It so happened that stress claimed a lot of grit and soul from us since the past year. I think there isn’t a single person who hasn’t been invaded by stress and the maladies of our modern lives. There’s a rigid routine each day – wake up, get ready for work, commute via congested and polluted roads, work hard, invite more stress, irregular eating habits and feeling all drained at the end of the day. Most of us go through all of these each day, each month and every year. It leaves us tired and exasperated with life. At least I’ve seen most people I know turn into a working zombie due to the grind of our lifestyle.

The road that is lost in the forest, towards Arthur’s Seat, Mahabaleshwar

Tired of being stressed, I had planned a trip to Mahabaleshwar, mostly to cool our heels. Little did I know that it would present us with a wonderful opportunity to fill our lungs with fresh mountain air and cleanse our souls. I had just an idea that our hotel wasn’t located in the midst of the city marketplace, rather it was far away. When we arrived in the hotel, road tripping for four hours, it took our breath away. Completely away from the tiny hill city and actually inside the forest, it scared me a little. With a balcony that has the forest descending from its steps, and the loud crackling of crickets, the room didn’t let me sleep well the first night! It was my first time in the forest, and I was almost petrified.

But the next morning began with a lot of sunshine and a lovely garden in the hotel. Fresh blooms and aesthetically arranged flowers in the hotel lobby acted very therapeutic for us. Trust me, the three days we spent there turned out to be mostly cut away from civilisation, barring the television. We didn’t have to worry our heart out with work and stress, home management and groceries, paying bills or even calling people. Fresh forest odours filled our lungs in the morning and cleansed the soot of stress from us.

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