Unkindled Love

Chapter 19

Dear Gautami, 

Sorry for not having replied to your earlier letter. As usual I was in some part of the globe doing some work. I received your New Year card, and though late, Dorothy and I thank you very much.
Our warm regards to you and Abhyudaya.

Gautami, a long time ago you had talked about the historical and architectural monuments of your country. You may not remember it but I do. You had told me that one requires at least six months totake a tour of your country.
Right now, I have three months' time and I have decided to visit India.
My heart yearns to see the places that you had described. It would be a great pleasure if you could accompany me on my travels, but if you have any work, then can you please arrange my itinerary and accommodation? I am coming to Bangalore directly.I will wait for your reply. 

Yours affectionately, 

Mike Collins 

Gautami was delighted to receive this letter. Probably Mike was the only foreign guest whose company she enjoyed. Most of the guests she had to entertain were Abhyudaya's business associates who looked at India from a very different angle.
For them, India meant cheap software. Their itinerary was to sunbathe in Goa, see the Taj Mahal, buy tonnes of silver jewellery, stay at The Leela Palace or Golden Palms—that's all.
They didn't really understand what India meant nor were they interested in knowing. 
Gautami disliked such people, but it didn't bother Abhyudaya very much.
When they were invited for dinner, the handsome Abhyudaya would smile charmingly and say, 'Oh it was a great pleasure meeting you today' or 'You have made my day'. 
Gautami would feel like walking out of the dinner party but she was aware that as Mrs Gautami Mohan, being the wife of the company's director, her presence was important.

Since Abhyudaya was going to be out of the country, Gautami was happy that she could join Professor Collins on his trip. Suddenly she felt she had grown wings. Her spirits soared and she felt like singing with the koel in springtime. Enthusiastically she made all the travel plans and waited for Professor Collins's arrival.

She went to the airport to receive Professor Collins personally. She was meeting him after five years. He looked a little older but was as energetic as ever. The pursuit of knowledge had kept him young. 
Gautami had planned for their journey to start at Delhi and end in Bangalore.

Their first destination was Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's capital city. When they visited the fort there, Gautami described to Professor Collins several significant historical events that had taken place at that fort.

'Sir, don't you feel that there is a difference between the Agra Fort and this small fort? It seems the Mughals shifted their capital from here to Agra due to shortage of water. When Akbar the Great did not have a male child, he prayed to the Sufi saint Salim Chishti for a son. He did get a son and out of gratitude, named him Salim.
Even today, people come and pray at the tomb for their wishes to be fulfilled. They make a knot with a piece of thread and tie it on the window grille and when the wish is fulfilled, they come back and untie the knot.This saint's tomb is here, in the fort.'

From Agra they went to Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. She explained the importance of this city to the professor.

'Sir, Ujjain is a place with a very rich history. If one knows and loves Sanskrit, one cannot miss reading about Ujjain. It appears in all of Kalidasa's plays. Kalidasa was a great Sanskrit scholar who belonged to Ujjain. Once upon a time this place was called Avantika. Goddess Avanti was the presiding deity of this area. This is also a place where the romance between Princess Vasavadatta and Udayana bloomed.

In his younger days, Emperor Ashoka was the governor of this land. It seems his beautiful wife Vidisha was from the neighbouring town. His famous children Sanghamitra and Mahendra were born here. This place is extremely important for Hindus. The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga's shrine in Ujjain is one of the famous jyotirlingas of India. The myths say that there was a mysterious aura of light around the linga . . .'