Trisha gazed at her mobile phone. It was the month of May, and she was in one of those of her marathon solo trips with a purpose. She had just got over with a Yoga retreat in Rishikesh and reached New Delhi in the morning. Visiting some friends and also some places to click was on the cards. She was staying with an aunt. After a hearty lunch, she had slipped into a comfortable siesta. When she woke up in was around 4:00 pm.
She scrolled through her Instagram feed. She stopped at quite an interesting shot. It was a shot of a narrow lane, somewhere in Portugal, that was covered with a canopy of colourful umbrellas. Particularly fond of playing with light and colours, Trisha smiled. âHow I wish I could take a picture of such a placeâ â the thought crossed her mind.
Ting. A Watsapp notification. It was Rohit, one of her old college friends.
âAre we meeting?â he wrote.
Trisha nearly jumped out of bed. They were supposed to visit Hauz Khas village that evening.
âYes we are.â
âCool. Pick you up in 20 minutes.â
Rohit was Trishaâs go-to person whenever she needed some help in the city. He too loved to play the âMain Hoon Naâ role. True, he was someone you could count on.
True to his words, Rohit arrived exactly after 20 minutes.
Hauz Khas Village is a historic habitation around the region of Hauz Khas complex. Trisha was particularly amazed by the graffiti that adorned the walls of the neighbourhood. Some of the most popular bars, cafés, and restaurants in Delhi were all jostling for space here. She gleefully clicked some shots of the streets and walls.
Soon it was time to leave.
âWhere do you want to go for dinner?â Rohit asked.
âCR Park please!â Trisha nearly squealed.
âOk, letâs make a move then. Got to drop you home tooâ.
âYeah ok Daddy!â Trisha rolled her eyes at Rohit.
Suddenly a lane caught her eyes.
âHey we didnât go that wayâ, she said.
Rohit turned to face where she was pointing at.
âYeah kinda the same. You want to go?â he asked.
Trishaâs gaze was fixed on that street.
She nodded a yes.
It was post sundown and the twilight would not support natural light photography anymore. Yet, she felt something pull her towards the lane.
It was a comparatively non-descript street leading to a parking area for cars and bikes.
Suddenly Trisha stopped on her tracks.
âWhat?â Rohit asked.
Trisha did not answer. Just few yards ahead, was the entrance door to what looked like a cafe, and outside that, hanging down from the trees were... a number of umbrellas â red, orange, yellow and white â all lit up, transforming the area into one beautiful aura of heavenly light!!!
Trisha let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief.
âI pictured this scene this afternoon, Rohit. I wished for it. With all my heart and soul. And here it is,right in front of my eyes...â Trishaâs voice was nearly a whisper.
âPhoto...â Rohit said softly, reminding her of the obvious next step. Â
Click. Click. The shots went on. Different angles, various exposure settings.
âShall we move?â Rohit said, finally.
âYou know what?â she began.
âYeah?â
âWhen you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Itâs a line from the book called â The Alchemist by Paulo Coelhoâ
âThoughts create reality?â Rohit said with a wink.
Both of them walked back in silence.
(This is a work of fiction and is not intended to resemble anyone. Copyrights of story and pictures are reserved by the author)Â