Character building
Sun was setting beyond the mountains. Tarannum felt at peace. Her city weary soul had been craving for this peace and quiet. She drank her coffee, savoring every drop and watched the sun go down. It was magical. The quaint Darjeeling hills always delivered. In 24 hours flat she felt refreshed. The upside of mobile networks failing she mused. She ambled down the cliff with her back-pack and started thinking about her book. This book has been coming to her in bits and pieces over the years. Almost like a jig-saw puzzle. But she did not mind. She was blessed to have a day job as primary level school teacher, and she totally loved it. It was a vocation for her not a career path. She did not mind waiting for the sparks. The characters somehow made their own choices, so let them be she thought and smiled to herself.
In the lengthening shadows she suddenly realized the beautiful German Shepherd which was keeping her company all this while was no where to be seen. They have had quite a companionable silent togetherness for the last hour. But did she not hear her following just a few minutes back? Tarannum wondered. She turned up to look at the beautiful leaf ridden ambling path ahead. Another fifty meters and I will need the flash light she thought. She fished it out from her pack and heard a distinct shuffle behind her. She quickly turned hoping to see the golden and black mane of the beautiful dog. But what? Nothing. There was no one in sight. The road was completely empty.The tall pines looked calm yet brooding. Suddenly, her favourite meditation point seemed quite unfamiliar to her. A chill passed down her spine, her steps quickened of their own volition.
She could see the lights of the village below. The shops were about to close. May be if she hurried she could still get a warm cup of lemon tea she thought. In this chilly cloud drenched weather that would be really nice. Just then she felt someone touched her pack. Completely rattled she looked back but still nothing. Now she was seriously spooked. Tarannum hurried down the steep path as quickly as her feet would allow. Her head was hammering. She parked her eyes at the distant light below and clambered on. She could now see the last flight of stairs below. She reached the bottom of the last turn and heaved a sigh of relief. Now the lights were just fifty yards away.
The entry to the sun-set point was locked. She could see an opening in the rails on her left she hurried towards the gap. In the far light she could see a man ambling ahead, "The tea stall is open, right?" she called out seeking a human contact of any sort. The man nodded and kept on walking. She wished he would stop. She reached the lighted path to the village and could see the tea stall ahead. One single light burned. She hurried. The man ambled on. Tarannum tripped and cursed under her breath. But somehow she picked herself from the ground and looked up. The man was no where to be seen. He must be in the tea stall she passingly thought.
She had finally reached the gazebo. Tarannum smiled and said, "Give a cup of your delicious lemon tea please, I am beat," to the lady. "Sure dear, please take a seat, how was your walk?", the shop keeper asked. "Oh! Marvelous actually, till I got spooked." "Spooked? But why?" inquired the shop keeper. "I had a feeling something was following me but could not see anyone, till I saw the man who walked ahead of me just now. boy was I glad to see him or not?" "What man? There was no man. You are my first customer in the last one hour." Tarannum sat very still, "No one here ventures out at this hour on such cloudy days, it must have been your imagination, now drink your tea with these biscuits and tell me about yourself." Tarannum felt a strange thumping in her head and caught her breath, with trembling hands she took a sip at the warm tea, looked up and clearly saw a distinct smiling man standing just outside the door.
In the lengthening shadows she suddenly realized the beautiful German Shepherd which was keeping her company all this while was no where to be seen. They have had quite a companionable silent togetherness for the last hour. But did she not hear her following just a few minutes back? Tarannum wondered. She turned up to look at the beautiful leaf ridden ambling path ahead. Another fifty meters and I will need the flash light she thought. She fished it out from her pack and heard a distinct shuffle behind her. She quickly turned hoping to see the golden and black mane of the beautiful dog. But what? Nothing. There was no one in sight. The road was completely empty.The tall pines looked calm yet brooding. Suddenly, her favourite meditation point seemed quite unfamiliar to her. A chill passed down her spine, her steps quickened of their own volition.
She could see the lights of the village below. The shops were about to close. May be if she hurried she could still get a warm cup of lemon tea she thought. In this chilly cloud drenched weather that would be really nice. Just then she felt someone touched her pack. Completely rattled she looked back but still nothing. Now she was seriously spooked. Tarannum hurried down the steep path as quickly as her feet would allow. Her head was hammering. She parked her eyes at the distant light below and clambered on. She could now see the last flight of stairs below. She reached the bottom of the last turn and heaved a sigh of relief. Now the lights were just fifty yards away.
The entry to the sun-set point was locked. She could see an opening in the rails on her left she hurried towards the gap. In the far light she could see a man ambling ahead, "The tea stall is open, right?" she called out seeking a human contact of any sort. The man nodded and kept on walking. She wished he would stop. She reached the lighted path to the village and could see the tea stall ahead. One single light burned. She hurried. The man ambled on. Tarannum tripped and cursed under her breath. But somehow she picked herself from the ground and looked up. The man was no where to be seen. He must be in the tea stall she passingly thought.
She had finally reached the gazebo. Tarannum smiled and said, "Give a cup of your delicious lemon tea please, I am beat," to the lady. "Sure dear, please take a seat, how was your walk?", the shop keeper asked. "Oh! Marvelous actually, till I got spooked." "Spooked? But why?" inquired the shop keeper. "I had a feeling something was following me but could not see anyone, till I saw the man who walked ahead of me just now. boy was I glad to see him or not?" "What man? There was no man. You are my first customer in the last one hour." Tarannum sat very still, "No one here ventures out at this hour on such cloudy days, it must have been your imagination, now drink your tea with these biscuits and tell me about yourself." Tarannum felt a strange thumping in her head and caught her breath, with trembling hands she took a sip at the warm tea, looked up and clearly saw a distinct smiling man standing just outside the door.
Comments