5 views
Rockstar forever
#TheWritingProject
“I don’t want to go”, Seina cried out desperately. She had made plans with her friends. They were to participate in the music concert at Goa. She wanted to be a Rockstar. No one knew about it yet. She had received training since childhood and had practised for long hours. Her parents were always supportive of her music but only as a hobby. They always directed her towards a career as a doctor. So cliché, she used to think. As if there is no career beyond Medicine or MBA. But music was her passion and she felt incomplete without it. She felt torn without her favourite guitar and felt a deep calmness when playing a piano.
Her parents wanted to spend the week at Dadi Bua’s (Grandfather’s Sister) bungalow at Ooty. She was turning 85 years old and the family was invited for the birthday celebrations. “Hey princess.. you will enjoy a lot. C’mon girl, spend some time with your old man na…”, said Dad. “But dad, I wanna go to Goa with friends. It is a very important concert. I didn’t want to tell you earlier but we have been invited to participate there. Please mama, help me convince Dad ”, she pleaded, crying desperately.
“You never know what awaits you in Ooty darling”, he said. If only she had known it will turn out to be a prophesy alright…!!
They reached Ooty on a wet Friday evening. The train ride was very slow but it was enticing. They reached the Lovedale station. It was a picture book perfect and a cute station. Nani Bua had sent a car with a driver to take them home. It was drizzling and the temperatures had dropped causing her to shiver a bit. The mist gave the hills a mystic aura as the car meandered through the hilly roads. There was a complete U shaped uphill turn, it was very very steep and she was mesmerized,
a little scared too when suddenly she heard someone call her name. But theirs was the only car on the road, they hadn’t stopped and Mom-Dad and Shruti, her sister, were all resting as well. She looked out, but no one was there on the road… anyhow, who would recognise her here.? She thought it was a dream, may be she had snoozed off..!!
Finally, after an hour of journey, the house or “The Wood on the Hill,” as it was called, came into view. A typical wooden heritage bungalow, it was romantic and mystic. The garden was well maintained with the fragrance of flowers, the wrought iron garden chairs and the quintessential very inviting porch swing. Dadi Bua met them with love and warmth. She was a beautiful and smart lady, best example of an octogenarian. She gave a very shocked look when she saw Seina, but soon she was back to her composed self. She told her parents that Seina was very pretty and reminded her of someone from the past. Seina felt that weird feeling yet again. They were soon taken up to their rooms and after freshening up, they came down to the dining hall and sat down to eat dinner which was a very formal affair.
Her sister and Seina were given a room on the second floor. It was at the backside of the house. They could see the courtyard and fruit trees in the garden below. Overlooking the courtyard was beautiful valley with rolling hills in front and the small local village in the distance. The workers and servants came from that village. Since it was night already, they could just see the lights of the village, which sparkled like stars of the night. She saw through the window, a dark silhouette of another house on the hilltop opposite. She enquired about it, but the maid didn’t look towards the house and seemed disturbed at the mention of the shadowed structure. She said they were an old neighbour family and that they had shifted to America, with only a housekeeper taking care of the property. It seemed she saw a light flicker in one of the upper story rooms. But it was too dark to be sure and Seina hesitated after the maid’s strange reaction.
Next morning the rain had stopped and the valley bathed in the warm sunlight. It was all as green and lush as they could come. They had a light breakfast of dosas and chutney and local veggies. They set out on a trip to their Kul-Devi ( family...
“I don’t want to go”, Seina cried out desperately. She had made plans with her friends. They were to participate in the music concert at Goa. She wanted to be a Rockstar. No one knew about it yet. She had received training since childhood and had practised for long hours. Her parents were always supportive of her music but only as a hobby. They always directed her towards a career as a doctor. So cliché, she used to think. As if there is no career beyond Medicine or MBA. But music was her passion and she felt incomplete without it. She felt torn without her favourite guitar and felt a deep calmness when playing a piano.
Her parents wanted to spend the week at Dadi Bua’s (Grandfather’s Sister) bungalow at Ooty. She was turning 85 years old and the family was invited for the birthday celebrations. “Hey princess.. you will enjoy a lot. C’mon girl, spend some time with your old man na…”, said Dad. “But dad, I wanna go to Goa with friends. It is a very important concert. I didn’t want to tell you earlier but we have been invited to participate there. Please mama, help me convince Dad ”, she pleaded, crying desperately.
“You never know what awaits you in Ooty darling”, he said. If only she had known it will turn out to be a prophesy alright…!!
They reached Ooty on a wet Friday evening. The train ride was very slow but it was enticing. They reached the Lovedale station. It was a picture book perfect and a cute station. Nani Bua had sent a car with a driver to take them home. It was drizzling and the temperatures had dropped causing her to shiver a bit. The mist gave the hills a mystic aura as the car meandered through the hilly roads. There was a complete U shaped uphill turn, it was very very steep and she was mesmerized,
a little scared too when suddenly she heard someone call her name. But theirs was the only car on the road, they hadn’t stopped and Mom-Dad and Shruti, her sister, were all resting as well. She looked out, but no one was there on the road… anyhow, who would recognise her here.? She thought it was a dream, may be she had snoozed off..!!
Finally, after an hour of journey, the house or “The Wood on the Hill,” as it was called, came into view. A typical wooden heritage bungalow, it was romantic and mystic. The garden was well maintained with the fragrance of flowers, the wrought iron garden chairs and the quintessential very inviting porch swing. Dadi Bua met them with love and warmth. She was a beautiful and smart lady, best example of an octogenarian. She gave a very shocked look when she saw Seina, but soon she was back to her composed self. She told her parents that Seina was very pretty and reminded her of someone from the past. Seina felt that weird feeling yet again. They were soon taken up to their rooms and after freshening up, they came down to the dining hall and sat down to eat dinner which was a very formal affair.
Her sister and Seina were given a room on the second floor. It was at the backside of the house. They could see the courtyard and fruit trees in the garden below. Overlooking the courtyard was beautiful valley with rolling hills in front and the small local village in the distance. The workers and servants came from that village. Since it was night already, they could just see the lights of the village, which sparkled like stars of the night. She saw through the window, a dark silhouette of another house on the hilltop opposite. She enquired about it, but the maid didn’t look towards the house and seemed disturbed at the mention of the shadowed structure. She said they were an old neighbour family and that they had shifted to America, with only a housekeeper taking care of the property. It seemed she saw a light flicker in one of the upper story rooms. But it was too dark to be sure and Seina hesitated after the maid’s strange reaction.
Next morning the rain had stopped and the valley bathed in the warm sunlight. It was all as green and lush as they could come. They had a light breakfast of dosas and chutney and local veggies. They set out on a trip to their Kul-Devi ( family...
