By Nidhi Patnaik
The Secret Affair
The moment I saw the sleek, white minarets standing tall with the Mountains behind it, I fell for it. This time the attraction was powerful as the mountains, lake and the white palace-like mosque concocted a plan to trap me in their mystic beauty. I was here to meet the mountains but the mountains had a surprise for me.
The Nainital Lake is like a jewel of this hill station in Uttarakhand.
The lake surrounded by mountains studded with colourful houses was being guarded by hanging branches of tall trees with heavy trunks.
Just beside the lake, there was a pavement alongside a large stadium on the other side. As I walked on the wide pavement adorned with trees, something else was also awaiting.
As we walked towards Naina Devi temple, the minarets overlooking the stadium were calling me. As my eyes now shifted towards them, I kept turning my head to look at the mosque as I walked straight towards the temple. Was it a forbidden love? like an uninvited lover coming in between me and my destiny.
I still managed to keep my secret admiration to myself and we were soon in the temple complex with multiple chambers for different idols. The temple bells were ringing, people were reciting prayers with folded hands, lot of people with mobile phones were clicking pictures near the lake. As I climbed up the stairs to visit one more chamber of idols, the cool breeze from the lake came in to plant a peck on the cheek as sun hid behind the clouds.
And now, we were excited to go back but somehow my secret admiration was out in the open and soon we were walking on a plane full of shops and restaurants that led to the Jama Masjid, the mosque that was awaiting for me.
After asking a man sitting outside if we were allowed to visit, we entered through a small door. There was a rack on the side with shoes, and after taking them off, I kept standing unsure about whether women were allowed inside.
A man reading some prayers gestured to come in. There were hardly any people inside. Just silence and us.
There was an old chandelier in between and nothing else. It was more like a meditation hall. I could keep sitting here but I did realise that I was an outsider. It was going to be the time for Namaz soon as one man came and asked if we were done.
And that is how this ends, as we part to meet some other day in some other time in some other way. Until then, it is time to bid goodbye.
By Nidhi Patnaik
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