JAB DHONIM TOSSED
Jab Dhonim tossed
It was just a hot day of shopping when Deepika and Madhureema decided to chill out with pepsi sipping session at the mall. Madhu looked at the inner side of the cap of her pepsi bottle.
“Let’s scratch and see whether we won something.”
“Nahi! Mood nahi hai. I don’t feel lucky these days.” Deepika was showing symptoms of heat stroke.
“Chall scratch kar na. After all it is twenty twenty world cup offer. May be we will get some autographed T shirts or balls.”
Madhu scratched her pepsi bottle cap. There was a code number written there. She followed the instructions and sent the sms with the code number. And when Deepika was not looking, Madhu took Deepika’s mobile, scratched her cap too for the number and smsed it. That day Dhonim tossed. And result was that Deepika won a return ticket to Scotland and seven days free stay at Holiday Inn. Coaxed by family and friends, Deepika took the offer and traveled to Edinburgh.
The moment she entered her hotel room, she found a small packet lying on the bed, with a red rose next to it. Not sure what it was, Deepika hesitantly picked it up. She opened it and inside was a strange letter.
“Follow the Indian flag and the solve the mystery. Your whole day bus ticket is attached.”
Along it were a bus ticket, some shopping coupons and a small Indian flag. Attached to the lower end of the flag was a small message which read,
“A joyride in 29, Be with us by 12. 25″.
Deepika sat down on the edge of the bed and read it over and over again. She looked at her watch. It ticked 11am. Still she had some time. Wondering whom she was supposed to meet, she decided to dress up. As such she had seen Angrez Women scantily clad and smoking around in what was supposed to be the summer in U.K. but felt like winter to her. The temperatures were quite cold. She wore a baby pink frock with lots of frills and with butterflies attached to the hem. A pair of black net patterned stockings and black boots complimented her dress.She sprayed her hair with anti fuzz and then rubbed hair straightening gel slowly as she straightened her shoulder length hair. The blond highlights shone against her black hair. Her makeup focussed on her beautiful eyes and lips. She looked like a princess ready for a stroll. As an after thought she wore a black cropped jacket which completed her look. As such it is said, “Never trust the English weather and the English women. They both can never be trusted.” A jacket and an umbrella on a seemingly warm day comes handy when it suddenly chills out or starts raining.
She walked down to the reception unsure of what she was supposed to do next. The man at the reception was an Angrez with blond hair and blue eyes.
“Ma’am, How can i help you?”
“Could you please tell me about the places I can visit in and around here?”
He rattled something which Deepika could not understand. It sounded Greek.
“Can you speak slowly please. I cannot understand your slang.”
He handed her a brochure and said,
“You have to go to the town centre first. Take a taxi or the bus no. 29, 37 or 51″.
Deepika repeated the words and then it struck. She looked at her watch. It said 12.23pm. She ran to the bus stop. The buses and train really kept the time in U.K. She found a bus no.31 just arriving. As she climbed into it, the bus started moving. She flashed her ticket to the driver who seemed to be a friendly woman. Her eyes saw something as she walked to sit at the back of the bus. An Indian Flag was struck behind a seat.
She removed it and read the message at its base. It read,
“Stop the carnage the princely way where the congress symbol stands, not far is the royal path”.
Deepika who was new to the capital of Scotland didn’t know much about it’s history. She got plagued by various options as she tried to understand what the message meant. She sat still trying to remember the geography and history lessons she took when she was young. Now what about this congress symbol…..a hand as in India or did they mean symbol for congress as in USA. Suddenly the bus screeched to halt. The announcement screamed “Princes street, next bond street.”
Deepika alighted from the bus. Princely way had to be the Princes street, she was feeling a little relieved. She looked to the right and to left. Fed up, she sat down at the bus stop and stared at the tourist brochure. She looked up for Princes street and followed the attractions there. It said Edinburgh Castle. As she followed its route, not sure if it was the place she was to visit, she read a sigh which said,
“Royal mile.” Her face lit up. Far away the castle could be seen. She decided to walk this distance in search for further clues.
She smiled at the people who walked along with her. Aromas of freshly baked delicacies hit her nostrils. It almost tempted her to stop and take a bite but she walked on. The architectural excellence of the buildings around amazed her. Her eyes saw a sign post which read, “Royal college of surgeons, Edinburgh.” She had always wanted to become a surgeon. She decided to walk into the building promising herself that one day she would be here for her studies. The flower lined well kept garden lead to the visitor’s area and its museum. Her eyes met a strange sight. Situated right in front of her was a huge hand made up of bronze.The ligaments and capsules were all exposed. It resembled the Congress Party Symbol. On it was placed an Indian flag. She pulled it out and smiled as she read, “42 horses pulled the Chariots up and fast.” She knew what it said. She had to take the bus no. 42. She walked out of the building to the bus stop. Few moments later the double decker bus pulled up. She climbed it flashing her all day ticket to the bus driver.
