An Unforgettable Pesaha Evening

It’s raining cats and dogs in Bengaluru today.

Having binged on a few “Appupan and the Boys” episodes and a bath later, I was ready to head to church, with the rains overshadowing a small fear on my plans. 

No tip, no auto

A tip and 3 minutes later, my auto anna whisked me off to St George Orthodox Church, Indranagar. Carefully made my steps up and down the stairs. A fear inside that I’m at risk of tripping with my formals

Attending my first Pesaha in Bengaluru, it was satisfying to attend in unity with others at the church. Having a prayer book (in Manglish) did help my cause, or otherwise I would be standing mute

The after qurbana ritual is to hail the nearest auto. It was still raining

5 minutes, 10 minutes later….. no. Church goers milling around me to grab dinner while I retreated to the church’s car park to book my auto

Making the frankly courageous decision to walk all the way home was the last thing on my mind, but being new to church and having eyes cast on my hair do deterred me from asking for help

That helplessness when being new to the city, not knowing anyone within earshot and laying stranded is a real pounding pain

I walked.

With a fear within of being mugged, I trudged my way towards the main road. Roads that I was familiar with, during my commute to office. 

The roads had managed to be catchers for new small ponds, mud pounds and slime by then.

Purchasing water at a small kirana where the shopkeeper welcomed customers in English, attending to their needs and not having a worry about the showers did set me thinking. How these small joys make a person’s day.

Reached 100 Ft road and walked the stretch towards New Thippasandra.

The streets by then had become dark. A few streetlights and traffic eased the emptiness that this usually busy road wasn’t accustomed to

It’s like the city had decided to shut down, for the day, for good

People stranded at cafés, restaurants, the metro station and work spaces. All hoping for a life saver in the form of ride transport to whisk them home, leaving the weather obstacle behind. Burrowed faces of little tinges of hope, wrinkled faces with a sliver of despair surrounded me.

I trudged on, my shirt being untucked in the progress and harboring the fear within

Stray dogs were another concern of mine. Having had multiple night outs in this city, they were usually the obstacle between my auto and my house’s gate, after a joyful night out.

I trudged on through the streets that I knew well 

Each footstep gave me a hope that I started believing in, to get home unharmed. The roads had become empty, with the noise giving way to silence. Motorists cutting lights, street hawkers packing up for the day and people milling about them to get their last meal for their day. 

Through these sights, my fear lingered on. Briskly making my way through streets, then by-roads, then the gate that separated me from my cubby hole

Thankfully I wasn’t drenched, but I have left my threads to dry and decided to lay down and tell my experience

Amma sent me pictures of her steamed Pesaha appams over WhatsApp and we are heading to sleep. They have the other half of the service to attend at dawn and I’m heading for some shopping

A frankly unnerving one, but I’m proud of myself for pulling through that 2 km stretch with my guard up. I will never take autos or the streets that I know very well, for granted ever again

And the takeaway? I know how to get myself to church without an auto, the next time.