Thenmala Tales (Part 7)

Waking up in the Forest

I knew that this was a memory that I would carry in my heart forever…

The blazing campfire gradually gave way to glowing orange coloured embers in that dark, starlit night, and all became still at Rockwood, the beautiful cottage situated in the midst of the forests of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. Achayan announced dinner, and we all trooped into the dining hall to gobble up the fresh, hot chapathis and a delicious vegetable kurma. Post dinner, the three of us ladies decided to call it a day and went up to our small room upstairs.

Manish had handed us an emergency light, which was the only source of lighting up the room. The weather was cool and we decided to sit for a while in the small balcony. The chirping of the crickets had had taken on a peculiar rhythm, waxing and waning at times, and we sat looking out into the pitch black darkness of the night. The brook gurgled happily through the night. I wondered if any wild animal would be coming to quench its thirst. I wondered if any passing elephant would come and attack the cottage. I wondered if Manish had switched on the power to the electric fence. I wondered if there would be spiders in the dark bathroom with metallic walls. I wondered..i wondered.. I wondered… and fell into a restful, dreamless slumber.

It must have been nearly 6 AM. I was woken up by a beautiful music coming from afar. Light was barely filtering into the room through the glass window on the side of my bed. I sat up and realized that it was a bird call. I have never ever heard so divinely melodic before. I sat for a few minutes, enjoying the sweet and harmonious song of the unknown bird.

Not wanting to waste these beautiful moments in bed, I climbed down the narrow iron stairs. I could hear the sounds and smell of cooking from inside the kitchen below. Murugan came out with a glass of piping black coffee that I gratefully accepted. I slowly walked to the brook to sit on a rock and sip my coffee. I was totally alone in that world, but never lonely. I found myself enjoying my pensive solitude as my eyes drank in the sheer beauty of the pristine surroundings.

I knew then that this was a memory that I would carry in my heart forever…

A picturesque part of the forest

Our delicious dinner

Early morning at the cottage

The charred remains of the campfire

A beautiful tree with bright red flowers in its trunk