The road less taken

They set off in their monstrous SUV in order to reach fort Aguada which was nestled on a hilltop.It had been a while since the mother-daughter duo had ventured out together for a drive. Known to be a very famous tourist destination for decades, they anticipated a crowd.

They spotted a humble traveller who was resting his tired feet by leaning against the barricade surrounding the area of the fort. He seemed engrossed with his smartphone. The roar of their engine caught his attention. The fact that she was a woman driver, even more. It might have been a divine realisation for him that she needed parking assistance as his fingers instantaneously sprung into action. He directed her with the help of his palms while she mindlessly adhered to him.Her mom anxiously jumped in the passenger seat though.

After a successful parking attempt followed by a physical inspection to ensure that all the already locked doors are locked, they proceeded towards the gigantic iron gate at the entrance. Enroute, they made their best effort to dodge the paid-parking ticket guys by avoiding eye contact with them.

The gate bore a huge lock which was kept in place with a fat rusted chain.Why was it locked? 

They walked a bit ahead hoping there would be another entrance. On enquiring with other people there, they learnt that the fort was closed to public on account of Covid restrictions. Alas! all their hopes of visiting the landmark after so many years came crashing down!

Dejected, they resolved to return to the car and head back home. Halfway through, the realisation struck!

“Wait a minute, why are there so many cars lined up here?”

She turned to pose the same question to the very same parking guys who she had painfully ignored a couple of minutes ago. With a sheepish smile on their faces, they directed them to a trekking spot nearby citing that as a reason for the crowd. A quick glance at her mom and they shared the same apprehension - Is it safe?

She looked away and started to tread the muddy pathway. Her mom followed her, carefully balancing her sling bag on her shoulder and avoiding the grimy puddles.

Five minutes into the trek, she realised they were in the middle of a forest. The sounds of crickets and chirping birds overlapped each other. The sun had already set leaving a dark blue tint to the sky. The road was engulfed by lush green grass which had attained the height of an average human being. Both of them were mesmerised, admiring the beauty of nature. 

Women have an impeccable six sense. If they sense danger, chances are very high that it could be for a genuine reason. She felt as if they were being followed. The look of calm on her face was replaced with a sense of worry. She did not share this with her mom, lest she would get nervous. 

The sounds of footsteps grew louder. She felt a sense of hollow in her stomach, which churned with anxiety. She could feel a lump in her throat, as she struggled to sound brave. 

“W-w-who is it?” She screamt at the top of her voice, trying to sound confident. 

There was no response. The sounds of ruffling grass had momentarily stopped. As if someone was paying attention to her.

“I said who is it?” She yelped again. This time, with her voice shaking. 

She picked up a huge stone from the pathway and raised it above her shoulder, making her motive very evident - to protect her mother and herself in case someone tries to mess with them.

“Whoever you are, I dare you to come out”

There was some more ruffling. She was almost at the verge of a breakdown by now. Her feet were wobbling. And her voice was quivering out of fear. She held her mom close, who had frozen to her spot by now.

The  rumbling sounds climaxed and they saw a dog emerge from obfuscation of grass. He casually hopped onto the pathway and moved closer to them to get a whiff. He wagged his tail in anticipation for a couple of minutes hoping to get some leftovers flung at him.

With no action from either of them, he proceeded to tread forward. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Her mom insisted that they depart at once. However, they could hear sounds of mirth at a distance. She decided to run across the distance, to settle their doubts once and for all. 

She got to a spot which happened to be the end of a hill. The vastness of the scenery got her overwhelmed. The wind hit her sweaty face, which she now wiped off with the help of her tshirt sleeve on her left arm. The carpet of grass was all over the hilltop, the base of which was caressed by the mighty Arabian sea. She could see the entire expanse - right from Rajbhavan to what appeared as Sinquerim. 

Her mother joined her to witness this view. Its true, sometimes we do have to take the road less travelled to arrive at an unexplored junction.