( First posted on 23 Dec 2012 )
Prologue
I've been infatuated and enthralled with India since young.
History lessons about the caste sytem, dowry, wife-burning injected a sense of mystique and curiosity about a culture which is totally alien; next comes arm-chair travel, which whisks one off to the land of the Maharajahs, particularly poignant is one grief-stricken soul who built a monument to commemorate his beloved wife, who died after giving birth to their 14th child
( yes, we now wonder about these things called love and duty)- such romance; and there is also the drama, evoked by Bolly and Holly wood, in the many guises of fantasy, heroism, ...culminating in the blockbuster "Slumdog Millionaire" where the good guy gets his gal against all odds with a bounty to boot. Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy, Rohinton Minstry among other Indian authors who wield their craft, have also left a lump in my throat...
On Nov 30 2012, I was ready to set foot onto Indian soil, accompanied by the SS (Supportive Spouse ) who had no notion of what lies ahead of him, save the arrival and departure dates of our flights - a brave man! I, on the other hand, am thrilled with the pilgrimage and the possibilities which beckon....
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