It all began with a silly conversation on coffee and the very next weekend we were on the way to a coffee plantation resort far away from the human
habitation in search of some clean air. We chose to stay in a 120 year bungalow
made by some brit called AJ Thompson . Let me not write about the area and the
name of the place , this should be a secret .
We had a large group and a typical fun filled journey .
After traveling overnight on the busy highway we were on the other side of the concrete world . There
were lakes with birds flocking from every direction. There were coffee
plantations everywhere and we were
mesmerized by just watching the sunrise , an event which happens daily but
never relished. My friends were skeptical
about the place and the whole idea of going there , even I was but we kept
pacifying each other by using the same line “yahi toh adventure hai yaar!” . A
very typical line that most of us use when not sure of the place . I think even
the GPS devices should have such messages in India ,I mean imagine when using a
GPS device an error pops us saying “Location not found – Yahi toh adventure
hai” . Anyways So we finally called up the caretaker who told us that he had to
run to some high ground to talk to us . Now came the most difficult part , our
driver was a telugu guy , the care taker spoke Kannada and I like most of the
North Indians working down South was clueless !
Some words here and there and through simple typical words
like aata jaata , righta ,lefta , deadenda and we managed to get the correct
route .A steep climb followed by dense vegetation and finally
we saw the shrub laden board showing us the direction for the bungalow.
Now we were not expecting a gorgeous and alluring place like this . The path
leading to the bungalow was right through the plantations cutting it like
somebody had neatly combed the whole area. The sight was same as that of the old
movie scenes where erstwhile heroes would drive open jeeps with some ladies
dancing in the background. The biggest surprise was this chrome color building
right in the middle of the plantation standing magnificently atop a hillock. Our
quest for adventure had paid off . The place was a architecture marvel, the
entry was marked by garden on either sides with beautiful lamps adoring the
pathway. There was no door as such and
standing right in the middle of the veranda was a classy wooden swing which I
guess was as the same age that of the bungalow. The flooring was reminiscent of
the typical British structures and was made of wood . The distinct creaking
when we walked added to the feel. The place was well kept keeping in mind its
centennial age , there were 6 huge rooms and 1 central hall with a fireplace
accompanied by old oil paintings and trophies. The staff quarters were at the back
and there was a different way for the staff, again an arrangement of the typical British sahib system. The caretaker
was extremely humble and the language barrier did not overshadow his
hospitality skills. After having a
sumptuous meal , we all took some rest and explored the places nearby . I kept
teasing my folks about the place being haunted and the real ‘adventure’ coming
up in the night . Well this thought is obvious when you are spending your night
in the middle of a jungle , sleeping in a building which is 120 year old made
by some British man for his love . Yes as the caretaker told us , AJ made this
building for his wife Amelia who had died waiting for him on the swing which
was especially made out of solid teak and gifted by AJ . The look on
everybody’s face explained the situation .When we returned to the bungalow in
the evening; everyone was comfortable with the benches and chairs.
Soon the crickets started echoing in the background mixed
with the calls of birds returning home. We had a perfect meal again and sat for
the bonfire. Some songs, topics especially the horror stories were enough to
set the tone for the evening. Tired with all the activity throughout the day,
we all headed for our rooms for a good sleep.Lights soon switched off and I bearing the responsibility as
the leader of the pack made sure that everything was ok. That night had a full
moon and I was just returning from the main hall after checking the staff quarters.
The eerie silence was deafening in a way and I somehow felt lonelier. The
moonlight was directly coming from the top ventilator and fell upon on the oil
painting in the center of the hall right above the fireplace. It was of a
beautiful lady with a mona lisa smile sitting sideways. What a master piece it
was and for a moment I thought she was directly gazing at me. I knew It was Amelia, AJ’s lady love and no doubt he made such a fantastic place for her . I was just reading out some words in the
painting when the swing which was kept straight in front of the fireplace in
the hall moved. Well I had been making stories throughout the day and I knew I
would be targeted, this was the start. So I quickly hid myself behind the doors,
and kept my ears open for the creaking of the culprit’s steps. There was no
movement and I came out of my hiding. All I heard was my own steps nothing else
.I rechecked all the doors and they were all closed from inside. I came back
towards the swing checked for any hidden wires or strings meant for the pranks
but found nothing. It was still moving, I waited again and to my surprise the
oscillations did not die out and the movement was continuous. I was not sure so
I inched closer and to my absolute surprise , the swing suddenly stopped right
in the middle . This was it , All I had in mind was my room’s door , a straight
sprint and nothing else . But I couldn’t , I felt as If my feet were stuck in
fresh concrete . Just as I moved across , the swing from a still position
started its oscillations again erasing all the laws of simple harmonic motion
in my mind . I kept walking and did not dare to look back . I reached the door
and had a final glance, it had stopped again . I closed the door behind me
slowly and by the time I did , it had started swinging again.
The next morning I was looking fairer, the effect of last night
made my face whiter. I was not telling
any stories now. We roamed for some more time in the surrounding areas and
decided to leave by lunch .Just before departing, I examined the swing again
and just at the bottom, there was an engraving which said “Keep swinging always
Amelia! … Yours always AJ ” .Startled by
the engraving that I read , I turned my head and my eyes fell directly upon
the oil painting in the hall and the smile looked even broader to me …
To this date I don’t prefer sitting on any kind of swing
