The rickety bus wound its way through the narrow roads of the remote village in Kerala. Anoop pressed his face to the window to take in the view outside. The lush greenery, the tiled roof houses, the swaying coconut trees, the smell of wet earth, everything was treat to his senses. The fronds of the coconut trees seemed to be welcoming him with open arms.
The conductor blew his whistle and the bus came to a grinding halt. He signalled Anoop to get down and Anoop carried his rucksack and alighted. The bus moved forward blowing a cloud of dust. Anoop looked around gathering his bearings and sighted a lone cyclist. He waved him to stop and asked him the direction to the Shiva temple. Anoop trudged along the road pointed and finally sighted the temple.
As Anoop stood in front of the temple, memories of his childhood flooded him. His grandfather was the temple priest and a highly revered person in the village. Anoop as a child would spend hours here with his grandfather, learning hymns, listening to the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata and running small errands. The festival of Shivaratri was a special occasion with people thronging to the temple and it would reverberate with the chants of Om Namah Shivay. Anoop had always felt a deep connection to the temple.
Years passed and Anoop moved to the city for college education. Later he went abroad on a scholarship much against the wishes of his family. On completion of his course, he secured a job and continued to stay there. He met Linda at the University, fell in love and expressed his desire to marry her. His family was aghast at his decision and cut all ties with him. The initial years of marriage were blissful and the birth of Jenny brought much joy.
As a teenager Jenny fell into bad company and drugs. An overdose killed her and Anoop and Linda blamed each other for her death. The blame game turned into ugly fights resulting in a divorce. The news of his parents’ death in a train accident was a further blow to him. Anoop continued to stay abroad and work, but became disillusioned with life. He turned towards spirituality to seek the much needed solace. Having retired, the urge to return to his roots became intense. He longed to spend his remaining life in the peaceful environs of his village. This deep desire had finally brought him back after 35 years.
Anoop placed his rucksack on the ground and removed his footwear and washed his legs before entering the sanctum of the temple. The sight of the Shiva linga filled him with a deep sense of devotion and peace. As he prostrated in front of it, he felt a new energy enveloping him. His life had come a full circle drawing him to his roots.
