May 20, 2010

Milestones - 1

Milestones - 2



As we drove past the Nilgiri hills on our way to Ooty the bus stopped on one of the hairpin bends.

The weather was cloudy with a faint drizzle in the air – the greenness in the trees had come alive and they spoke the language of love with each other. The cool air caressed the land with affection and the musical birds were swaying to a symphony unheard …and yet the quietness of the surroundings was absorbing Don Dasgupta.

‘I will never fall in love again’ he thought to himself looking out of the window. He had been repeating this since the last 2 years. And had left no stone unturned. Work, music, movies, travels, more work…whatever worked to keep him away from her thoughts. He was on his final journey to the beautiful hills of Ooty to remove the last trace of emotion he had in his veins.

But the hills had other plans for him.

‘sir the bus won’t go further, we need to stop for a while, me and my helper will go to the nearest village and get some help.’ The bus conductor informed.

‘I knew it – something has to go wrong’… she‘s not going to leave me easily.-

Sigh why does my life have to be so difficult?’

‘well, so be it, I am not giving up.’ Don chided himself and picked up his back pack and started to walk up the hair pin bends. At the foothills there were 36 of them.7 remained now.

They were going to be steep and difficult.

As he set out on his journey, he stopped and turned back. The lonely waiting bus and the few passengers looked on expressionless. But somewhere deep hidden in his heart, a silent but unreasonable expectation voiced it’s desired to go back.

He let his mind answer that.

He turned around and headed for the first bend. An inclination of almost 40 degrees was tough. He saw a little lamb limping in the middle of the road. As he walked past, he noticed the little lamb’s left leg was bruised, unattended the blood had dried up on his wound.

‘Must’ve got lost or did his mother leave him mid-way? But what’s it to me. I cannot carry this to with me to the top. I have to move on’.

He let his mind talk again, but this time it did not listen to him.

He walked a bit and stopped. The lamb was following him.

He looked around and the hills suddenly seemed so lonely. There were dark clouds drifting ahead caressing the slopes. It was as if the hills were upset with him.

Brushing aside his thoughts, he picked up the bruised lamb and carefully put it by the roadside.

Having packed a first aid kit he felt relieved he could administer at least some treatment.

The little lamb’s eyes were calm again. They seemed to say something. But he never got the message.

It was time to move on.



Gyanban Thoughts - this is a short philosophy series.A stark departure from the mysteries and thriller genre.This is a simple story of Don Dasgupta,just a name of a you and me,running somewhere in life,with life,without life.Most of us run this path in ignorance even when the messages are in front of us.

In the journey that Don undertakes,you will find what he learns from life itself.What will the hills teach him? What will he learn? Sometimes in life we set out to achieve something,we are so focussed that we forget the little messages lying in front of us,giving us the clues to our mission,our paths or our destiny.

Find out if Don gives up or gets it in the end? What lies ahead in the remaining 6 hairpin bends?

Read Milestones -2


image courtesy:desktopnexus.com

22 comments:

  1. That's an awesome mini-philosophy series spun along the hair-pin bends of the foothills.
    Loved the thought that went in bringing up this series.
    Looking forward to next part :D

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  2. Hills are considered to be a great escape ... and you've brought a man fleeing from his demons to the hills? Interesting

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  3. Liked the lamb connectivity to the post....
    may be because of my bonding with cows...

    The little lamb’s eyes were calm again. They seemed to say something. But he never got the message........loved these lines

    Yes, most of the times , we never get their emotions communicated.

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  4. To pause and think about what our surroundings, the small encounters of life can teach is surely refreshing. Looking forward for the series...

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  5. The mini philosophy series too is interesting like the mystery and thrillers ...looking forward to Don Dasgupta's journey....

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  6. To feel the communication between humans and nature is a beautiful thing. Well written. This Don Dasgupta intrigues me :)

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  7. Lovely narration...

    There's something I need to give you, check my blog: http://venicerowe.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-first-blog-award.html and Enjoy! :)

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  8. @Chatterbox - thanks am glad you liked it.Yes next parts are ready will post em soon.

    @Ritu - yes i guess once the journey is complete it will give you a better perspective as why I chose to include those hills.

    @Mahesh - didn't know you bonded with cows.interesting. i am sure know the story however, is not about the lamb..

    @Shilpa - thanks .yes very often we ignore the messages lying around

    @dmanji -Don Dasgupta s journey only gets more intriguing as he goes forward..

    @VLN - Why does Don intrigue you? Someone you know?

    @Venice - thanks a ton for the award.Really a nice gesture.

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  9. u threw in a few words into ur pan, a pinch of thought for taste, whipped up a pretty lil picture of the country... and called ur new dish "short philosophy". for some of us, its called "slippery".... the kinda piece tht makes us fall for it very quickly, unknowingly. i'm hooked. enjoying every thought provoking taste in this new dish... compliments to the chef!

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  10. @ 7-ate-9 Merci. Glad you liked the philosophy.this is going to be a long series of short stories.so stay tuned,i will be posting almost everyday. thanks again for reading.

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  11. Gyan you really know how to tell a story. Very people get it right.

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  12. Am hooked!!!cant wait for the next one!!!

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  13. Goodness of the heart too needs to be cultivated...:)...enjoyed the read

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  14. Hey that's a wonderful series about to unfold in front of me.. Enjoyed reading the first part.. :)

    GOing to the second part now

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  15. hmmm nice thoughts My gyanban... u do need these little messages to make u move on in life... well writen!

    Cheers!
    Tavish

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  16. @purba - thank you. - yes,true, very few people get my story :-))

    @MagicQuill - glad you liked it.

    @@nalini couldnt agree more, - glad you liked it.

    @Sushobhan - Am glad you did thanks for appreciating.

    @Tavish - - am glad you liked it. Thanks.

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  17. Hills are great to explore. And nature has this ability to teach us things. Reminds me of my Broga Hill outing. Keep exploring friend!

    Sureindran R.
    www.sureindran.blogspot.com

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  18. Excellent story, and I can see the lesson learnt here unconsciously through the events that took place in it.

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  19. @Sureindran - my guess is the Broga hill outing must ve been good.

    @Trulyana - Welcome to scrambled Egg! Thanks for appreciating my work.

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  20. Interesting... moving onto part 2

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  21. Aah GYan,
    Your Stories are always so well-formed. This chapter has a perfectly intriguing end that will make a reader move to the next chapter for sure. Such simplicty in narration but you compell the reader to go with the flow...:D
    Just spotted 2 typos..Hope u dont mind me pointing.. 'it’s desire to go back.'
    '....this too with me to the top.'

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  22. @Roshmi - thanks.

    @Vibhuti - Thanks for appreciating.

    a silent but unreasonable expectation voiced it’s desired to go back. - what would you suggest an alternative?

    this to with me to the top. I have to move on’. - you are right - i will remove the additional 'to'. Thanks for a detailed observation.

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