A sweet guest, an uninvited bath (continuation of the previous post)

(Please read the previous post first and then read this…or else you won’t understand anything) Where was I???Hmm…..scene. What scene? Oh….heartrending scene! Yeah. Really that was surprising and heartrending. At about 12.30 p.m, the 4 of us (me, my sis, my eldest bro and IISc bro) went in search of some monkeys. Whaaaaaaat? I know. Its hilarious to say that we went in search of a ‘monkey’. But, still I thought that by seeing monkeys, we could have some fun.

Unfortunately, there were none. But, there’s always some superpower or thing which lets you do what you like. In fact, people with physical disorders often lose heart and develop inferiority complex. At that moment, what I believe is that God disguises himself as a human or a living thing and boosts confidence in such handicapped persons. The same happened at Kalale, in front of us.

While the Homa was at its peak, a lady who was suffering from polio came and sat inside the temple to see the Homa. She saw us and felt somewhat sad. Maybe we were sitting and rejoicing there, and we were happily running in and out of the temple. She looked at her legs and turned pale. Immediately, a monkey from nowhere came inside the temple. It saw the polio affected lady. While we were frightened by the monkey’s entry and ran away, the monkey walked calmly, saw the Homa, came near the lady and happily sat on her legs. Having given us the biggest shock of our lives, it started to caress her by slightly patting on her back and touching her legs. The monkey also made some sound with its mouth and constantly kept shaking its teeth. All this, looked like a Godly act to those who were present there of whom were not atheists. What a surprise!

To us, who were purely Srivaishnavas, it seemed like the monkey was chanting the name of Lord Rama. With an exception of IISc bro, everyone present there was amazed and delighted. Even my uncle and aunt who were performing the Homa felt ecstatic, since a Godly act happened while performing a Godly Homa!!! Thus, the sake of going to Kalale was fulfilled!

The monkey drew the attention of everyone who came to the temple. But it also angered the priests who were performing the Homa. One of them lost his temper and shouted, “You’ve come to the temple to see the Lord or the monkey? Such disgusting people you are!” As far as I’m concerned, I think the monkey was Lord Hanuman in disguise and I’m really thankful to my uncle and aunt for taking me to Kalale. The monkey is still their in my eyes and it has left me an indelible thought that God helps the needy.

Coming to the next part, the Homa was at its peak at 1.30 p.m when the Poornahuti was given (the last thing offered in a Homa). Seeing a person giving Poornahuti is a treat to the eyes. We went round the Homakundam (Pradakshinam) three times and wore the Rakshe on our forehead. Then we went to seek the blessings of Lord Lakshmi Kantha Swamy.

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ! Its sweating like hell..!! There were about 50 people in the room (room in front of the Garbhagudi or Sanctum Sanctorum) and there’s no fan, no windows, nothing. And its terrible when the priest multiplies your sweat by going out of the room for 15 minutes! All I can say is that it was S.I.C.K (I know it isn’t right to tell sick when you are in a temple. But still, express your feelings!!)

Finally we came to have lunch at around 3.30 p.m. That was the biggest, heaviest lunch of my life!!! I couldn’t say I didn’t want a particular thing to be served because I was in a temple. How much ever they serve you, eat it keeping the meal in your mind as Lord’s Prasadam!!

There – it was the time to depart. I was always confused in which seat to sit in the car. If I sit in the front, I couldn’t see the movie which was being played. If the case was in the middle, no one would agree to exchange their place with mine. And, not to forget, if it was the last row, I had to adjust with 3 more people. Never mind, I sat in the last row and so did my sis, eldest and IISc bro.

We bid farewell to Kalale at 4.30 p.m. And so it goes in the descending order – Kalale, Nanjangud….pause! This was the turning point of our trip and the starting of the 2nd part of the fun. We paused the car for a moment to buy my favourite cool drink, Maaza. If this hadn’t been done, then I wouldn’t have made up my mind NOT to sit in the last row at any cost for the rest of my life!!

Continue…Nanjangud, Mysore, Srirangapatna, Mandya, Maddur…stop. So is there vacancy in Tiffany’s??? It was an obvious answer. You can’t find vacancies in any hotel between Mysore and B’lore on sunday evenings. So you have to be prepared to withstand your hunger until you reach B’lore!

There – Maddur, Chanpatna…again pause. Why? This pause was not the actual pause of our car meaning, we didn’t pause anywhere right from Maddur to B’lore. This was to narrate the incident that happened in the car while we were in Chanpatna.

I’ve already told you no vacancies. But, why not give a try? Shivalli? Lokaruchi?? Hey…here it is. The biggest joke of the century!!!

Eldest bro was euphoric thinking that we’ll go to Lokaruchi and so was my sis. But eldest bro heard from the driver that even Lokaruchi will be full. So he zipped his mouth. But my sis was still desperate to go there. And I was desperate to drink Maaza. Lokaruchi passed by. No sooner did I just put Maaza in my mouth, than she (my sis) exclaimed, “Lokaruchi Vanthu….(it came)”. The NEXT moment, IISc bro exclaimed, “Lokaruchi pochi (it went)”. There you go – I didn’t know what I had found extremely funny there, but I just started to laugh with my mouth closed. The Maaza had just stepped into my throat, but it went back in a second when I opened my mouth and………..Splash!!!!!!!!!

Who’s it???? IISc bro? Eldest bro? Myself? My mom? or My sis?….You’re right. It was my sis!!! I had sprayed half of the Maaza which i had drunk on her thinking that it was a window. I was doubly sure what would happen next. But before I could swallow the rest, I sprayed half of  it on IISc bro and the rest half on myself!!! Naaaaaaa….not fair. I know!!! Eldest bro was transported with delight since it hadn’t happened to him this time, while it had happened every other time to HIM. That’s it – Eldest bro saved his day with his clever tactic of not sitting next to me!! R.O.T.F.L

What’s the next reaction??? As expected. IISc bro and my sis stared at me while the latter gave me a disastrous look!! She had turned purple with rage while IISc bro was a bit angered. Eldest bro was laughing and laughing until his stomach ached. Everyone in the car started to laugh, except my sis who was on the verge of….!! You know, she was in a catch 22 situation. Even though she was angry, she coudn’t do anything to me. She could neither cry nor shout at me. After a while, she also joined the others on their laugh. (What sportive – mindedness!!!)

From Chanpatna to B’lore, I laughed remembering the same joke 1000 times. Finally, B’lore arrived. We were en route to Subramanyanagar to drop IISc bro. I had been telling him that his sis (creative sis) would be waiting for his arrival with an Aarathi plate. Great people’s sayings always happen!! (I consider myself as one of them). And it happened. However, there was creative sis, waiting for him, who had already been ditched twice that day by her affectionate cousin.

I told her all these things when she had come home and she started laughing. She also regretted for having missed such fun and opportunity. But, in one way she was thankful to God….guess what????Hehe! Better luck next time, creative sis. And now its your turn to get my splash of a drink!

Thus it was a magnificent trip to Kalale. The sweet bath of Maaza and uninvited guest (monkey) or the other way round…the sweet guest (monkey) and uninvited bath of Maaza was……….A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!!!

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