September 25 – September 27, 2023
Our bones rattled as we drove across a dirt path and seemed to be driving into a dead end with not a soul in sight – the only things we could see were paddy fields interspersed with wild vegetation. After 4 hours of driving we thought we were lost.
Driving 100 meters further through a slate grey gate left wide open up a dirt path we found ourselves in front of a stone path leading to a wide-open welcoming stone structured potted with bouquets of bright red flowers. It was late afternoon, the sky was threatening to burst and the place was deserted.
We were at an off the grid farm stay in the outskirts of Maharashtra. Catching sight of the caretaker, we got the keys to our home for the next few days. A magnificent yellow stone structure with creepers hugging on for dear life and a welcoming verandah beckoned us. Stone steps led up to our attic sleeping area with a skylight at the top of the roof, making us feel like we were one of the gang in a famous five adventure. Wooden furniture dotted the living area with gigantic slide along wooden doors leading to a rustic bathroom with all the modern amenities.
We were two but the cottage looked capable of housing 4. Settling down, we made our way to the “hygge” lunch area. Bookshelves and plants framed the wooden tables topped with vibrantly colored table mats and a hot meal awaited us after our long drive. Rotis fresh off the tawa, steaming rice, flavourful bowls of chicken and local steaming hot vegetable preparations were waiting to be devoured.
A carpet of green led to a small gate opening out onto the backwaters of the Vaitarna lake. Shades of green with neatly terraced rice fields blended with the natural verdant green landscape ensconcing the still serene waters of the Vaitarna lake with a ripple in the surface – not a soul to be seen other than the heron in search of its evening tea dipping into the waters, and the birds flying home for the evening. Deciding to explore further the miles and miles of green with no settlement or animal in sight, we came across a ground snake presumably going to snuggle in bed for the night. The sky darkened and it looked like the torrential rain would be coming in, and we retired for the night.
Trudging through wet sinking soil after the raging storm had confined us to our cottage, we made our way for a quiet dinner under the ambient lighting of the rustic beautiful eating area listening to drops of rain splatter on the roof.
We hoped to wake up with the sunrise the next morning, unfortunately the sun showed no signs of surfacing. This time we decided to explore the village path, and trodding over the stones we had driven over, we looked for any signs of civilization. A lone goat herd cottage stood with the inhabitants having long since awoken and finished their morning chores. Walking some distance towards the village, and frightened by the advances of what seemed to be a cow who was off on a rant, and hungry, we went back to the cottage and decided to indulge in our hearty breakfast, I met two exuberant purring furry friends who inhabited the property, and sat on the steps of our cottage welcoming the sun. Stepping out to Nasik to visit the infamous Infant Jesus shrine, we returned to our farm stay that afternoon, famished and tired and longing for the quiet of the farm stay. Delicious home cooked fare awaited us and then an afternoon siesta below the rafters of our cool cottage as the lull of the afternoon descended. Wanderers that we are, we decided to go another exploration of the surrounding lands until the clouds got darker and darker and the beginning sounds of thunder rumbled in the distance.
Reaching our cottage in time, we sat cocooned in our deck chairs watching the sky darken, then lighten up with streaks of lightning, with droplets of rain like music on the roof, surrounded by complete darkness like we were the only two people on the earth – it was watching nature in its true element with no man made interference, and it was magnificent. Dinner was wonderful with a white stewed chicken, delicately flavoured vegetables, steaming rice flour rotis and topped off with the black rice kheer.
It was the last night of our trip and with the sky pitch black and lurking snakes around we decided to turn in and hopefully be up with the sunrise, playing the rains didn’t play spoil sport again.
Like every last day of any trip, like the energiser bunny, I was up early morning to watch the sunrise – and this time the rains co-operated. Making my way to my favourite point, I saw a human figure on the banks of the lake pumping up what looked like a tire, and getting onto it and paddling onto the lake, and I could see another round rubber structure with what looked like a human adrift in the middle of the lake, with nothing else in sight. Ripples floating across the water, the slanting rays of the sun just breaking through the clouds glimmering on the water, the faint sound of oars in the distance, the two lone fishermen paddling to contentment in the vast expanse of blue, the brave heron searching for his morning breakfast, and the cool water lapping against my feet, my morning was made. Deciding to make the most of our last day, we wandered through the layers of green looking like a painting until we chanced upon a gurgling cool stream watering the landscape and with not a soul in sight, we walked in another direction crossing snake homes and past rice fields with the lake in the distance. After yet another wonderful breakfast it was time to bid adieu to a tiny slice of heaven on Earth.
Note: This was at an off the grid farm stay in the outskirts of rural Maharashtra
Chronicles of an overthinker 