She took the stairs and perched at the open terrace berth. The view from the open bus was amazing. The red coloured Scottish homes were amazingly beautiful. The gardens were full of beautiful flowers. Everything was so clean. No garbage, no animals running out, beautiful weather and beautiful surroundings. It seemed she was a princess in a fairly tale. Suddenly a wave of summer rain showers came down. She ran down to the lower compartment of the bus. She was cold. The man sitting next to her smiled,
“Caught the showers, young lady?”
“Yeah, It is so cold!”
“Noo Lady. It is summer here. Never say it is cold. Just say that it is so fresh and cool!”
Deepika smiled at the man who was dressed in Green Kilt, stocking and boots. She wondered what was under the kilt. She remembered seeing Prince Charles dressed like this once. But Prince was not Scottish, she thought. Suddenly the man waved an Indian Flag in front of her.
“This is an Indian flag….You are an Indian, are you?”
“Oh, where did you find it?”
“Right here on my seat! You wanna take it?”
“Thank you. It is so nice to see my country’s flag!”
Deepika almost snatched it out from his hand. It read “Intubate the children, cry they will. Tell them the story of a prince and a princess and smile they will”. She pulled out the pamphlet again and followed the route the bus would take. She knew they intubate small patients with a Miller blade and laryngoscope but felt beaten as every where on the route it read….. Miller Restaurant, Miller Street, Miller Princes Street, Miller Kings Abode. She didn’t know what to do and where to go. An Angrez child was sitting in front of her with his mother. He asked her mother,
“Mommie, what is the name of this castle?”
“Craigmiller Castle!” She replied.
Deepika panicked. Was it this castle, the message meant?. Cry as in Craig, intubate with Miller and when ever we tell a story of a prince and a princess a castle will always come. She looked at the man sitting next to her wearing the kilt.
“Did I miss the stop for Craigmiller castle, Sir?”
“Still plenty of time, lady. I will tell when it comes.”
She sat quietly waiting for the man to tell her when she had to get down.
“Alight here and walk to your right. Keeping walking. You are not gonna miss it.”
She thanked him and got down. She took the turn to right and walked. She seemed in middle of nowhere. There were beautiful meadows around her. The horses, the cows and the cattle gazed around her. She felt that these animals led a better life than her. No work but just grazing and lazing around in lush green surroundings. She smelled the beautiful pink and red wild roses which lined her path. The narrow path gave way to a tall grass and wild flowers every where. She panicked. Will she ever find the Castle? She looked around and saw the outline of a castle, far away in the horizon, on a hill. There seemed no sign of a human soul around her. A rabbit ran into the grass right in front of her. She got frightened. She wondered whether she had solved the puzzle the right way or did it mean something else.
She walked among the beautiful yellow and white flowers which were growing wild and in plentiful all around her. The butterflies flew around kissing one flower to another. The birds glided from the clear blue sky lined by the white clouds. Deepika remembered all the stories she had read as a child. Little Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty And Cinderella….. all seem to come alive. She bent down to touch the yellow flower but it stung her finger with its thorn. Deepika felt the fire spread inside her finger and she started crying. Her finger swelled up. She looked around for help. No one was around. The pain was killing. She ran to the castle. At its entrance stood two curvy trees. They seemed to be there for ages. On it perched was an Indian Flag. Deepika had to climb the tree to retrieve the flag. Her swollen finger made it difficult. She grasped it into her fist as she read,
” The prince meets the princess at the highest point.” Deepika was still crying when she took the stairs to the roof of the castle. No human being was around. Not even a curious traveller. The castle looked haunted. The castle seemed to stay all alone for years neglected by the tourists and the local.
As she reached the top she was still crying and panting. She felt so sad and unlucky these days. The exit of Indian Team from the twenty twenty world cup had also pained and angered her. The pain in her finger was intense. She paused for breath at the last stair. She heard her name and then a song. She looked up. In front of her was Dhonim and a group of young men and women. They were singing, “Happy Birthday to You, Deepika.” A huge six tier cake in white and pink stood in middle of the open terrace. Pink and white balloons were everywhere and so were the white and pink roses. They surrounded her just as Dhonim stood next to her. He gave her a gift. She cut the cake as she blew out the candles. It was her birthday. The fifteenth of June. Dhonim stuffed her with a peice of cake which she ate. The english cakes do taste heavenly. But for Deepika nothing mattered as she was with Dhonim on her birthday. She had forgiven him for the sudden exit from the world cup. A hug, a shake and a gift from Dhonim washed all her sorrows. Today she felt lucky, happy and content.
Yes, she had a beautiful birthday. He looked into her eyes as he said,
“Happy Birthday! You look so beautiful!”. Her gift was a trip to Scottish highlands to Loch Ness in search of monster with none other but Dhonim her travel mate.
The princess had met her prince on her birthday.
(I CANNOT SHARE THE PICS WITH YOU COZ DEEPIKA HAD MASCARA RUNNING ON HER FACE. BABA…SHE HAD BEEN CRYING! )
(It is little belated b’day for Deepika but friends I am still on vacation and will return soon to read your posts and post mine too!)
