Keeping my cell phone on the lower shelf of the counter, I took a step outside to admire the beautiful weather. Sensing the petrichor that scented up the surroundings, I could tell that a thunderstorm was fast approaching. The arrival of monsoon in Pune is a moment to rejoice. Tiny raindrops embracing your face like a gentle breeze, it’s something you can’t experience anywhere else. Standing on the front porch outside my cafe, I could see people enjoying the moment. Seeing their smiling faces, I felt intoxicated all of a sudden. Like all my worries were fading into thin air.
Soon enough, the dark blue skies started pouring rain, and I stepped inside. As I sat on the executive chair, my eyes scanned the interior to know the current occupancy. The cafe was almost empty. Except for a girl who drew my attention the moment I saw her. It wasn’t really the girl who drew my attention, but the book she was reading. Partly because the book was all I could see, for her face was right behind it and was barely visible.
‘The Great Gatsby’ by ‘F. Scott Fitzgerald,’ I read this book during my high school days some 10 years back. Although I couldn’t remember much of it, I knew it was a nice read. ‘A beautiful tale of one-sided love that was written by Fitzgerald in the 1920s, one of the greatest American novels of all time,’ I mused.
As she put the book down on the table, her face finally came into view. Although half of it was hidden behind the large frame glasses that she wore, she looked beautiful but a bit annoyed for some reason.
Seeing her eerie expressions, I could tell that something wasn’t right. After a minute, she stood up and marched toward the front gate.
“God damn it,” she said, putting her hands on the back of her head. It wasn’t supposed to rain TODAY.
It was raining heavily outside now and it didn’t seem to stop for the next half an hour at least. Apparently this girl had some plans for today and spoiling them because of the rain was the last thing she expected.
“What am I gonna do now?’ she said to herself.
I was about to say something but before I could, she turned and we had our first eye contact.
“How long is it going to rain,” she asked.
“Can’t say anything,” I said. It’s the monsoon after all. But considering it’s the first rain of the season, shouldn’t take more than an hour or two.
“Shit,” she muttered. Two hours is too long.
For a long moment, she didn’t say anything. Lost in thoughts, she looked exceedingly tense now. Seeing the facial expressions, and her curiosity to know when the rain would stop, I could tell that she was not from Pune, or even Maharashtra, neither did she live here. Her incense with the sudden arrival of rain was enough to know that she was headed somewhere. Probably some nearby hill station. Pune is famous for its close vicinity to at least a dozen beautiful hill stations. Besides being an industrial hotspot, the city is exceedingly getting popular for its numerous weekend getaways. People from all over India, especially from North India come down here during the monsoons to experience the unmatched beauty of the nearby hill stations. Over the recent years, there has been a substantial rise in solo travelers coming to Pune. They come from different regions of India because of the blooming backpacking culture.
Keeping the emotions at bay, she turned toward me with a more curious face.
“Do you mind if I ask something?” she said.
“Not at all,” I said. Please go ahead.
“Actually, I’m from Delhi,” she said. And I came here to collect some research data for my Zoology project.
“Ahan, I’m listening,” I said.
“I’m headed to a small village near Nasik,” she said. And I have to be there tonight at any cost. But seeing this rain, I’m starting to feel that I’ll never make it. Besides, there are no direct buses or trains plying from Pune to that village. I checked everywhere, but they said I’ll first have to visit a place called Igatpuri which apparently takes around 5 hours. And from there it’s another 2 hours journey to the place.
“I’m sorry, where exactly are you headed,” I interrupted her. Maybe I can help you find a convenient transport.
“Well, that’s the problem,” her timid voice replied. There is no direct transportation from Pune to Purushwadi. I was coming to Mumbai first but then I realized that the place is closer to Pune but now I’m regretting the decision. Big time!
Purushwadi? I had no idea about that place. Despite being a native Pune resident for over fifteen years, I never heard about this place.
“That’s strange,” I said. I’ve never heard about that place. Have you checked with the local bus authorities or perhaps the railways?
