Entwined

The book was Jaya’s soul, without which she would be no more. It had consumed her, her thoughts, her feelings, even her actions. It was as if the book had a mind of its own… but it was that very book that changed the little girl’s world, the only thing that brought about some feelings of happiness.The contents of the book were unknown by all , except me, Elizabeth, the betrayer of Jaya’s soul.

Jaya had always been rumored to be strange, and mysterious. She shielded herself from the rest of the world and the rest of the world shielded itself from her. I was always different, not girl like in any way at all. Brash, boisterous and errant, I broke free from the shackles of being the same… broke away from the stone hearted people I was surrounded by. I wanted to enjoy life for as long as I could,  and I didn’t mind if I had no friends in the process, I just wanted to be me.

It happened to be a caliginous day when I met Jaya for the first time. Mouse brown hair dancing to the song of the wind and her lean body bent over a small book. The only sound made was of the rough scratching of a pen on paper.Curiosity had always been one of my specialities, and like all natural talents , it was put to use quite regularly.So, as I progressed towards the lean figure writing in the dark, my heart started racing. It was not everyday that one saw someone writing in the dark,  which by itself seems like a scene from a horror movie, yet the thing that had truly given me goosebumps was the fact that the girl had not looked up a single time , even as I was progressing closer to her.However, during that doomed moment, my fears became volatile. It was as though I had had no suspicion about the scrawny girl a few minutes back.

With my courage restored, I continued my amble towards the girl who was busy scrawling into her book.

I perched myself right next to her, not even bothering an introduction, yet the girl still had not looked up from her book. Now it was upto me to break the silence, slowly , I moved my grubby fingers towards the girl’s shoulders, and as I made contact , the girl recoiled in fear and disgust. I had broken her penance with the book, forced her to reveal her identity which she was trying so hard to hide...but for what reason I could and can not understand. She was different , just like me and as my eyes made contact with hers, the start of our death-marked friendship had begun…

Before I had come along , Jaya had  had no one to talk to. Her thoughts and feelings were all bottled up in her mind… overflowing and waiting to be told. Having neither a mother nor a father, Jaya was lost in the world, stuck to face reality on her own.With no one to turn to , she used a small book she had bought to depart with her thoughts and to be the mother she had never had.As days became months, and months became years, the book never seemed to change in any manner , and neither had Jaya. However, as I came into the picture, things started to change , and for the first time Jaya got to experience feelings of friendship and a sense of belonging. For the first time she got to know how it felt to be loved.

However, the book was always in the picture, but in the begining I did not mind that.Jaya’s treasured book accompanied us everywhere be it the park or to parties, and as my friendship with Jaya grew, so did her admiration for the book.As time flew by, though our  friendship was strong , her amity with the book grew stronger.

The book had cast a spell on Jaya,every waking moment of hers was spent burrowed between the pages of the book.I was soon forgotten, just a small fragment of Jaya’s memory .I knew that the friendship that I had built with Jaya was too good to be true, but still I wanted it to last. In the same way that Jaya had depended on me for support, at the beginning, I now depended upon her. She had been my escape from the cruel world that I was born into, surrounded by those who looked down at me. Every step I took was followed  by eager eyes,prying into my heart, finding ways to crack my tough exterior, planning my downfall.Trying to make me like one of them.

I only wanted good for Jaya… but good can  be perceived differently by different people.I had not meant  to break Jaya’s heart as I snatched the book from her hands and ripped the pages apart  ...ripped her soul apart .

Nairobi, Kenya

The cool wintery breeze lashed out at our face as we sat in the car. Outside, the sky was dark and the silvery outlines of large buildings rising into the sky, could be seen .This was the start to an incredible summer vacation spent at Kenya.

Our first two days in Kenya were spent at Nairobi, we stayed at my  aunt and uncle’s house. Like any other city , Nairobi was bustling with life & had its very own tourist attractions.

The first place  we visited  was the elephant orphanage, which , as the name refers, is an orphanage to baby elephants . At the orphanage they provide you with the opportunity to adopt the elephants . We were privileged to be able to see these adorable calves extremely up close  and practically be able to touch them.

Our next stop was the Giraffe feeding center. Here we got to pet, feed, and learn about  a type of giraffe known as  Rothschild Giraffe.With our new knowledge of the giraffe , we proceeded to our last and final destination , the crocodile center.

We had a blast carrying baby crocodiles and turtles. The initial  unbearable stench of fish and stagnant water had now been replaced by our excitement in seeing and doing things that we would never have gotten a chance to do in India. It seemed practically impossible to visualize  what we would see when we stayed for eight more days  … that too in the wild !

Starving and exhausted , we made a lunch stop at an all meat restaurant called carnivore. They served all types of meat … including ostrich and crocodile, which were bred at farms just like the other animals they had to offer.

