Outing with my girls…
We are a gang of 7, we never had a opportunity to go on a long tour so after our final year exams we planned a trip to Ooty. We decided to stay in our friend’s (Mythu) cottage which is situated in Kotagiri. Getting permission from our families was a task, it required hunger strike, lodes of tears, conformation from other families and emotional drama. Finally came my turn, I became a drama queen and performed so many plays, I had to talk family democracy to world politics. Finally the girly weapon created the magic, shedding of tears won me the ticket to Ooty.
Finally the day came closer, constant calls from Ramya and Mythu and the WhatsApp group chats never let me sleep. Bindhu quitting the group, Surya changing the dates and Archu’s confused mindset, shook us from within. Komal was not able to make it for the trip. We missed our setu dhadha throughout the trip, yes she is a dhadha because she is very much comfortable with the filthy language. 5 kasu munji (Ramya) arranged for camera, Suresh anna our mutual friend was sweet enough to give it to us.
Finally the day came we packed our luggage and got ready. Kullachi (Archu) came to my house around 6:15 Am on 31st May. 5 kasu, Otha rosa (Bindhu) and keech Keech (Surya) came to my house by cab, we both boarded the cab. Karthi Surya’s boyfriend came till CMBT for sending her off. We reached our kundhani’s house. The moment we got down the cab, Moorthy anna was waiting with the car. We went up to meet aunt and uncle. They gave us so many instructions and advised us to stay safe. Everyone offered their prayers to god in front of aunt. Mythu snatched the chart I had for creating ouija board and gave that to aunt as everyone in our gang expect rose was afraid playing that (I missed the chance of frightening them). After which we boarded the car.
4 DAYS 3 NIGHTS
Our journey from there started around 7:30 Am. Our first halt was at a temple, famous for its power of protecting the travelers, though an atheist I got down with them and went to the temple. Our next stop is no surprise to those who know us. Yes, we stopped in a restaurant and had our breakfast. By mistake I asked if there are 2 different types of Sambar as the Sambar was served in 2 buckets. From that point 5 kasu started calling me Sambar. Mythu opted sendhoor mess for our lunch, we kept reciting “Sendhoora” song till reaching there. Our snacks baggage could have provided enough food for 3 days but we almost completed it the same day.
Everyone had a different playlist and we kept fighting for playing each ones favorite. Finally we decided to put everyone’s favorite song in the playlist and to shuffle it so that random (The Random Spot ;)) songs will be played. Rose never stopped the live streaming, calls and messages from friends, family and well wishers never ceased. We reached Kotagiri by 4:30 Pm.
The queen of hills greeted us with cool breeze. Nihram welcomed us with its warmth. We refreshed and bought vegetables and knife (yes knife) as it is girls squad people with me had knife and pepper spray. We prepared our dinner and played cards that night. It was not a good day for the chef of our gang may be because I helped her out in preparing the dinner. The spice level went to peak, Moorthy anna had to put up with it. Even after asking him so many times to stay downstairs, inside the cottage, he chose to sleep in car.
The next day, 1 June, every one of us got up by 6:30 Am. I usually get scolding for taking a lot of time in getting ready. We left the house by 9:00 Am. We went to Dotta Betta taking Robert uncle’s (Mythu’s family friend) suggestion. I had a fight with kullachi during the travel. But when we reached there we all posed for the photos. Our gang’s photographer Rose had a very big task of showing every one of us picture perfect. We took so many pictures, ate so much and had a gala time over there. We went on boating on Ooty Lake. After reaching Nihram, again Archu became angry with us, it took us the whole evening for consoling her (we didn’t succeed completely that night) we discussed everything under sun and we dozed off.
Mythu was not able to sleep as she planned to sleep alone that night. She stood up for waking me up and frightened Bindhu (Rose lost her sleep rest of the night). So I got up and slept beside Mythu that night. In the middle of night Moorthy anna called Mythu so many times, but we both were too drowsy to pick the call. Only after getting up we came to know that 15 bison surrounded anna and he was lucky enough to escape them.