“I checked all the available options yesterday,” she said. Trains usually take a longer route. Buses I’ll have to change from Nasik or Igatpuri. Besides, there’s only one bus from Pune to Igatpuri and it leaves in less than an hour. And I’m stuck here at this cafe in Viman Nagar, I’m screwed!
“You still got an hour you are saying,” I said. Why don’t you take an Uber? It’s gonna take half an hour despite the rain if all goes well. There’s still a chance.
“You don’t get it,” she said, sounded more disquieted at the notion. I don’t want to suffer a six hour long journey, being unsure every passing minute that I won’t get any transportation from Igatpuri to Purushwadi, as I would be very late by the time I reach there.
I was really not sure what to do or say to that. So I tried to keep it as direct and simple as I could.
“In that case, what do you want me to do for you,” I asked.
“Look, I only have two days left,” she said. I have my flight back to Delhi tomorrow night. And I really need to reach Purushwadi tonight, that’s what I came for. And then I’ll have to come back to Pune before 7 PM to catch my flight. Even if I do make it to that village tonight, I really doubt that I’d be able to reach Pune back on time, considering the poor transport connectivity. All I’m asking for is a little favour.
I knew where it was getting to and to be very honest, I wasn’t quite ready for it. Eyeing my heavy car keys with a bulky Hyundai keychain, I knew it was the thing that gave it away.
“What do you mean?” I said.
“I want you to take me to Purushwadi,” she hesitantly said. But I’ll pay you for the ride, whatever you say. Two thousand bucks? Three thousand is also fine.
“Mam, it’s not about the money,” I said. I can’t possibly ...I can’t leave my cafe like this. It’s better that you take a cab, OLA outstation perhaps. I’ll help you out with that.
“You don’t understand,” she said. I’ve already checked with OLA and Uber, they won’t go there. And going there alone with a local cab driver isn’t safe and you know that.
“And what makes you think that you’ll be safe with me,” I said. You don’t know me after all. I’m a complete stranger.
“You don’t look like a man who would do that to a defenseless woman ,” she said. I can sense it.
“Mam, whatever you say,” I cannot agree to this. I can’t possibly be away for an entire day and expect my workers to manage this cafe. That’s not how it works.
I felt bad seeing her dejected face. She said nothing more, there was complete silence. But I could sense her sadness and despair. In a city full of strangers, she must be feeling hopeless and vulnerable. She collected her bag from the table and walked to the front gate where she stood, staring outside at the raindrops as they gently touched the ground.
For a moment, I thought if I should agree to her request and take her to that Godforsaken village. But that way, I’d have to leave my cafe at the mercy of my staff for almost two days. I eyed the girl again and this time, I could see tears forming beneath her eyes which she wiped way immediately. Whatever be the case, it looked obvious how badly she wanted to visit this place. Coming here all alone was definitely a bold move and there has to be a compelling reason for that.
I felt empathetic now and considered my options. Javed was the only guy that I could trust. He’s the chef who also owns 10 per cent stake at my cafe. He also lives nearby, in Viman Nagar and so he wouldn't mind managing everything for a day or two. Besides, footfall at cafes and restaurants in Viman Nagar and Koregaon Park is relatively less during this time of the year, so that shouldn’t be an issue. I made up my mind and went inside the kitchen to talk to Javed.
“Hey buddy,” I waved as I entered. I need your help.
As I came back, the girl was nowhere to be seen. She had left. I looked outside, the rain had receded. As I stepped outside, I saw her walking down the slope across the road.
“Hey,” I shouted loud enough for my voice to reach her ears.
She stopped short and turned around to face me. I ran the distance to stand in front of her.
“I know I’m gonna regret this later,” I said. But let’s do it.
“Do what?” her feeble voice enquired.
“I’ll take you to that village you are saying,” I said.
“No, it’s really fine,” she said. I don’t know what was I thinking. You have work to do. And it’s my mess, I’ll deal with it.
“Listen, I don’t know what is it that you are seeking,” I said. I don’t know what’s pulling you to that weird place. But if I let you walk away like this, with all this sorrow and despair, then this sad face of yours is going to haunt me for the rest of my days. So let’s not waste time and start our journey. We have a long way to go.
