When Neeli Flies....

Jwala Mukhi

Nataka : Sattavara neralu
Sthala : Ranga Shankara

Kemman gundi Trip

Hi Sheela,

It was pleasure catching up with you last weekend in Kemmangundi. I did find so much of energy in those open forests, the greenery, the soil, the rain and the streams that you have always lived in. I was with these three close friends of mine and a little one who seemed to enjoy the jungles and the streams just like anyone of us.

Before I start, I guess you need to know more about the gang that we have. I guess the name Neeli, which means the colour Blue, was coined symbolizing the blue clothes we were wearing one day..( Btw, we never take into account what Shantha wears. although he has changed after he landed in the bush’s country).. I guess the word resembled the open sky.(although all of us prefer to see a cloud masked sky).. The name also resembles the cool and calmness in the gang, the ease with which all of us enjoy every tiny little thing that god created… outside Bangalore…

The best of us is Shantha, who drives the passion and keeps his cool 24/7. I am liking him more because he has started driving the cars also this year. Gives us soo much of option now to drive longer and outside Karnataka. To think of shantha, all you have to do is imagine a tall swanky bamboo..that listens to the breeze and swings around…a deer that can jump and run in the open green fields expecting to find that thin line between rain and no rain… a Spiderman who can climb any watery rock in the falls..any tree with his tiny little mougli chaddi…a boy who can laugh at anything and keep the warmth..no exaggeration..no artificial talks..no tensions..and most importantly not a salesman… I know he hates me for being that..but it needs all kinds of people to form a gang na….he is also called senior citizen by nettu…and his favorite word these days come from the kannada serial manthana in Etv..appajappa

Next one is Nettu..the name is courtesy his internet skills which he developed after the bagalkote town drowned.. a engineer and a poet at heart at once…this guy is closest to what I would have wanted to become had god given me a choice to choose a personality…an ability to switch off and on as per the environment he lives with…his blogs show how intellect he is … his talk shows how soft he is and his age shows that he is younger to Jyothi J…now..Nettu comes across as a typical shimoga and Bangalore blend.. he can share the kuvempu effect with shantha…share the raj melody with Jyothi…share the fast driving fun with me…listen to shoba’s thoughts just the way she would want anyone to…now..we are only waiting for a lovely lady to join him in his life…but like shoba says..w”ll adjust with a girlfriend for our next trip…Nettu is actually called aravinda..just for academic purpose…

Jyothi forms the perfect blend for these 2 chaps and I think initially it was her traumatic love life that made these guys to pitty on her and be sympathetically friendly… well I have to say I am kidding here..else she will hunt me down..The best part with her is that she takes up both roles of a friend and a wife whenever she wants and that makes life so easy with her.I guess it shows what a beautiful person you are when you get hooked onto your best friend..and to have friends like our neeli.. she has been the source for us to go out..explore the nature and enjoy the beauty like those hills in coorg or those green paddy fields..those wet roads..those mungaru male drives…I have loads to write about her..but then cant put here another 100*4 paragraphed love letterJ

There is a reason why I took Shoba’s introduction last and in the same breathe I need to tell you how a small trip to Kemmangundi become one of my best ever trips. Shobha, is our only other fair gender along with Jyothi…she joined us after Shantha got her into his and our lives last year or so…initially I thought this girl is very reserved and was wondering how to keep the Neeli flag flying.. and then we met her Mom…and I thought if this is the home that she has grown, she is perfect for our gang.. so it proved.. Shoba is no longer shantha’s wife..she is our neeli girl…and that should say it all.. I love her when she sits on the navigators seat when we are on a highway..did you notice the bird which flew past the passing fields..I bet she had seen it..calculated if its flying towards the road..and if it did..would have warned shantha or me… while we would have been busy changing the track to Raj melody with one hand on the wheels…

Both Shoba and Jyothi have gone through the natures best miracles in a women’s life…both have given neeli a couple of cutie pies…who seem to grab all attention..One of them officially got baptized into the gang in the recent trip..the other little guy is waiting for his wings to grow bolder so that he can experience his first fly…

Getting back to Shoba, it was she who wanted to do an outing and was adamant that we go out together, to a place where we can relax. The last time when we were together, she was pretty new to the gang, and she was just getting adjusted to a new house, husband and was getting through the paradigm shift. It was obvious that after a more than a year and a half, she was all set, to let herself free and float in the freshness of those misty clouds of Kemmangundi.