Back from a long day of exploration , we collapsed the minute we were in bed.

*  *  *

Loading our bags into the car , we got set to hit the road. In a little less than six hours we would reach 'Fairmont' Hotel,Mount Kenya.Bidding farewell to my aunt , and uncle , we started our journey to'Fairmont'.The car trip was an experience of its own . Though the roads were a little bumpy, we were surrounded by nature , no matter where you looked , the vibrant colors fluttered like butterflies as the car bolted down the road.

The car journey was so blissful that by the time we had reached the hotel it hadn’t felt as if six hours had gone by.However, the travel had made us all ravenous , so after a brief introduction to the place , we headed for a hearty lunch.After a satisfying meal , we walked to our room , enjoying the beauty of our surroundings.At the hotel there were plants and animals which I  had never seen before, and just seeing them for the first time was truly mesmerising.

Though we hadn’t done anything the entire day other than sitting in a car for six consecutive hours, we  decided that we all deserved some rest …

* * * *

Fairmont, Mount Kenya

Waking up to the melodious chirping of birds , we got ready for the long day we had ahead of us. One delightful breakfast later , we were sitting in the back of an open jeep ready to leave for our game drive.Although the route to the game drive was extremely rough , thankfully by the time we had reached the conservancy ,all of our body parts were intact.

With our only protection from the wild at that stage being the glass panes,cruising through the long , yellow grass, seemed like the most terrifying thing in the world.Not only was the grass lengthy, it was also the hiding place for all sorts of animals, and for all I knew there might have been a lion silently stalking us… waiting for the right time to pounce! To my luck we were unable to spot any animals and as we headed to a path with shorter grass I realized that I wasn’t the only one petrified of a stalking lion .

The very first animal we saw that day was the breathtaking  White Rhino . These Rhinos are of the rarest kind , and seeing this magnificent beast , and that too , so closely , was  an unimaginable opportunity .The rhinos were so rare that they were protected from the other animals in the conservancy by a thick metal mesh. Halfway into our journey , a cluster of  moving black dots caught our attention. Veering towards the black dots , we realized we were going to be confronting a family of Black Rhinos. Though they were not as rare as the white rhino, they were still a wondrous sight to behold , and in a heartbeat my camera was out and ready for photography.

* *

After a fruitful day of exploring the wild,we headed back to the resort, exhausted and hungry. However, as we were nearing the conservancy gate, our driver noticed a  barely visible cluster of cars in the distance.Slowly,as we creeped towards the other cars we noticed a leopard camouflaged in the long blades of grass.Right then, no one would have been able to guess how thankful I was that leopards had spots.I was benumbed by the leopard’s incredible ability of camouflage, and though the entire atmosphere of the car was tense , I could sense that everyone was as awestruck as I was.

Drawing a close to our final day at ‘The Fairmont' , we drifted off to sleep under the dusky red glow of burning wood  in the fireplace.

* * *

Having finished our breakfast , we loaded our luggage into the car and set off to the airport. Usually , when one thinks of an airport the first thing that comes to your mind is a large building with restaurants and a cluster of small shops, however, the airport we went to was anything but that. It was a small strip of land with a muddy pathway as the runway. As we got into the plane, a quaint little vehicle with wings,I was tremendously happy to see that we had practically the entire flight to ourselves, that is , with the exception of the two people sitting at the back.

As the plane touched down at the Mara , we were greeted by the wonderful sight of plants and animals .Making our way to the resort ,Olare Mara Kempinski,  I realized that the roads in The Mara were so much worse than the unmanageably bumpy roads at Mount Kenya. Huddled up in a cozy shukka( a traditional handwoven Maasai  blanket), I looked spellbound out the jeep. Since  it was an open jeep , the animals were literally close enough for me to touch.

* * *

Olare Mara Kempinski Maasai  Mara

Olare Mara Kempinski is situated in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy.  On arrival at the resort, we were warmly received by a group of Maasai  villagers who danced and sang for us. The Maasais were very gentle and kind. Their bright red robes , spear in hand, and  calm demeanour set them apart visually.

As we headed for lunch ,the scrumptious smell of food being cooked made me drool.That  lunch was certainly one of the best I had had ,with the juiciest of meat and the freshest of vegetables. Once the plates were scraped clean , we quickly head back to our tent to freshen up.

Entering into the tent for the first time,my jaw dropped. The tented camp had an atmosphere which blended rustic African ambience and the luxury of an elegant palatial accommodation. It was a sight so extraordinary!  Grinning from ear to ear , I launched myself onto the plush bed,embracing the warmth of the hot water bottle they had placed under the thick,velvety blankets.

