A sample from the story 'Tea Party', where two women, a century apart, experience the unexpected:
It had been a long and arduous journey, and Dorothy Harris was glad when it was finally over. It seemed to be ages ago that they had boarded the P&O ship Viceroy of India from Tilbury docks near London. Supposed to be the fastest mail or passenger ship in the world, it had still taken them almost three weeks to reach Bombay via the Suez Canal. She wondered what it must have been like in the previous century, when ships had to travel via the Cape of Good Hope, braving stormy seas and unknown dangers, and the journey took months of uncertain travel.
They had then taken the Poona mail from Bombay and changed for the metre gauge track to Bangalore. Then onwards to Alwaye after two more changes. It had taken the better part of three days, what with the long train journeys and time spent at retiring rooms between changes. The vastness of the country, the unfamiliar cadence of the languages, the variety in dress and colour of the people was overwhelming. What had she let herself in for? Thankfully they were served food that was similar to what they ate at home, though it was not the same. She had heard stories of stomach upsets and was careful about how much she ate.
The landscape had been a mix of dry brush, rocky terrain, and green fields. The scenery began to change dramatically as they began nearing their destination and Dorothy’s spirits began to lift a little. Their car was wating at Alwaye station and they would reach their new home by the end of the day. The old Alwaye Munnar road had been washed away because of the floods a few years ago, so they took the new road that had been built along a different route. The greenery was breathtaking, the jungle dense but not intimidating. They saw some deer on the way, and chittering monkeys in the trees. The air was filled with birdsong, and it washed away all her fatigue. Her doubts began to dissolve as they climbed ever higher towards Munnar.
Here they finally were, to begin an exciting new life on the Kannan Devan Hills Plantation. As the wife of a tea estate manager, Dorothy knew that a lot would be expected of her. She certainly hoped that she would be able to do justice to her role. She did not fail to realise that she was one of the privileged thousands in this vast country. In England, never in her wildest dreams could she have achieved the social status that was possible as a European in India. She hoped that she would be able to make a good life for themselves and their future family in these unspoilt surroundings.
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Snigdha Risbud had been to Kerala only once before her marriage. But that had been on a houseboat trip, on the backwaters of Alappuzha. This was her first time to the hilly district of Idukki, in which Munnar was situated. And this time it was not a vacation, but a relocation. Her husband Dahir had changed jobs, and was to take over as manager of a tea estate in the Kannan Devan Hills. It was a life totally removed from the corporate hustle of Mumbai, and she was looking forward to it. She had also been able to retain her job, as the nature of her work allowed her to work remotely. As long as there was network coverage, and an assured electric supply, she was set.
Their car entered a long driveway flanked by trees, and they stopped before the sprawling colonial bungalow, that would be their home for the next few years. Snigdha thought it must be at least a hundred years old, but it was in extremely good condition. It was love at first sight on her part. She felt that this is where she would like her family to grow, amidst the lush green hills, in the crisp, clean air, away from the noise and dust of Mumbai. Their luggage had already been sent ahead by company truck, and their driver unloaded their airline bags, which the house staff carried inside.
So, after introductions had been made all around, they were served coffee on the verandah, accompanied by locally made ginger biscuits. The weather was pleasant, and since their journey had not been tiring, they could enjoy the ambience. Snigdha was already sure that she would love it there. However, Dahir would probably have a more difficult time here, than back in Mumbai, though the pay and living conditions were much better. She, on the other hand, would probably be spoilt by all this luxury that she was not used to.