Actually, I was very jittery about going to this place. not because of naxal attacks/ not because of heavy rains..it was because of the little one. Then I thought about the kids that grow up in those places and how can abhi be different. once that thought came up, I couldn't wait for the saturday morning. the fun begin right from friday night when I started to search for my license. it took me 4 hours and at the stroke of midnight, I remembered I have it in my car:-) packing was smooth in the morning with shantha waking up all of us. Luggage went into Innova from Accent and the three of us set out to pick Nettu and the thread to tie the luggage. When we reached Jo’s house, it was still 6.30 and the entire family was ready as if to board the gaadi… with the lugagge safely packed, a quick start up snaps taken by Nettu’s 1500 free photo camera..we were off and thanks to shoba’s commonsense correcting the alien sound of the car…and by the end of city limits..it started drizzling and Mumnagaumale went to the loudest when we hit the toll road….

It was very difficult for us to adjust to the comfort of Innova, the main reason being it was double the size of my 800..by the time nettu, shantha and shoba were done with the circus of sitting closer in the middle, we ended toll road and were parking for the hot thatte idli’s in Kyathsandra..

As has been the tradition, this time also, we never felt short of good food.. I know Jyothi shows her thumb at this..but its amazing every stop we make..the food never disappoints us.. be it the Talakaveri bisi oota / bidadi idli’s / shoba’s famous parata’s / gonikoppa’s kushin / shanth’s uppittu..food has been the next best member of the gang… the rains / the hills / the breeze / the wet roads and the hot food have become the part and parcel of our neeli trip.

With hot idli’s filling our tummies, we set off and saw the famous township of Gubbi pass by..on the way to tiptur.. the susu break saw all of us with a sword..the gang headed by Abhi was at wars..the play ended when we realised that we had to stop again for the superb veg bath and curd rice that was packed with love from Shantha’s mom.. trust me, my mouth is watering at the thought of it..and shantha found the best place for us to stop…

“Ella sari… yaari beli open maadithu….? … ”

With birur approaching, the rains had drenched the entire town…what we did not realise is how much jyothi’s brother in law was drenched in riches… we didn’t have to ask anyone..for it had a flowchart of its own coming out of the horse’s mouth… I was wondering why wouldn’t there be any IT raids, when people openly flaunt their wealth like that… the best of this stop was of course, Abhi got himself freshed up and those super jackfruits…

“ Innoswalpa takolli saar… Bengalooralli edu sigalla… ” “ Nam MLA maaridhru.. apartment nodidhra barwaga dharili..?…Birurge dodadhu… ”

Innova was drenched and had got the rugged look already..and when shantha drove it softly on the kemmangundi road…looking over the rivers and the gudda that he wanted to climb up…we were slowly realising that we had made the best choice of the place and the time for the trip…

“ Barthira… ok Bani…” Jai Mr. Fernandez…

The best welcome into the resort, spot on time, was from the mother nature.. it drenched us and our luggage, just that much, which made sure it was a monsoon invite for all of us..the drive upto the room was nice and the view and the location was fantastic..it was as if the script was written by us…V ery alien, but close enough for the hot food to be served.. the rooms were perfectly sized and the four beds in a room made sure we stayed together..which was the best thing to happen.. just wait till I come to the dumbsherads J

