“You guys go ahead in the car. We are walking !!”
The announcement from my niece and her husband was made just as we were nearing Tirupathi.

“Yeah. We prefer to walk..” drawled my other niece .

We were together in one vehicle . and the thought that had been at the back of my mind from the time the Tirupathi trip was planned surfaced again. Do I dare to do something which in all these years I didn’t dare to attempt ? With acute arthritis in both legs, was it even possible that I could atlast do it ? or was I taking up something which I wouldn’t be able to fulfil? Can I make it this time ?

I don’t exactly remember when I made that ‘deal’ with God. Probably should have been when my nephew fell ill when he was in 10th standard.. so that makes it 23 years !! Twenty three long years gone by and I haven’t fulfilled my vow made to the Lord ? Shame on me. But then again there was a period when I was not on “talking terms with Him”!! but as time flew by and wounds healed , I made my Peace with Him!

We were dropped off at the base with shouts of “you guys take care of Chithi’, don’t climb too many steps at one stretch, buy soft drinks on the way, take it easy..

We four ( myself, my niece Sumita, my niece Uma and her husband Pushkar) started our climb. On any normal day to climb the two floors to my residence I huff and puff sometimes. Would I be able to do it ?

The climb started off exactly at 5.30 p.m. The first hundred steps were not so difficult . What with the kids constantly encouraging me … “we will stop after 25 steps chithi,” “ our next stop will be at the red pole there “ ,” have a drink chithi” After half an hour, I was panting and panicking. Would I be able to do it ? . There were so many people walking .. young boys and girls, newly married couples, old people. I was telling to myself that I should reduce my weight ( for the nth time) .

A man in his early forties (probably) who was walking along side us made a comment ( ofcourse in good intention ) ….” At this age madam, you should take it easy. Don’t try to compete with your children in climbing at one stretch !! “ I gave him a withering look and continued my climb.

The view as we inched our way to the top was absolutely breathtaking . We would stop every twenty minutes or so to enquire at one of those shops selling soft drinks and water, how many steps more !!

Atlast we were near the top but surprisingly my knees hadn’t given away by then. The last stretch of climb was the most difficult for me but then I made it

The others in the family were waiting for us when we reached the temple at 9.45 p.m. It was another long wait before we could finally have a darshan of the Lord. It was wonderful .

We were famished by then and managed to gulp down some dinner at midnight . We had to be up again at 3 in the morning for the morning darshan.

It was a truly wonderful experience .. the climb especially .

Was it my imagination that I felt the Lord smiling at me when I finally could have his darshan?

On my return to the hotel after the next days’ darshan I triumphantly shot off sms’ to my friends …" I DID IT. Many of them responded back - “ we didn’t know you had suicidal tendencies “!!
But I am happy I did it and am already planning my next trip!!!

Cheers
Bhooma
Have posted a couple of pictures in my private album.