I was pissed off yesterday for some bullshit reasons (everyone faces) and then I issued a book by Paulo Cohelo, The devil and Miss Prynn. It was today morning, I was reading and almost half way through that I felt like just going out and discovering Mysore. So, I got my bag packed and checked out the places to visit and found “Karnaji Lake”. Off from the campus at around 1:00, I boarded the bus and reached the place.
Initially, I was reading the book and was very much into what is going to happen next. But, after a while I was just not able to concentrate on the book and the story, reason being the two girls chit chatting behind me. I did tried but finally succumbed and kept the book inside my bag. Now, I know it is bad to hear other people conversation, but either ways they were loud enough. So, this girl was telling of how his father had saved lot of money for himself and the family but once his brother asked for the money and he gave him all, never asking him to give it back. She then told here friend about the loan that his father has to pay and how times are getting difficult. Interestingly, she also had fallen in love with a boy and now wants to convince his family about their relationship. She was trying and tell her friend the situation of what is going on.
Deep inside she knew that she has to do something really big in her life if she wanted to convince her parents. (Isn’t it very similar to most of the girls. We all want to do big and prove something and lead independent lives. Who wants to get stuck up and prepare simply chapattis for people who don’t even respect that!!). Interesting for me was the fact that the girl(i.e the friend), when the lead girl said she has to do something big in her life and that is how she has to convince her parents, her friend was like, NO. See, if you do something big in life, your parents will try to find a man who is capable of you and so it is not you who has to do big in life but the boy you love. Interesting for me because, you know, no matter how stupid it sounds, but this is the truth. If that girl really wants to marry that boy, ideally the boy has to do something really great to convince her parents Silly it sounded, because when it is arranged marriage, mostly the girl is the one who has to be like, an advertisement, where she tries telling how good she is. But when it comes down to love marriage, the pressure is on the man.
Either ways, there was this another story the girl had to tell. His father had a sister and for some financial or whatever reasons, the sister was married off early in age and with a boy who was ten years elder to him. Now, the lead girl was very upset about it. For two simple reasons, one very valid. She said that before marriage, her aunt (the sister) used to cry a lot because she did not wanted to get married so soon. She wanted to build her career and do something about her life. But, failed to convince the family of what she wanted. The second reason, that the aunt(sister) was married to an army person and he was not good looking but her aunt is very pretty.
The lead girl also went on to explain to her friend, how much irritated her aunt becomes sometimes, because she feels that too an extent her freedom was snatched and she could have led a more independent and happier life. She said, her aunt once said “Life is good only when you are with your family, once you are out of your parental home, it is all dead”. Weird it may sound, but trust me, most of the Indian women go through this. Saddening it is but for some reasons, you need to be really successful in life, if you want to lead a free life and for Indian women, the fight is tough.
So, listening to the conversation, I don’t know where the time went by but very soon I reached the city bus stand, the place from where I was to take another bus. Sitting in my bus, I was looking outside and I noticed what every man does. A beautiful chick crossed by and all the men sitting in the bus stand checked her out( from top to bottom). The old, the young, the ones with their wives, every one!! This same thing happened when I was coming back as well.
After around one and half hour I reached Karanji Lake.So, anyone ever coming to Mysore, if wants to visit the place, it is near the Mysore zoo and the Mysore palace. To reach here, first you need to go to the city bus stand from where you will get a 201 bus that will take you this place. Also if you are interested in visiting lot of places, I would prefer taking a bus pass.
Now, this place is different, different from a point of view that it is all surrounded by trees and when you are inside it, you will feel as if this is the entire earth and no where else to go. In the middle of the place, there is a beautiful lake, alongside which are some benches, on which you can sit and relax. There is also a provision of boating and is truly a lovely place to go and relax.
I sat alongside the lake and read my novel and enjoyed the nature with all its pleasant sounds.
Moving ahead there is a aviary and you can find some of the most beautiful birds, And you the best part of this aviary was that it felt like a jungle. The birds were all busy having fun and flying and yet reach back to the place again. So, I saw pigeons (white), peacocks, peahens, white peacocks, horn bell, cocks. I even saw two cock fighting. There were cranes, ducks and lot more of them. You could see them flying, doing stunts and enjoy the beauty they hold.
Well, either ways, when I was taking a stroll I met a family and they were there enjoying with their grand child. We had a conversation and told me about the different places they have been to. He told me that the zoo or particularly the bird sanctuary of Singapore is great. It has some of the most beautiful birds and is a must place to visit in your life time. It was obvious he was rich and has been to lot of places around the world. But, I liked the kid. He was nice, lost in his own world, asking her grand mother to click photos of the white peacock and the other beautiful birds because he wanted to tell his friends that he also saw things his friend have seen. Silly are kids! Then his grandmother asked him to smile so that she could click photos, but then for the firs time he was like “I faked the smile”. It was so sweet. Because you know, we as elders fake smile always, and for the child it was such a different thing and he was so true about it.
Either way I left the place after some time and on the way realized that we all are created so very same. It is just the action that makes things different.
Avantika Tanubhrt
Tanubhrt.This.Side 
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