Unlike Mount Kenya ,where we had to go out of the resort to see the animals, In the Kempinski , we were staying among the animals. My initial fear of the animals had somehow disappeared and was instead replaced with the eagerness to experience what the wild had in store for us. With my new found excitement, I was filled with happiness as we spotted our first animal, The Striped Hyena. Unlike the savage beasts they were portrayed as in ‘The Lion King’, the hyena seemed to be quite peaceful and quiet.

With the hyena having disappeared in a fine cloud of dust, we proceeded back to the grasslands of the Mara in hopes of spotting another animal…

Soon we were accelerating down the makeshift cartrack road,we were trying to track down the extremely rare Serval Cat. Abruptly as the car lurched to a stop ,we saw a small spotted creature elegantly dart into the knee high grass. With my camera ready, I was a moment too late as the cat crept away ,unnoticed by us all.

Steadily , as we made our way back , we encountered many other preprocessing ,gentle animals.Ending our day with a ‘Scrumdiddlyumptious‘ dinner , we were out cold the minute we hit the sac.

The next day, we had plenty in store for us but little time to get it all done. The first thing we had in store for us was hot air ballooning.In order to reach on time, we reluctantly woke up extremely early,and set out for our two hour drive to the balloon ‘base camp’.

As I precariously managed to heave myself in the balloon basket , the minute the pilot turned on the fire, I was  tightly gripping onto the scrawny handles in the basket. Huffing out plumes of fire,the hot air balloon slowly raised up into the sky. Peering between the close knit weaves in the carriage, I trembled at the very thought that we were hovering in the sky.However, I knew that this was too good an opportunity to miss out on. So,gathering all the courage I could muster,I stood up .

Looking down at the small ant sized elephants,I gazed out of our little basket wonderstruck.I was glad I had made the decision to admire the view below me.Everything seemed picture perfect .The sky was a beautiful blue and the , below us the ground was littered by small moving dots… the migrating Antelopes.No matter how many pictures I took, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to capture the real essence of the journey,and the exquisiteness of our adventure in the air.Bouncing along the rough ground , our hot air balloon lurched to a stop.

Ending that beautiful morning with an amazing breakfast, we continued back to the hotel, only to be surprised by my Aunt , uncle and their friends. After a quick ,tasty lunch, where we all got to know each other , we set out for a game drive.As luck woud have it,all the children that joined in were super nice and we hit it off immediately.

Cruising through the sandy roads in the Mara,we were hot on the trail of a family of lions.Slowly grinding to a stop,the car stood rooted in front of a majestic lioness,as she slowly turned her gaze towards us,for a few short seconds ,felt her eyes locking with mine,instantly sending a shiver down my spine.Trickling forward, our car stopped again next to a magnificent lion surrounded by three lionesses.Basking in the warm glow of the sun, the lions rested on their small patch of grass .Covered in scars and dried blood, we were surprised to learn that the gorgeous lion looking up at us with his drowsy eyes and worn out body was nothing but a cub.We had all enjoyed our game drive so much that by the time that we were back at the Kempinski,we had hardly even noticed.

After two more days of game drives and spectacular food, we finally made our way to the airport where we would go our separate ways...

As the plane lifted off, I reflected upon all the adventures I had in the Mara.I couldn’t help but smile remembering the breathtaking moment when a mother leopard walked past us with her three delicate cubs,their fur glistening with droplets of falling rain,or, the time we splashed through a hippopotamus infested lake.The loud steady wails of the hippo still rang in my ears as our petite plane landed on the runway.

* * *

With only one day left in Nairobi ,we knew that we had to spend our day to the fullest … so , me and my sister got ready for an eventful day of sitting in front of a T.V. Other than the occasional bathroom and food breaks,we were in the T.V room for practically the entire day until my cousin, Arnav, came back from a long day of school.

So that I could have memories of Nairobi for me to take home, we went for an amazing mystery game called ‘Freeing kenya’.The main goal of the game is to escape from a room in a given amount of time using clues  and hints we find.Successfully finishing our challenge on time, we went ‘home‘ and prepared for our long journey back to India.

* * *

With half a day left at Nairobi , we decided that we would pay my uncle a visit at his workplace.The ‘Villa Rosa Kempinski’ was grand in style and luxury.Sweeping down the stairs to admire all the spacious rooms in the hotel,we made our way to the largest room in the hotel,the presidential  suite.I gazed at the room,too bewildered to even utter a sound.The room,with its crisp white walls and spacious rooms was anything but a humble hotel room.The room seemed to carry an air of dignity around it ,as if it was boasting about all the famous people it had housed.

***

Boarding the flight,I felt heartbroken to leave my new experiences behind,but , I knew that this trip was  one memory that I could carry with me for  a long time.