But first, please check the toilet…
Travelling has been my muse since I learned how to walk. It would mostly have to come from my father. Since he was always the one who organised the wild trips, quite literally wild because he is an avid wildlife enthusiast.
When I was well about 10 years old, my father decided we must take this time and a go visit a nearby forest where tigers have been sighted and immerse ourselves in the local culture.
We knew how we were going there, by car. We knew when we were going there, We knew the weather would be great. But there was a piece of the puzzle which we had no clue about “Where we were going to be staying. That bit was going to be “managed”.
So the long car drive made, a destination was reached on time In the jungles amongst the locals. I must tell you that the forest was one from “The Jungle Book”.
I slammed shut the door to the bathroom. Only to realise that there too was a good 2 inch gap between the door and the floor.
Amongst all this beauty my eyes wandered to a small grey coloured unit with a wooden door that had a good 2Inch worth of space under it and no lock. As we were guided into this unit (dare I call it a government guest house) and shown around in pitch. One does bother to ask as to why the guide would not switch on the light. And answer was delivered quickly “light toh Khaali raatre Avein chhe” – The light will only come at night, very matter of factly. Night meant 8:00 pm. In my watch it was 4:30 PM.
The wait was long, the weather was nothing like what we were promised – it was damp, humid and disgustingly sticky. We had already immersed ourselves into the local culture very well by having to swath away every little bug, fly, insect or the one million tiny animals that stuck to us.
By now all we wanted to do was take a shower and go to sleep. Sharp at 8:30pm a little bulb of Zero watt flickered on. And it was time to venture out towards the Bathroom to get cleaned, wash up and end this day already. Also, what I have not mentioned here is that between the six of us. We were sharing one bath and toilet. So God help thee if it was ever already occupied and your train had left the station.
A zero bulb that flickers on in the bathroom and now follow my gaze. No exhaust and no windows in this bathroom for you. One tap and a plastic bucket. And an Indian Potty with no apparatus for a flush. And then next to this India Commode I spotted it. A thick black shiny coil lying wrapped up in slumber. Till that day I had never seen a snake let alone what we thought was a cobra. I slammed shut the door to the bathroom. Only to realise that there too was a good 2 inch gap between the door and the floor.
There were no baths to be had that day. Nobody who desired to even take a piss. Well, if they wanted to the entire jungle was at their disposal. After that the two rooms which we were to be shared between six people had now become one, since one now belonged to the Cobra with the Bathroom. With the first ray of light we woke up and just as we had arrived enthusiastically we were home bound.
I am 27 now. Whenever I travel or am to live in a space which I am not familiar with the first thing I check is the Bathroom or the toilet. It is my rule of thumb and dad is no more the head of holiday planning.
