Our encounter with an irritated and not so bright elephant in the Bandipur Forest....

Often, Vivek and I are out on weekends driving down to his place in Talassery, India. The drive takes us through Bandipur forest and the Western Ghats…truly breathtaking drive!!! At night, the drive is very frightening….dark DARK roads and just the sound of our car whizzing by….Shaiju, our trusted driver drives on while I will usually have my face plastered on the window…peering out to catch a glimpse of the occasional herds of elephants, lone tuskers and very rarely, leopards…

One night last year, we even spotted a leopard walking across the road…we slowed down to take a closer look and the spotted fella started walking towards us….Shaiju stepped on the gas and we got out of there in one piece!!!!

But yesterday night’s experience have left us numb…we escaped unscathed from an almost fatal incident. We were driving back from Talassery. It was around 11:30 PM. The forest was at its darkest mood…Vivek and I were dozing off…Shaiju woke us up to show us a small herd of elephants…one baby elephant and 2 big ones….And I thought we’ll take a picture this time…I never like taking pictures of wild animals…dunno why I thought I’ll take one this time…Vivek offered to help me take this picture…he downed the window and focused on the herd while Shaiju slowly rolled the car back to go near the herd...

Suddenly I saw one of them turn around and start trotting towards the car…Vivek & I screamed…"Shaiju…step on the gas…get out of here…the elephant is coming over…!"

The car was on reverse gear and it was still rolling back….we were all shocked and watching this big elephant standing right next to our car…and Vivek’s window is still open!!!!

The car has stalled now!

This elephant was really mad at us for intruding and raised its trunk, trying to grip the car…it caught our side mirror and broke it off…

The car is still stalled…I am screaming…"Shaiju, why is the car stalled?!!!!"

The side mirror snapped off with a sharp noise….the car is still stalled!!!! Vivek’s window is still open!!!! The elephant is right next to the front window now…! The noise of the mirror breaking off scared the elephant…it turned and ran off into the forest with an awfully loud trumpet…and we are still sitting ducks with the car stalled!!!

Suddenly the car started and we rushed away from there…we went on many kilometers before we could speak….I am so grateful we escaped and I am thankful for whoever or whatever saved us last night….elephants do not turn away easily...

I am sure there was a guardian angel protecting us there yesterday night…

Sister Agnes - an angel from my long gone convent school days....a tribute...

My sweetest memories of Holy Angels' Convent School include a patient angelic nun---Sister Agnes! She has known me since I was born...She has seen me join her Convent School...she has seen my transformation into the naughtiest in school....She has seen me run wild in the Library at All Saints' College (my fav place in the whole wide world! my fascination with books started there)...a lot of memories from my long gone convent school days is associated with her....

There was this time when I took "paachu and kovalan" to school. I had picked it up during my vacation journey to Mom's Tharavad. Who finds me reading it in class? Sister FLORIP! The horror of horrors! She was cross that I was reading a comic book in class...and she was horrified that it was a malayalam comic book....!

She took me by my ear to the Head Mistress - Sister Agnes. And there I was, almost wetting my skirt and Sister Agnes just burst out laughing! I was off the hook with a warning not to read stuff in class when there are lessons going on :) Oh my! Was Sr. Florip peeved or what !!!!!

I used to go back to meet her once in a while after school...during Christmas, with my mom, who was her friend. And out would come freshly baked cakes and wine. I would hang around and talk to her some time...all the while stuffing on the yummy cakes and wine...

Rest in Peace Sister Agnes...until will meet again...!