Road leads to Rome

Sequence of wonderful unexpected events are always a surprise package to our life. Classroom taught us lots of values to follow in our day to day life. Same way it also helped me to create my own bucket list. "Bucket list" may sound filmy but trust me, it never disappoints and the amount of satisfaction you get is unexplainable.

If 9^th standard social book can make you prepare the bucket list then imagine how my teacher who took the lesson should have taken it. Here, I must bow to the writer and my class teacher who took the subject with lots of pictures and inscribed them as memories in my mind. I even remember, it was around November, morning 11 am she took that class. One whole day I was lingering with those thoughts. I haven’t read those lessons after that but each word came out automatically during my exams.

Childhood dreams were neither intentional nor planned but the dreams once dreamt and molded by the sequence of happy events will never leave our memories. In fact, it even becomes a drive to pursue the dreams, it helps to search the dreams, and it helps to travel along with the dreams. It may take time, even longer: but one day when it happens, the amount of happiness we feel can never be explained in words but can only be experienced.

Here I am. At the place which topped my bucket list. City of fine architectures, city of holiness, city of much astonishment – ROME. My childhood memory, Dream, Bucket list -1, history.

It’s finally the time to invade Romans in their own territory. Step-1 board the flight where the blast of air blinds your eyes and no signs of happy beginning as pilot shook the flight for a  moment brought roles in my throat, within next 2 hours my inner soul said something contradictory as the flight entered the place, the place which I have been dreaming to see since my childhood days. First step in Rome is always a giant leap of my life ;-) Entering the place kindled beautiful memories and I started to feel my presence in Rome.

As a small boy I kept my chin and cheek in the bus mirror and was seeing the buildings, streets, and people. To my luck that day, time was running an hour ahead as day light saving started how sweet Mr. Time is! Morning came, time started to tick – We have only 6 hours to roam Rome, started to live my dream with an aim to cover as many places as possible. Urban trains were always there for our rescue and of course with time delays. Took a train map, spotted the places, bought one day pass and left for Vatican.

Experiencing the view of that place was a pleasure to the eyes. Who doesn’t want to sit and rejoice such a place? Marking the Easter Sunday there was a special function organized in the city. This is selfies era – a new way to capture the memories these days and lot more can happen with selfie sticks adding to it. Two eyes are definitely just not enough to view that panoramic view of Vatican. Even camera suffered a lot.

Took some time to view that place and started to walk towards the place where I was killed some centuries back ;-)

With no clue about the whereabouts, took a route driven by soul. Don’t know where it will lead, but my instinct said come on Niru you are on right path. Crossed many churches, Roman pantheon and finally there is my destination. Where I could see my arena half collapsed, I stopped for a moment, looked at the skies, and unknowingly dropped my selfie stick in middle of the road – this could be a moment where I dropped my sword once in that place. When I bent down to take it my friend gave a pat on my back indicating this could be my end of the day centuries back. Traveling behind and looking at the place from distance - where I was kept in. Walking down the very same street wasn’t easy for me. As the time ticked, memories fell into the proper place, heard a huge roar from the sides of the streets, people cheering as we reach Colosseum. Huge crowd and people around me were looking at me and they cheer at the loudest of their voice as if telling me to defeat those enemies. Life was never easy those memories starting to troll you, walking towards my destination. Standing in front for few minutes brought tears in my eyes. Took a ticket entered the arena.

As I keep my hands on the walls, I remembered different thoughts. Flashing faces, cheers, king all faded out, but my only concern was where my love is? Going centuries back feeling like she is near me, she is walking with me, and she is smiling at me. Here I’m my love she whispered. She waved her hands with loud shout as I marched towards her, when I was supposed to reach her, I was blocked by a tiger, sword came in front of my eyes to defeat me. Marching with full force king ordering to kill all of us, the entire Colosseum collapsed but I know it was my mind playing tricks. I know where I was pushed where I was killed where I was kept in. Tigers were roaring, king was smiling, and people were cheering. These many days I didn’t have the chance to visit the place, but now I had. Maybe many kings would have rose and fallen after me and allowing us to enter the arena. Coming around that place more than once is tiresome but we did twice. Giving me enough time to dive down my memory lane where I stood by the side, posing like a King was a pleasure. Leaving that place should have been hard but I dint feel like that when I left. 

Time ran and we were about to leave Rome. That evening we boarded the flight and Italy never checked out of my mind. Still sitting like a small boy thinking about my previous soul I left that place with hard feelings. Physically I wasn’t present but mentally I was living my memories. Ending the day with Italian wine and Pasta is what Italy is meant for now. More than that Rome has lot more memories.

Boarded flight seeing from distance for one last time on March 29^th I left the place and I said “one day I will be back to invade this place again with my memory lanes. Till then I will rule you in mind”

Till then this road never ends

Special mention:

Editor: Iniya, Travelled with: Vinoth & Radhika and finally dedicating this blog to my class teacher who triggered my thoughts on Rome :-)