मृद्गंधित...: a picturesque journey to St. Mary Island

It was evening when I reached Udupi. I had to travel to Manipal from there, where my host, Jotsna was living. She was an IIM alumni and working as a professor in top management school in Manipal. I took another bus for 30 minutes to Manipal. Jotsna, who came right after I arrived at the bus stop. She was very welcoming. We drove to a small restaurant for tea and snacks. i was having pains in my right leg, but I neglected it. It could be because of long journey, I thought.

She ordered me some local snacks and tea. I found her warmhearted. We were talking about my trip and suddenly we made a plan to watch a recent bollywood release "Bajirao Mastani". So This was my day, I traveled from Gokarna to Udupi almost whole day in a hot humid weather. I had pains in my leg, it was difficult to walk after sometime and I had to sit down and relax my leg, In evening, I met a girl whom I found as spontaneous as me and I ended up watching a movie with her in night. I slept around 1 am in the night after listening to her amazing travel stories and a cup of coffee.

Next day, I got ready in hurry and took leave of Jotsna, who already have added one new flavor to my journey. And yes there were pains in my leg, still. And I was ignoring it, still. I reached to Malpe beach which was 45 minutes away from Jotsna's apartment by bus. From where I had to take a ferry to the Island. Every passing minute in the ferry was making me more curious about the Island. I reached there after half an hour.

I was trying to take as many pictures as I could, roaming on the Island. It was afternoon, and for me it was difficult to walk. When the pain was unbearable I thought of taking a break. There was a rock hardly 10 steps in the sea and the water lever was below my knee. I had checked it. I was carrying my backpack and a sling bag which ended at my waste level. I am describing the length og my backpack and sling bag because as soon as I entered in the sea, where the water was bellow my knee level, two steps in the sea and a big wave came to drench me head to toe. Yes, I was drenched with water along my two of my bags.

I somehow reached on the rock emptied my backpack so that my cloths and other things could dry.

This sling bag had all my money, wallets, camera, one iPhone and one other mobile phone. I dried the money. Camera was working. But my phones were dead. I waited to dry them fully. Tried to start them but everything was in vain.

I sat on the rock, didnt know what to do. By the time I realized that the pain in my leg was not because of long journey but a muscle sprain and without mobile. I had to book my return ticket to Pune. And I knew one thing, without no mobile, journey back home was going to be different.

Then without thinking much about these things I concentrated on enjoying the moments on the Island.
I met one amazing family, who felt sorry for my mobiles and clicked so many pictures of me to make it up. It was fun with them.