“Sorry, I didn’t get your name,” she said as we walked toward my car which was parked across the street.
The rain had receded now and it was pouring soft showers which felt good as we walked toward the parked vehicle.
“It’s Raj,” I said. And yours?
“I’m Charvee,” she said.
“Well, it’s a nice name Charvee,” I said. Quite unique.
“Thanks,” she smiled. My dad gave it to me. It’s a sanskrit word actually, which means ‘lovely’ or ‘beautiful.’
I was about to give her another compliment but considering that I met her only 10 minutes ago, I thought it was a bad idea.
“Nice,” I said instead. So where are you staying in Pune?
“In Viman Nagar itself,” she replied. It’s a homestay in Park Land Society.
“Oh, I know where that is,” I said. It’s actually in Sakore Nagar.
“Yeah, whatever,” she said.
“So how long have you been in Pune?” I asked. You don’t seem to like it much, do you?
“Oh, I came here only yesterday,” she said. What is there to like in this place? Just the usual noisey neighborhoods and the swirling lifestyle of a metropolitan.
“Gosh! Did you actually say that” I said, surprisingly. You’re probably the first outsider I’ve met who didn’t like this place,” Others experience peace and tranquility here especially during the monsoons. And besides, there are dozens of beautiful places and hill stations nearby. You can go to Lonavala, you can go to Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Lavasa, and so on. But no, you are more interested in this Godforsaken village that no one knows exists.
“You’re right,” she laughed. But I thought people around here must be knowing that place. It’s quite close to Pune after all. But turns out there are no fuckin’ means of transportation to that place, let alone it being a popular weekend destination.
“There’s no transportation because we don’t visit that place,” I said. Unfortunately, we have plenty of better options you see.
Soon enough, we reached the parking spot. I turned on the ignition as we sat and we headed to that place in Park Land Society where she was staying. It took me a little longer than 10 minutes to reach that place. I parked my Hyundai i20 right outside the gate of the homestay. Charvee went inside to take her luggage and came back after fifteen minutes with a small rucksack bag. As we finally departed, it started raining again. Despite the minimal traffic, it took us more than 45 minutes to reach the highway. But time passed quite smoothly as we talked about the weather and places of interest near Pune.
After another ten minutes, we were passing through the Mumbai-Pune expressway. Being one of the most beautiful highways in all of India and arguably in the entire South Asia, the Mumbai-Pune expressway comes alive during the monsoons. For outsiders, it’s an amazing experience that they never forget. I knew this girl was going to like it either and I was right. She admired the spectacular view on both sides of the expressway with her mouth wide open. It was something she wasn’t really expecting to see. The rocky mountains to the left, the lush green valleys to the right, she found it hard to capture the beauty altogether. The rain-cajoled verdancy on both sides of the expressway was hard to ignore. The continuous downpour had spawned transient waterfalls at one side of the expressway. The rainy mist touching the mountain tops made the view as surreal as it could get.
“So, you were saying you didn’t like this place,” I said. Am I right Charvee?
“This is unreal,” she said, looking awestruck. I can’t believe my eyes.
“Well, it is for real though,” I said as we passed through the tunnel. But tell me about this place you are taking me to, Purshabdi, right?
“Purushwadi,” she corrected. Have you heard about the Firefly Festival?
“Fire..what?” I said. Is that a kite festival? Like flying burning lanterns or something?
“Hell no,” she laughed. You don’t know what Fireflies are?
“Well, I’ve heard about it,” I said. Is it something like a housefly?
“Obvio,” she said. It’s an insect. One of the most beautiful species because of their unique ability to biologically produce light during dusk or a full moon night. Purushwadi is one of the very few places in India where they appear at the start of the monsoon season every year. They appear after the first few rains of the season and are seen dancing in the woods every night for a few weeks. They disappear when the monsoon comes in full swing.
“Sounds intriguing,” I said. But is it the only reason that brought you all the way from Delhi?
“Actually yes,” she said. As I told you, I’m a Zoology student and I’m studying these insects as part of my Entomology project. I’ll collect some body samples in the morning as many of the fireflies will be dead by then. Hopefully, I’ll capture some living fireflies as well but I doubt that they’d survive for long.
