Silence

“The only way to reach the temple on the hill is by a cable car”, said the guide. “The expenses have been included in your overall price”.

The crowd looked thrilled. They were a motley bunch of tourists of varying age-groups and backgrounds. For most of them, this was their first such trip. Most had researched the route and the places to be visited on the internet before setting off. Now all they needed was someone to listen to their exposition.

The Home-Maker-from-Chennai (HMC), thought the Office-Goer-Woman (OGW) looked too full of herself. Wearing jeans and leaving her hair loose, did not make her smarter, she thought. She had to put her in her place by telling her stuff that the latter had no idea about. A few lines of poetry, maybe?

The student thought the guide looked cute and was wondering if he would be accompanying them on the trip. The adolescent boy looked at the guide with envy. “Why does he have to come with us everywhere we go?”, he thought. If only he could get the student alone, he could impress her with his knowledge of Hindi film songs.

“Only 6 people per car” said the guide. The student tried to look nonchalent and asked “Aap aa rahe ho?” (“Are you coming with us?”). She thought her diction sounded perfect. Surely the guide was going to ask her about it! The guide didn’t seem to have noticed. He hesitated for a moment and said “Chalo” (“Let’s go”). The student quickly tousled her hair a little to get that perfect unkempt look and got on. “Never sit too close and make your interest obvious”, she told herself.

“This woman looks like the talkative kind. And she has been giving me strange looks. Must be one of those bored housewife-types, who watches afternoon soaps”, thought the OGW. “I should just take my smartphone out and check my emails to avoid any conversation. She looks like the perfect Maami, with readymade advice on everything”.

“One more person will fit here. Arrey Uncle, please get in”. The 65+ year old man, who had gone to great lengths to appear younger, looked crestfallen as he got in. He looked around the cabin, found at least two promising candidates who could maybe be impressed with his knowledge of old romantic songs and cool demeanor.

“Chunnu, wear this monkey-cap” said the OGW to the adolescent boy.

“It’s a balaclava, mom! And I am not cold!”, he said, his face burning with shame.

“Shut up and do what I say!” said the OGW.

“And call me Shravan in public, not Chunnu”, he muttered under his breath.

“How cute you look when angry!” said the OGW, planting a large wet kiss on his cheek.

From the corner of his eye, he checked to see if the student noticed it. She was busy trying to appear cool, but not cold.

“The trip will last about 10 minutes”, said the guide.

As the cable car started, there was some shuffling as people settled down.

“If you don’t have space to sit, you can sit on Reshmi’s lap”, said the HMC, feeling noble for making such a suggestion.

“Go on Chunnu, sit on Akka’s lap”, added OGW.

“I am fine. Will you just stop it?”, he answered angrily. Akka, indeed!!.

“Look at all the green cover. It is like seeing the Goddess Parvathi!”, said HMC, feeling pious and at the same time proud for feeling that way.

“And the serenity! So quiet! You can never experience such quietude in the city”, said OGW, with an exaggerated sigh.

Finding an opening finally, the student started humming a popular Hindi song. She tried to hide the tremor in her voice. “Damn, it is difficult to be fashionable on a hilltop!”, she thought. The guide seemed to be lost in thought.

“Look down, there are two people walking in the valley”, said the student, hoping the guide would look up and give her some explanation.

“They must be locals”, said OGW.

“They must be leading healthy lives – what with all the pure water, the walks and the herbs-infused air they breathe in everyday”, said HMC, in the tone of one delivering an important life lesson to those around her.

“I go on walks everyday on Marina Beach and have wheatgrass juice. You are right, these things do help in staying youthful”, said Uncle, tired of waiting for the women to tell him about his youthful looks.

The adolescent meanwhile, had been thinking of face-saving measures. “You could just close your eyes, and feel the breeze on your face and experience the silence”, he said. It definitely sounded poetic to him.

“He is so right! We can never get kind of silence anywhere else. We should just cherish it!”, said HMC. She could talk about the beauty of silence too!

Uncle seemed desperate to be noticed and started singing an old song.

“I wonder what the locals eat and where they shop for food”, said the student, looking at the guide.

“I am sure they eat the tubers available in the forest. And fresh herbs!”, said HMC, with a confidence she did not feel.

“There are groceries in the valley. People eat regular food here, just like you do”, said the guide.

OGW meanwhile was attempting to meditate. She tried the lotus pose. The bloody tummy was in the way, so she sat in half-lotus, and kept her eyes closed. She could feel HMC’s eyes on her. “That should teach the arrogant bitch – trying to act all pious and holy!”, she thought.

She had to open her eyes a little on hearing some kind of buzzing. HMC had her prayer beads out and was chanting “Om”.

There was a screeching noise as the cable car came to a slow and grinding halt. The others from the group, who had reached before them, came to receive them.

“Didi, please come back soon after darshan. My son is sick and I need to take him to the doctor. I can do it only after I take you all back down”, said the guide, looking at the student, who gave him a look of pure disgust.

“It was a sublime experience”, said Uncle to another equally old man. “You could almost feel the silence like a living thing”.