and fancies. But a good hotel and the Darshan of “Sai Baba” and a good night’s sleep made us forget all about the horrid experience we had initially and charged us with the strength to complete the journey back to Mumbai.

We took a detour to visit “Trimbakeshwar Temple” but stood no chance to even reach the temple gates amidst the jostling crowds before a good three to four hours. After struggling for an hour or so, we resumed with our remaining six hour long journey to Mumbai where we breathed in peace after spending the day standing in long queues or sitting in the car during the drive occasionally searching for a clean washroom or a restaurant on the way.

On the whole, the entire trip was a good blend of walking down the nature’s trail and relaxation. It provided us with tranquillity and the human touch etched an everlasting memory in our minds and hope in our hearts. Though we couldn’t capture each and every moment on celluloid, the imprint of this journey is to last forever.

P.S. The Picture Credits for this post goes to my itchy fingers.

If you have similar stories to share, just put your itchy fingers on keyboard and share your wonderful memories in the Comments Section.

BLOG NOW LIVE FOREVER!!

When asked to introduce my Blogger’s identity and my blog as well at Indiblogger’s BNLF event, I said that it is the manifestation of my random thoughts, vis-à-vis technology which did not go shoulder to shoulder with a tech job earlier. Those two minutes of introduction were enough for the others to figure out who I am and what my blog is all about. It was nothing special that I specified, but the quest of every blogger to know each other better. The Valley Of Words’ members, Indiblogger crew (as we were called 😊) and the team brought in a lot of vibrancy to the occasion. I would like to relive the memory through this post and hope it is equally evocative for other attendees.

I landed in the mystic Dehradun hills and breathed the fresh crisp air of Doon valley at about 12:35 pm on 17^th Nov’17. There was no looking back in the amazing moments that followed. Though my guest house was just a 5 minute walk from Hotel Madhuban on Rajpur road (where the event was about to start), I hardly spent time there. With all the hustle bustle in the Madhuban lawns, I resisted going back until Indiblogger team provided with safe crepuscular drive to my lodge. Though my eyes were still droopy and I longed-for sleep when I started with this post, more Indiblogger sessions is what I truly long for.

The event kicked off with QR code based registration followed by distribution of Indiblogger badges. Since this was my first Indiblogger meet, my enthusiasm was similar to reporting for my first job and being issued with an I-Card or even more than that. As an introvert, I started moving around on my own, but the zest and small talk around persuaded me to exchange a few greetings. What followed half an hour later was bloggers dining together, speaking blog, clicking pictures and reveling at Bobby Cash’s euphonious guitar performance. Supper was succeeded by an introduction of bloggers which was a superb way to know each one of us. The blogger bond of togetherness was so cohesive that we even ended discussing next day’s plan together before heading to our humble abodes with excited puffy eyes.

Though I couldn’t sleep very well that night (probably because of too much caffeine in my system!), I was up and at the venue round 07:30 AM the next day i.e.,  18^th Nov’17 for the Ruskin Bond walk scheduled with “Been there Doon that”. I am not an avid reader of Ruskin’s work, but I got a chance to visit the bylanes he’d been in yester years writing and know the life that he’d lived in Dehradun before heading to London and finally Mussoorie. It was a pleasurable walk midst greenery and aged structures. Next, followed a scrumptious breakfast at Bikanerwala consisting of chhole bhature, grilled sandwich, idli sambhar, cuppas of coffee and lassi to go with. Not to forget lots of instagrammable images which still make me reminiscent of my journey. Without spending more time speculating, we headed to Forest Research Institute, Mindrolling Monastery and the very famous Paltan Bazaar (which indeed reminded me of Delhi bazaars). For me it was a good respite from smoggy and cloggy Delhi and an opportunity to soak in the Sun, the pristine blue sky. The architecture of FRI and colours of monastery were rejuvenating too.

Next, we headed back to the venue not knowing really what’s in store for us. There were few speeches from VOW’s illustrious speakers who were very impressive and motivational at the same time. Post feast and music, the real Indiblogger magic began with my first hurr-hurr rendezvous. Keynote speakers and their experiences were very edifying and enlightening. Blogging ways and debates were also interesting. Indiblogger games and other informational talks kept the energy and tempo very high. To be true, never was I that attentive post my college days as in those sessions. Time and sleep were taking a leap on our bodies but souls refused to return to their dwellings. After multiple clicks and goodbyes and promises to meet soon, we finally bid adieu to each other.

I went all alone by myself, but met wonderful, warm and creative writers and returned with memories to be cherished for long.

Courtesy : Indiblogger

I rest my itchy fingers on this note.

Do let me know your take and comments on this.