Fantastic lunch,,,as usual..food goddess blessing us.. and we were off to Kalhatgiri falls…the road to the falls was good enough to suggest what we were about to get into..the falls did not disappoint us..after the initial roadblock..shantha as usual got us right place in the falls…I still cant forget the shivering abhi crying out “NO” loudly to shantha when he asked if the water is cold..J) his enjoyment in water..shanths spiderman act..shoba daring to get her water fear out…Jyothi’s backmassage poisition..crossing that huge tree …amidst all Nettu clicking the best pictures…ohh did I forget to mention that he still has around 1400 snaps to be taken J)

The girls decided that they will stay wet till we reach back to see Fernandez… a good decision because the hot bath and dry clothes with hot coffee made us feel warm in the nest…

Feeling cozy inside the room, Abhi and Shantha had done innumerable plati’s till then and the idea of dumbsherads was coined… what a good decision to play that game..cant believe we played it all evening till 9 pm..no matter how fast the wind blew outside..no matter how much it poured…no matter how many the times the power went and came back..the best and the worst names of kannada movies were enacted…I don’t remember most of them…but what I remember is that voice from shantha..asking for

Ondu olle adnasi hesru kodbeku kanroo…J

Samyuktha took more time than Sakshatkara ; Tarka kicked all logics and took Nettu to the Engg diagrams…Ghatta shrada had dead people awake…Maryade mahal had the best curves …Kubbi mathu iyaala had a long drive..Marma was the most mysterious and the fastest came from the unexpected winner Nettu
Karmika kallanalla

It was the dinner call that pulled us out of our beds..only to discover thar dinner is better than lunch…Including Abhi..we had stomach full and god only knows how did we have space to try the sweeeeet dish… caramel custurd was so sweet that there were no ants as well in it in the morning…

I guess we played a couple of rounds of movie names and another round of word connection before we heard the word Nishabdha from the lady don…I don’t know if that was for Abhi or us, but we three boys followed the road which Shoba had already traveled some minutes before…

When I woke up..I didn’t find either side of my bed partners..got up and opened the door…what a sight to see when you open your eyes…Green valley..as long as you see…the earth soaked by overnight rain…breeze shaking up the trees gently so that the leaves shed those droplets gently on the grass below and a red centipede climbing my toe….

Went down for a walk till the ladies get up..I found out that it was a nice estate and by the time the boys made it back, the little one was up and waiting to get out…so we decided to trek down again..all of us together and the baby shrek…

I still remember how happy Abhi went with shantha nettu and shoba..walking all the way..his tiny shoes in that mud way..he seemed to be enjoying the freshness that he misses in bangalore…I knew this was neeli material….

And suddenly it happened… shantha’s daring legs moved away from the mud lane into the jungles…despite calls to come back..he went ahead towards the fence…he found out what we wanted..a stream..flowing with soft sound…it was just fun after that.. while ladies cleaned their toes with the rocks..Nettu was busy with his 1300 more snaps free camera… Abhi and Shantha were the busiest with both sharing a similar outfit.. Abhi came to me when shantha decided that he needs to go up in his life and took the nearby tree and got elevated… I can still remember Nettu asking me.. Shanthanna yengo karkondu baroodu….?

Soaked happily, we trekked back to the room for a hot water bath followed by some of the softest idli’s I have ever eaten.. god bless that lady and her cuisine skills… Up Next for us to conquer was the peak of kemmangundi…

As nettu says, we need to write a book on the art of holiday making…for who else can take four hours to reach 12 kms and not a single moment of it wasted lazing…its true that it was that breathtaking sight down the valley that initially stopped for our routine kaante pics..then we found a nice waterfall were shantha vanished in minutes.. so for the leeches,,it was only Nettu’s blood available..meanwhile Abhi got up in the van and we realised our first and I guess the only mistake of the trip..

