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Ella couldn’t believe that such a place existed in London. Slightly north-west from the heart of London, they were walking their way literally into the wilderness.
She felt her shoes sink in the soft grass. The wind smelled so pure and so fresh. They crossed many ponds that littered the landscape and climbed up and down many hillocks. The land looked so green and so pleasant that Ella forgot all her worries. As if she was back home in Sweden.
The place was lined with familiar looking trees: oaks, birches, and maples. If it weren’t such a sunny day, the trees would have added a “Sleepy Hollow” effect.
Ella heard the chirping and tweeting of different birds. That was so refreshing from the dreadful sound of police and ambulance sirens that the nearby roads reverberated with.
The winter sun shone brightly, yet it had no warmth. She looked at the deep blue sky and saw there were a few traces of white clouds. It appeared that the day was smiling on her.
She saw children playing football in the distance, giggling and squealing with joy. And she wished she could become a child once more. She heard the thumping sound of men and women jogging and thought it was the perfect place to jog.
Anuj explained that the place was known as Hampstead Heath and stretched over 320 hectares (790 acres). This grassy public space was one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate. Hampstead was also home to many of London’s famous poets, artists and politicians.
“I can’t believe we’re still in London. It feels more like an English countryside,” said Ella.
“You’re right. Even I couldn’t believe it the first time I visited this place. By the way Hampstead wasn’t officially part of London till a few hundred years ago. And now the city has expanded so much that Hampstead is almost part of Central London,” smiled Anuj.
Ella nodded. “I know how time changes.”
“Let me take you to a very special place,” said Anuj.
“Where?”
They climbed up a hill. She saw the other green part of the hill and the trees and behind them she saw the grey skyscrapers of London. She noticed a big wheel and identified it as the London Eye.
“This place is called Parliament Hill and you can see the whole of London from here,” said Anuj.
“Parliament Hill?”
Ella tried to look for the Westminster Parliament but couldn’t locate it.
“I can see the whole city. But I cannot see the Parliament,” observed Ella.
“Yes, you can’t see the Parliament from here,” said Anuj.
“Then why is it called Parliament Hill?” asked Ella.
“That’s because till a few hundred years ago, much before the skyscrapers were built, the Westminster Parliament was visible from here. The area was also known as the Traitors' Hill during the 17th century English Civil War because a few rebels then had plotted to blow up the English Parliament. The legend is that the two rebels Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby came here to watch the destruction of the Parliament after planting the bomb or whatever it was called in those days—er—gunpowder or God knows what,” said Anuj.
Ella looked at him. She was surprised.
“Then what happened. Did they succeed?”
“No. The plot failed, and the rebels were caught and executed,” said Anuj.
“Interesting story and I like the way you told it. You seem to know a lot about the place,” said Ella.
“Yup, that’s because Fr. Williams, you know at the Netherhall House, brought us once here and he explained a lot of legends surrounding this place,” said Anuj.
“Aha—what other legends surround this place?” asked Ella.
“Ummm, let me see. There is a vampire legend here. Would you be interested in knowing more about that,” asked Anuj.
“Vampires? Wow, why not?”
“Okay. It is rumoured that the Dracula’s dead body was brought here from Romania and buried in Highgate cemetery,” said Anuj.
Ella’s eyes lit up. It looked as if her blue-violet eyes were going to pop out.
“Really? Then what happened?”
“There were stories that many people were attacked by a vampire or vampires, I don’t know for sure. And that some exorcists were arrested in the 1970s for desecrating graves,” said Anuj.
“Anything else?” asked Ella.
“Well, Karl Marx is also buried in the same cemetery,” added Anuj.
“Hey, now don’t you dare place him in the category of Dracula,” Ella laughed.
“No, I shouldn’t. After all, your country’s socialist system is more or less inspired by him,” said Anuj.
“And Dracula, considering the taxes you have,” smiled Anuj.
Ella laughed, taking the joke in her stride.
“Quite an entertaining story, no doubt. But I wish you knew more. I think I’ll look up these stories on the internet,” said Ella.
Anuj nodded: “You’re most welcome.”
Ella spotted a bench and said, “Why don’t we sit down and enjoy the view.”
“Oh. Sure,” said Anuj, and both sat down on the bench.
They quietly watched the grey skyscrapers towering above the landscape.
“London looks quite big. Sometimes I wonder whether you’ll call this a success or a failure,” mused Ella.
“I see it as more of a failure. A huge destruction of the environment. I’m sure London would have looked better if it had more green spaces and trees. I mean if you live in Central London, you would hardly see any trees. You won’t know the season because you won’t see the changing colour of the leaves,” said Anuj.
“Yeah—I agree with you. But some people will call it a success. A bustling city and the financial capital of the world,” said Ella.
“Maybe. But I wished there were more places like Hampstead Heath,” said Anuj.
Ella agreed.
“I come here quite regularly. I find this place so comforting. Calming and serene. It’s so great not hearing the noise of the traffic and the sirens and to be away from the rowdiness of pubs,” said Anuj.
“I agree,” said Ella. She took out a notebook and a pen and started scribbling something. The sunlight was coming directly on her face highlighting her hair that was tied in a bun. She looked different, somewhat like a Greek goddess, except that this goddess was wearing a red overcoat over her blue jeans.