“Amazing,” I said sarcastically. And I thought there must be some deep connection between you and that place. Like it was the last wish of your grandmother or something. “No offense though,” I said instantly.
“Shut up,” she said. My grandmother is still alive. And besides, you’re gonna like it, trust me. The local villagers host a month-long festival by inviting tourists to enjoy the enchanting view of fireflies dancing in the woods. It’s a magical experience you know? These small insects flaunting a spell-binding display of a magical light show, producing harmonic noises that sound like a soulful melody or a night-time lullaby.
“This better be true girl, or I might consider coming back to Pune before dawn,” I smirked as I drove through another tunnel.
Two hours passed. We’ve had plenty of sweet conversations by now. Charvee told me about her Entomology project and her obsession with fireflies. She told me about her magical encounter with fireflies, millions of them in Darjeeling when she was eight. And how it changed the course of her life. Her curiosity to know everything about fireflies riveted her interest in the study of insects. She told me about her dream to join the Smithsonian department of Entomology to enhance her knowledge about insects.
Not that it had anything to do with my own interests, I was starting to enjoy these conversations now. I was starting to enjoy this journey and her mere presence in my car made my heart race. It was now that I could capture her entire profile, every minute detail of her. Those dark brown eyes, glowing like an emerald. Those black silky hair with soft fringes and curls toeing down the forehead. And that beautiful smile of an innocent child, she seemed to be casting a spell upon me now, and it felt impossible to recover.
“In another 40-50 minutes, we’ll take a diversion to the Mumbai-Agra highway,” I said. We’ll stop for while at some restaurant to have tea or coffee. You want to have lunch?
“Not lunch, not yet” she said. Tea will be fine.
“Cool. We’ll have some light snacks though,” I said. I’m starting to feel hungry now.
“Yeah, that would be perfect,” she said.
After half an hour, I stopped the car at the Highway King restaurant. The rain had stopped for a while and the weather was as pleasant as it could get. It was 1:25 PM and the restaurant was almost vacant except for a South Indian family that sat at a round table in the corner of the hallway. We rested ourselves in the outdoor shacks and ordered two Cutting Chai and some Bhelpuri.
“How long is it going to take from here,” she asked. To the village I mean.
“I don’t know actually, will have to check the Google Maps,” I said as I fished my phone out of the pocket and launched the Maps application.
“Another three hours it says,” I said.
“Oh, we have plenty of time left then,” she said. Why don’t we stop somewhere for a while? Is there a decent place along the way to sit back and relax? A hill station perhaps? Just so we can reach Purushwadi by 7 PM?
“Well, there’s not much to see here,” I said. All the beautiful hill stations are on the other side, toward Mahabaleshwar.
“Oops, my bad luck I guess,” she said.
“We can visit Lonavala though,” I said. But that way, we’ll have to take a detour and it might take an hour additional.
“That’s perfect,” she exclaimed. We won’t stay there for long.
I don’t know what was I thinking when I suggested this option. Lonavala was so overrated and I hadn’t visited that place in years. Mumbaikars used to visit that place quite frequently but in the last few years, most of them have found several other excursions nearby like Matheran, Kolad, and Igatpuri. Not that Lonavala is any less beautiful than all these places, it’s because most of the Mumbaikars have seen every season and every weather in this town through their innumerable visits. People in Pune are more interested in Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar.
I was aware of the fact that it’s going to take longer than one hour if we take that route. Ideally in this situation, I should be wasting no time and think about ending this round-trip journey as early as I can. On the contrary, for some reason, I didn’t want this journey to end, ever. While she was mesmerized with the beautiful view of the monsoons, to me, her smile was more beautiful than any of this. I knew I shouldn’t be thinking that way, but this girl was driving me crazy. I knew I was falling for her and that wasn’t really a good sign.
“Alright, let’s wrap it up quickly here,” I said. We’ll head to Lion’s Point in Lonavala, will stay there for a while and then leave for our destination in Purushabdi.
“It’s Purushwadi,” she laughed. Anyways, it sounds like fun, I’m in.
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