When we paid the Kemmangundi gatekeeper and shantha drove in that slendor road..little did we realise what we were about to experience.. when we reached the peak, it was a sight I will never forget in my life..its divine when you get to experience the force of air and droplets of water from the clouds together..the wind force would not let us stand still..the magical experience would not let us sit inside the car… after the souls were satisfied, we headed back to resort after a brief bad coffee and good tea stop…

Came back sharp at 3.30 as promised to Mr Fernandez…meanwhile..how can I forget what happened to Nettu’s camera on the way.. I guess it still had and has 1290 free photos.. the only thing that was missing was the charger which I guess he left in newyork,,Grrr.r.rr

Back in the huts and shantha was waiting for us to finish the lunch…didn’t I tell you that he had promised to climb a gudda…it took one girl and 2 kisses to spoil his plan…I took the kisses and he hit the bed with a green rajayee instead of the green hill…when we woke up..we were just five minutes away from dinner… I guess that was the quickest and the lightest meal we had in the trip…off to bed and this time none of us except abhi slept..I guess moments like these make a trip so much fun for you cannot talk for 6 hours at night when you are not together locked in one room..

Early moring, we got up just in time for breakfast.. it was raining heavily and the plan to re visit the stream went in the air…it was payback time for shantha to Jyothi…the same way she had destroyed our plan to trek the gudda previous evening…but god always had other ideas…he brought the sun out and pushed us into the lake…this time the water was more muddy..but nettu was wearing shorts and was ready for a dip at any cost…it was a better idea compared to what Jyothi would have done to him had he not taken a dip this time…10 minutes and all of us were wet and happily playing in the stream. It was when our house help Francis called for checking out that we realised that our trip was on the way back…went back..freshened up..francis promised to collect local info about the magical falls.. a date me shantha and nettu have kept with those kemmangundi betta…

It was shantha’s assurance that we decided to drive down the chikmagalur road…I guess when I am old and remember stuff I did in youth..this drive will be remembered very vividly. I get scared when dad drives and I have to sit as a navigator…so I took the wheels without giving shantha a chance..I guess I have changed after this trip and have started to believe that he is as good as it can get…

When we stopped for a tea and local feelers about the road in that tea stall in kemmangundi…it was nothing short of a ghost story…that's exactly what we wanted and just a couple of turns into that road, we all felt it together.. this was heaven… this was the place we would have dreamt to drive on and have rest of the gang sitting out on the doors..the road become even more heavenly as we drove down… its been a week since we did this trip..but I have still not stopped telling all my colleagues and friends how I got goose bumps when Neeli went through those emotions in that road listening to mungaru male…I have never seen such a beautiful landscape in my life…I guess everything was perfect.. the timing of our journey..the absence of a single soul across the stretch..the mist..the clouds playing like little angels..abhi sleeping… a perfect 10 on 10 road trip…

When shantha and nettu joined back after a huge jog in the middle of the jungle looking for that invisible deer, we had been through atleast 50 nice waterfalls…huge hairpin bends which showed amazing viewpoints..a 360 degree view stop and a place where to the right of us was the bright sun and to the left of us was the misty clouds…by the time we hit the chicmagalur main road, shantha shoba Jyothi and abhi had dozed off…we found a single nice hotel for our lunch at 5pm..but the goddess of food didn't disappoint us again…Rava idli’s were the best intown..and that gave good energy to re start of road to belur side..

It was here that I finally felt comfortable not being behind the wheels…and we played and sang some of the best songs that you would want to hearwhile on a road and with friends…and yes Sheela, you were the highlight of all of them..you were being played when nettu was dropped…when we reached back home at the stroke of midnight…

A complete 3 days of natural soul purification… no wonder the hangover still leaves on.. I guess we will sit together to see the pics again, nettu;s 1500 minus 1300 and from Shanta’s camera.. It was the end of kemmangundi and the beginning of Kodai… bithappa……..




Bonda soup
Pccchya….
Fernandez first call….
Nee srushitsalagada cheluvige, ninnindetake saavu.

Neeli gang..a collection