“What’s that?” asked Anuj.
“Hmmm. Nothing. It’s just my to-do list,” said Ella.
“Wow. You maintain a to-do list? Everyday?” asked Anuj.
“Yeah. I do,” replied Ella.
Anuj was running short of words. He didn’t want to intrude but couldn’t resist the urge to ask:
“What do you write in that list?”
“Ummm... Just my personal stuff. Like, for example, I had a music class to attend in the morning. Then I’ll go for jogging in the evening. And then I need to finish a few of my assignments. And... Oh—by the way I’m taking part in another musical concert, this coming Tuesday. Feel free to join in if you have nothing else to do that day,” said Ella.
“Oh wow. Sure,” said Anuj.
Ella looked far more organised than the girls he’d met in St. Stephen’s college. None would care to maintain any list of any kind. That sounded like too much work. They would rather speak to him directly and nag if he forgot to run an errand in time.
Especially Supriya. She’d told him once she didn’t know what to focus on and what not to for the exams! Amrita wanted to get rich fast just by marrying someone very rich. And Ankita blamed him for her singing career going nowhere. So much for planning and hard-work!
“Do you believe in hard-work?” asked Anuj. His question sounded random and out of context to him.
Ella looked at him.
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I mean you seem pretty organised. It looks like you do strive to maintain a balance between studies and hobbies,” said Anuj. He wondered if he was making any sense.
“Yes, I do believe in hard-work,” said Ella. Her voice made it clear that she didn’t mind the question and was willing to talk about it.
“I become very restless when I’m doing nothing. I like it when I have full control over my actions. I never consider myself a victim, and so hate to blame outside events for my failure. But I always ask whether I am doing enough to succeed. Am I in control of my destiny? Am I taking steps in the right direction?” said Ella.
Anuj was speechless. Ella’s eyes glowed with a surge of determination. A fire he saw missing in his former female colleagues. Ella sounded different.
Anuj’s inner voice cautioned him once again.
You thought every girl was different. But in the end they all turned out to be the same. It’s too early to come to any conclusion about Ella. You don’t know her enough.
Ella kept her notebook inside her purse and took out another notebook. She again started writing something. She looked immersed.
“What are you writing now?”
“Oh, this is my personal journal. Whenever I find that things are not under my control, I vent my feelings in this notebook. If I notice something beautiful or feel positive, I write those feelings down. I feel recording my emotions is a great healing experience for me,” said Ella.
Something flashed in front of Anuj’s eyes. A few months ago, Fr. Williams had organised a talk in Netherhall House which was titled “The Healing Power of Belief in a Supernatural Being.”
The point of the talk was: it is better to believe in God than not to believe in anything. A lot of case studies were shown where terminally ill patients, who had utmost faith in God, healed miraculously. Other studies showed that couples who were religious fared better in case of job loss, divorce and personal tragedies.
Anuj had then thought about this as some kind of Christian propaganda designed to bring heathens like him to the folds of the church. But this appeared to be different.
“You talk about journaling your emotions as a healing experience. I have not heard you say anything about God?” asked Anuj. He felt quite stupid asking this question.
Ella looked down.
“I’m not a religious person. When I was 13 years old, I had a cat who had become very sick. My mom told me that only God could save her. So I prayed to God. In the end, the cat had to be put to sleep. That’s how helpful God was,” remarked Ella.
“Fair enough,” said Anuj.
“I believe that you and only you have the power to change your life,” said Ella.
Her blonde hair again shone in the sunlight.
It suddenly reminded Anuj of his cousin Nisha’s hair and her radiant smile. And what she had said:
“I was lying in bed in deep pain. The pain radiated from my chest and moved to my shoulders and back. I knew cancer was slowly eating me alive. I felt the presence of tiny monsters inside my body gobbling up whatever they could. I asked Raj why God was punishing me like that. At first he didn’t speak. He wasn’t sure whether he should tell the truth. I told him I must have done something horribly wrong. That’s why I was being punished. That somehow angered him. ‘You have done nothing wrong, I know that for sure. And no God is punishing you. So you take that out of your mind. Right away. Otherwise the belief itself will eat you from within. If you have to believe in something, it is better to believe in nothing than in a sadist God, he’d said.”
“Did you think Raj was overreacting then?” Anuj had asked.
“No. I think he had a fair point. He taught me to fight. Not to surrender to the will of God or believe whatever has to happen, will happen. I had become too fatalistic. I thought what was written in my destiny was final, that could never be changed. But I was wrong,” Nisha had said.
Ella’s reaction had sounded somewhat similar to Nisha’s.
“Do you still believe in God?” Anuj had asked.
Nisha had replied.
“Yes. But it’s more important to believe in love. Whenever I closed my eyes and prayed to God, I only saw my husband’s face. So ultimately it was my love that I think healed me,” Nisha had said.
Ella looked up at the sky. The breeze was gently ruffling her hair. Her eyes showed a deep admiration for nature. She again started writing something down. And then she closed her notebook.
“Someday, I’ll share with you what I’ve written,” she said and got up.
