“Shall I book the eight twenty five flight Wednesday evening?”
“Can’t you stay till the weekend? Kids start their exam that day.”
I am home with my family for a short visit. A month back I reported for work at another city, two thousand kilometers away from our current location. Family will join me by March end after the school session. My wife wanted me to stay a little longer but I thought I needed to head back.
Eight twenty five in the evening seemed a good time to fly out and join work next day. My wife didn’t sound too pleased.
8:25 departure read the E-ticket.
On Wednesday I woke up late at seven in the morning to see an sms on my phone from the airline reminding me of the flight timing.
Is that 8:25? As in the morning? Not evening 8:25? Oh no … it’s 8:25 and not 20:25!
A flurry of phone calls to the airline office and it was clear that cancellation or rescheduling was not possible. In fact the boarding of the flight was going on at that moment.
It was a silly mistake on my part on the flight timing but an expensive one because two other relatives were supposed to travel with me.
At the lake; PC: Ningshen
To beat the blue my wife suggested that after dropping off the kids at school we go for a walk at the lake nearby. I used to visit this lake frequently and have taken many pictures of it. She knew the place would cheer me up. I just love this small lake, a remnant of a much bigger lake that has dried up over the decades. It is a peaceful place.
As we sat on a bench we watched the blue sky above with white clouds looking like a cotton field in full bloom. The black cormorants flew over the water and the egrets walked the shallow water hunting for food. The morning breeze was so refreshing.
We smiled at each other. We took pictures. We knew we were at a perfect place at that moment. The missed flight which was a financial mistake turned out to be an opportunity for treasured moments.
The chirping and singing of the birds were so sweet. We saw the reflection of the trees on the water. The warm morning sunshine on the tender leaves reminded us that spring was early this year.
Indian Paratha Palace; PC: Ningshen
I saw the beauty of the moment we were sharing and the missed flight was already a reconciled memory! I suggested that we go on a long drive and maybe look for a cosy place for breakfast.
There was this cute new roadside eatery we saw under construction two months ago. And we thought it would be a good idea to try it out. The “Indian Paratha Palace” served Northern Indian food as well as South Indian delicacies, the two being as different as the north is from the south. This suited us metaphorically because presently we are in South India and are due to move up north.
The view; PC: Ningshen
Being early for the day we were the only customer. The eatery had just about opened when we reached. The tables and chairs were nicely arranged. I can’t quite certify that the food was good but the mood was good.
We took more pictures.
And we ate to our heart’s contend.
A vegetable farm; PC: Ningshen
The eatery is next to the highway and is surrounded by vegetable farms. The green spread all around was a pleasing sight to see. And we were already feeling nostalgic even before leaving the city. Is that possible?
I met my wife eighteen years ago here in Bangalore, fell in love and got married in another city. Came back to this place years later. Our daughter was born here. All the three kids started their schooling here. We stayed seven years in this beautiful city as a family. This city has a special place in our heart.
So the thought of leaving brought forth a sense of nostalgia even before leaving.
We felt blessed as we talked about our stay in Bangalore. Strangely the missed flight and the financial loss was no more a nagging feeling!
Later in the day at home we sat down to book ticket for another evening.
The flight at eight thirty in the evening seemed good.
20:30 to be precise.
