All travel is unarguably a learning experience and ours was
no different. On March 27th, 2012, my young
family set afoot on our first journey abroad with our doll “Geney” and the better
half “M”. The date will remain etched in our memories for ever for its sheer priceless
value and significance. The trip was conceived to coincide with the first
birthday of our princess and to form a lifelong attachment to the special
event. Special events demand special journeys, and therefore, the colosseum* in
Rome was
pencilled in as the special destination to mark the occasion of our beloved’s
first year with us.
*The
colosseum amphitheatre, the symbol of ancient Roman’s grandeur and might, the
battleground of the countless gladitorial combats, provided an ideal backdrop
for the occasion. Ofcourse being students of history, both M and me, made our
choice easier. We could not have chosen a place which is more steeped in
glorious history than the Colosseum. It was a grand theatre and a platform to
proclaim to our daughter how precious she is to us and the extent to which we
can go to make her happy and realize her dreams! The sheer size and scale of
the colosseum inspires us the lesser mortals to greater deeds and dreams.
During our first trip together within India
to Oodaypoor, Geney learned about tradition, determination, valor, sacrifice,
and independence from the glorious past of the Mewar Kingdom Rome
My mind flashes back to the day - we visualized this trip
and the plan that we put in place. In a silent moment of retrospection, I remember
the many questions and ponderables that haunted us giving us sleepless nights:
Geney, so young and tender, would she cope up with the obvious exertions of a
travel, what she would eat? Is it going to be too cold for her, and several
other hazaar thoughts streamed in our
minds. After a little but intense deliberation, we made up our minds to proceed
with our European sojourn with a positive intent and prayer on our lips.
M planed the itinerary meticulously till the last details
were filled in. We booked the air tickets and hotels six months in advance
(smart travelers that we are!) to economize our cost. The passport and VISA
were duly stamped three weeks prior to our departure. The leaves from our
office were duly sanctioned well in the nick of time. But the entire process
was not as seamless and smooth as it appears and like a hitchcockian thriller,
as the D day approached, several twists and turns accompanied it.
At one point of time, the prospect of a job change and early
joining almost thwarted our well laid out plans. And to make matters worst, the
troubles seemed to be far from over, as news poured in about the worsening
economic crisis in Europe and a resultant simmering wave of anger and
discontent speading across the entire European continent. The spectre of a Tahrir Square *
(*Tahrir Square Egypt Europe .
Spain and Italy , two of
our main destinations on the trip, were the worst affected and probably the
most vulnerable amongst all EU members. The whole thing could turn into a
nightmare if we are caught up in the imbroglio affecting these countries. To
allay our fears, I got in touch with the Spanish & Italian embassies and
earnestly checked for the travel advisory only to be informed that indeed, as M
suspected, I was making a mountain out of a mole!
In my earnest defense, all I can say is that the reason for
my schizophrenic reaction was because both Geney and M were accompanying and
the risk factor multilplied manifold. No
less to blame was the role played by the TV channels who provided an endless
and round the clock coverage of Tahrir Square demonstrations and to a lesser
extent the newspaper reports which leave no stone unturned to paint an image of
extreme violent upheaval and unrest in our unsuspecting minds! Ofcourse I
wouldn’t pin the blame on my avid interest in witnessing and probably
visualizing exciting regime changing political developments across the
globe!! The power of plebian revolution
did however succeed in sowing seeds of suspicion in the minds of us the merry
making travellers”!!
However, the cherry of the cake goes to one particular BBC
dispatch which reported plans of a massive strike in Barcelona
on March 30th, 2012, the day we were to arrive in Spain !! This
report did get my goat and emboldened me to present a mild petition (Golden Rule 1:
you don’t protest to your wife but only submit petitions!) to M that
after all I was right to think the way I did!
As expected I was snubbed and stubbed into submission and what typically
happens in such situations is that the entire discussion dies its own death
after a while.
Chastened by the experience, I returned with the zeal of a
missionary and worked clockwise with the precision of a butcher/surgeon (take
your pick!) and in no time we were back on track with our plans. We both
sighed and whispered to each other what
we hear so often “everything is destined”, and it was our destiny to take this
trip and to soak in its happiness with our little dotty.
The entire plan was kept a well guarded surprise and within
the confines of our home not to be shared with anyone until the appropriate
moment. But much as you want to surprise
others, it always surprises you back by sneaking out and staring back at you!
By January 2012, most of our friends got wind(but ofcourse M!) of our European
holiday plan and the reactions ranged from the wild and enthusiatic WOWs,
FANTASTIC, AWESOME to the ususal
sobering and probing questions, to list a few, did you book the entire trip on your own, have you taken a package? How much is it costing you? How
long will you be there? Etc…
And for the few who
were left out; the reactions ranged from “tumne mujhe bataya nahi?” tum hume apna nahi
samajhate ho? hum naraaz hain!! etc….Daunted by the prospect of facing a
volley of such emotions, I duly informed the entire gang of people who mattered to us, not to appear selective in sharing our
plans!! (Golden Rule 2: you can never appear
to be fair with everybody however hard you might try to do so!)
On the D day, the nature seemed to have reserved its best
for us and presented to us the most beautiful sight to behold. All three of us woke
up to a glorious sunny day and as we lay on the bed, the glistening golden rays
of the sun played truant with us through the small openings between the
curtains. The rising sun, still in its infancy much like our little doll, was a
sight to behold as it emitted energy and shone resplendently in its cosmic
beauty.
The fun had just begun as the time to leave for the airport
came nearer. For the next 15 days, there was no one standing between us and the
joys of a holiday or so we thought. M’s
BP shot up as the taxi we had booked didn’t turn up on time. I too got a tad
anxious and whispered “hope we don’t miss our flight”. On hearing this, M lost
her cool and blurted out “this is what you want and your words will come true
as you never say the right thing!” I replied tongue in cheek “What an
auspicious start”!!
As I sat down on the couch, strapping my wristwatch and puting
on my shoes, a stream of thoughts came rushing to my mind. I couldn’t hear a
word of what M directed about keys, suitcases, diaper bags… and couldn’t see a
thing with a blur infront of my eyes. My generally languid style gave way to a
pensive brood and soon a stupor. I turned
towards Geney for succor, frolicking playfully in M’s lap, and looked into her
eyes as if to seek reaffirmation of the purpose of the visit. The moment her
eyes met mine, the last of the lingering doubts, fears, and trepidation
withered away overpowering me with a magical sense of purpose, strength, and
inspiration. I was ready to take off with our precious birdey to the skies!!