As usual we got up by 6:30 Am (2nd June) and started to Sim’s Park. We had to leave before 9:00 Am because the work for laying road was going on. The sick chick Surya, Mythu and Ramya never stopped their laughing therapy for controlling nausea. Once we reached Sim’s Park we started our regular job of posing for photos. We gave so many different poses and oops, we lost our camera bag with the charger and lens cap. We all went to a depressed mode. It took some time for us to come out of that feel. At least this incident made Ramya shed tears ( =D ). Instant messages and calls were placed to Suresh anna, everyone apologized from their side. Anna was sweet enough to forgive us and he went to the extent of asking us to click the picture of flowers so that we will come out of the depression.
We separated as a team of two and went in search of the camera bag. Everyone in Sim’s Park would have wandered for sightseeing but we wandered for bag seeing. Unfortunately we were not able to find the bag so we lodged a complaint to the authority and left the Park.
This being the last day of our trip even after these bitter events we did not lose our zest so we went to tea plantations posed like the native Badagas, went to Lamb’s Rock from where we can see 2 to 4 states according to the guide. We went to Dolphin’s nose and made our tea and chocolate shopping over there. We had our lupper at Jam Jam. And after reaching Nihram we cleaned the place, draped saree and posed for the photos. Robert uncle and Moorthy anna helped us with the camp fire. We danced till our legs went crazy, shot so many funny videos. We did not want to take chances so we asked Moorthy anna to stay with us. We were all so tired after the long tiring day so we went to bed early and got up late. The 3 days fun reflected on the last night. I and Surya puked in middle of the night (the biryani I had in Jam Jam came out with it :p).
Mythu’s grandparents asked us to leave before rahu kalam that is before 9:00 Am of 3rd June. I don’t trust in such things but I decided to go with the flow because you have to be a roman in Rome (I respect the sentiments of elders). Surya cried as she was not feeling well. As they were laying road we had to walk a long path. Though she was not feeling well she laughed at me looking at my condition. We boarded the car at sharp 8:59 Am. I, Archu and Surya skipped our breakfast, Surya skipped her lunch as well. Ramya showed Manesh Sir’s residence (our favorite professor) after reaching Chennai. Surya got down first, Karthi picked her. After which Ramya and Rose got down at Ramya’s house. I and Archu got down at my house. And Mythu left to her house. Our trip ended, we all bid a farewell.
We fought for silly reasons like the car seat, favorite song, accessories etc. we cried till there is no more tears to shed. We laughed till our stomach ached. We understood each other even during our misunderstandings. We loved each other even during the unpleasant moments. We fought, we cried, we spoke, we realized, we gave up. And most of all we lived and this proves our 3 golden years of friendship. I have hated my college in so many situations but it is this college that introduced these people in my life, so I’m grateful to my college in that way. Much more may come in my life but I can’t forget these days that I spent with my girls. Just like the lush greenery of Ooty the memory would be evergreen. These days, the place and my girls will have an irreplaceable place in my heart. I will cherish these moments till the end of my life. A long trip like this is still a dream to many girls, we are all gifted in that way. We made it. I can now tick a tick a checkbox in my bucket list.
Thank you Mythu for making this trip possible, thank you Ramya for taking permission from all the families, thank you Bindhu for capturing the moments, thank you Surya for preponing the date and thank you Archana for coming with me between so many hurdles.
Thank you Suresh anna for providing your camera and for forgiving us even after our mistakes, thank you Moorthy anna for putting up with our food and our irregularity, thank you Robert uncle for guiding us and thank you uncles and aunties for letting my girls for the trip. A special thanks to Indhu Aunty and Ravi Uncle for making this trip possible.
பாஜக அரசின் மூன்று ஆண்டு கால சாதனை
The Random Spot 