37
Coorg is called the “Scotland of India.” It is one of the top tourist attractions in India. Mystical hills, cool breeze, salubrious climate, and rich aroma of coffee and cardamom plantations engulf the senses in this quaint hill station of Karnataka. Unspoiled, serene and beautiful, Coorg is the perfect retreat to unwind and rejuvenate, or indulge into sheer adventure. Our plan was to stay there two nights and we were to leave on the third day afternoon. Although Coorg is a place where you can easily spend 7-10 days.
The Mumbai flight was a ninety minute flight and time happened to fly by quickly. I knew Susan liked to trek and visit places of natural beauty and thus I had planned to visit the Mesmerizing Mallalli Falls on way to our resort in Coorg. Our resort in Coorg is a 3 hour drive from the Mangalore airport
I told Susan “The vibrant and beautiful Mallalli Falls is situated at the foothills of Pushpagiri Hills in Kodagu District of Karnataka, and is one of the best tourist places in Coorg that attract nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. The waterfalls cascades majestically from a splendid height of over 200 ft., making it one of the tallest falls in South India. The sight and sound of the water trouncing against the rocks beneath is a spectacle to behold, which will echo in your mind forever.”
“Wow, it sounds amazing.”
“It is. Simply relax and listen to the sound of the water as it gushes through ravines and crevices and you will forget that you are a detective,” I nudged her.
“Trust me Rahul; I would love to forget that I am one for the next few days. I am looking forward to relax and distress. This job sometimes gives me the creeps.” There was her American slang again.
“Then promise me no discussion on the case or about work for the next three days,” I insisted.
“Oh really, then what will we discuss Mr Detective?”
“I can give you three options – you choose one of them.”
“Ok fine. Tell me the options.”
“The options are one, romance, two, romance and three, romance. Tell me which one you choose.”
“These are not options, you have given me just one option and that’s not fair.”
“I never said they cannot be same options, I gave you a choice, now be a sport and choose one.”
Susan looked at me right into my eyes and brought her face close to mine. I could feel her breath on my face. She whispered, “ok honey, I choose option 2.”
As her breath touched my face, I lost my breath and didn’t know how to respond. I had never had such a beautiful lady so close to me in my life. Seeing my condition she burst into laughter and I felt a bit embarrassed. I looked around to see and there was the female cabin crew looking from the corner of her eye and smiling. I felt a bit more embarrassed, and Susan added to that embarrassment. “So you are all words and no play, isn’t it?”
“Come on, that was too sudden and seriously I didn’t know how to react. You are so beautiful and you just caught me by surprise.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet,” said Susan and kissed my cheek.
I was just stupid enough to change the topic, “ok let’s focus, so when we go to the falls, we will go for a trek as well, infact, we will trek to the falls.”
“I didn’t know you were such a shy person Rahul, and you wanted to spend three nights. I wondered what would have happened in the nights,” Susan continued to tease.
“Nothing would have happened, as per your instruction I booked two rooms”
“Oh really, liar! Rose told me you have booked only one.”
“Oh did she? Ok now you know there’s only one room. I was wondering how to inform you.”
“Ya, keep wondering. Don’t do anything.” Susan was at her teasing best.
“Don’t challenge me, I may look shy but I am like the tiger, when I attack I finish my prey.”
“Wow, the prey then is ready to be finished, you coward.”
“Coward? Why did you call me a coward?”
“Because you don’t even have the courage to hold my hand, how will you ever kiss me?”
“There’s nothing like that. I can.”
She hit my hand and said, “kiss me now.”
“Are you crazy, we are in the flight with people looking at us.”
“Coward.”
“You are mad, no way now.”
“Coward.”
“Listen enough, don’t challenge me. I will do it and then…”
“Rahul is a coward,” Susan continued to tease.
“Listen enough, I will kiss you at the resort.”
“Coward.”
“What will people think?”
“Who made a coward like you a detective?”
“That’s it, one more time you call me a coward... I will…”
“You will what?”
“I will...”
“Coward.”
That was enough; I gathered the strength from somewhere and kissed Susan on her cheek. She burst out laughing and so did the cabin crew who was still enjoying the show.
“My coward needed so much strength and persuasion to kiss me on my cheek,” she said while not being able to control the laughter. Thankfully, just then the pilot announced that we are descending and we should tie our seat belts. It released me from this embarrassing situation with the last words from Susan, as I fixed my seat belt, “now the tiger has been chained.” This time even I could not control my laughter.
Soon we were in the taxi driving towards the falls. It was a very beautiful and scenic drive which we enjoyed to the beat of some amazing music.
Thankfully, we were not very tired when we reached the falls. We had to do a small trek to reach the falls and we expected to spend around 3 hours there. We quickly got into our trekking shoes and started walking towards the falls. The sight of the greenery surrounding us was truly mesmerizing. The walk was amazingly beautiful and due to the stony path, Susan decided to hold my hands while walking, I wasn’t complaining. For sure, chemistry was developing between us and was poisoning our hearts with liquids of love.
What we saw next took our breath away, right between the green mountains surrounded by bushes and trees; we saw the silver liquid emanating from among the crevices of the mountains. The water flowed on the plains and then suddenly dropped as the mountains curved with the sound of water falling freely to meet its destiny.
As I saw that and looked at Susan, the detective became a poet.
“From among the brown and the green
Comes gushing out the water as if set free
Flowing elegantly to meet its destiny in the oceans
Can’t this be the love story of you and me.”
And the lady detective was upto the mark.
“Stories are meant to be in the book
Love resides in the hearts that no one can see
Destiny is not controllable
Neither is what happens to you and me.”
We just held our hands more firmly after this exchange and we trekked down a very steep slope on a trail which led to the bottom of the falls. It started to drizzle as if the rain clouds were blessing the poetry in action. We looked up to where the water had started to fall from and the colours of the blue, brown, green and silver reminded us that there is nothing more supreme than the nature.
We spent a few minutes there and started back up the steep slope. The climb sapped up all the energy we had. After the climb, we took rest for a few minutes. I treated Susan to some tasty bhutta (corn cob) and masala chai (tea) which she after reluctance savoured upto the last bite and sip. As we walked back to our cars, we didn’t realize how the time had flown.
“These have been the most amazing 3 hours of my life Rahul. It was as if I had become one with nature and there was peace all around.”
“I agree with you Susan, and we keep running around all over with all the tensions and pressures of life, till we realize life is about being with yourself immersed in peace.”
Susan hugged me tight in the car, as we drove towards the resort. Our Mahindra Resort in Coorg was equally beautiful. As we entered the room, Susan asked, “Are you sure it’s only one room?” winking at me.
And I said “yes, and only one bed. I will prove to you my tiger skills tonight.”
“Let’s see,” she joked, “but first I need to take a good hot shower till you order something good to eat.”
“Jo hokum mere aaka (your wish is my command),” I said as I saw her slip into the bathroom. She was right, I was a coward. I should have followed her right in, but the shy man in me resisted.
I ordered dinner. As she came out the shower, with only a towel wrapped around her assets, she looked no less beautiful than a goddess.
“Stop staring now, and go get a shower. I am going to change into something comfortable and don’t want you to see it happening.”
“Really?”
“Yes honey, really. Reserve your tiger skills for later.” That was surely a hint.
I went in for my shower and started dreaming about Susan. I came out and saw one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Susan was tugged in the bed covered in the white blanket. With all the excitement and fun of the day, her eyes were closed and she had gone to sleep like a baby. If there was any moment which defined that I had fallen in love, this was it. I cancelled the dinner, tugged in the bed, lay down beside her, hugging her tight and didn’t realize when I went to sleep.