The Escape

                          Mythili started her day as usual : share a cup of coffee with the hubby, send off the kids to school with their 'tiffins' and 'water bottle'. Then the man of the house left. Enter the maid, share a cup of tea with her, before both of them resumed their work. She then left for the bank where she worked. The older of her kids was 11 and the younger one 8. Things were going on as they do in most normal so called 'happily married couples's life'. What was different today ?
                    She had been feeling like this from past one and a half years. She wanted something 'else'. What was it ? She hadn't been able to figure out. She had good friends with whom she could share everything under the earth. But still that hadn't really helped. She had told her husband also. He just told her,'It happens at times.. Don't worry, things will be alright' plus n number of suggestions, he had given her. Men and their solutions ! Can't they be better off in this area at least after John Gray's famous Mars/Venus book ? Well so she had herself to blame for this unusual what would you call it ? urge ? desire ? need ? want ? The urge to be free, the desire to do the irrational/absurd/go wild, the need to be recognised a bit more, the want of a meaningful life ? Well she wanted all of these and at times only some of these. But it was the last which she wanted most of all. Why all of a sudden this when she was supposed to be 'happy' in the conventional sense ? Sweety heard her and had a hearty laugh. She had suggested going on a long drive, with a couple of girls and have a blast. Which they did. My ! an awesome time they had giggling and laughing till their sides ached. Ya ! that had been wonderful.
                     But can't it be like that everyday ? Oh ! this thought was eating her up. For once she even thought of contacting a counsellor. She had googled a lot too. What did it say ? Middle age crisis ? She didn't know whether it was that but she desperately needed to find a solution. One morning while she was taking the regular walk in the garden near her house, the idea popped up. She thought of taking the 'all women' trip organised by some travel agencies much to the chagrin of her husband and kids. But she managed to convince them  and went for a heavenly fifteen days get away to a hill station and surroundings. The first few days were exhilarating to the spirit, the mountains, the fresh air, the birds, that bliss called life in various natural forms. But day 8 she started missing her folks back home. She felt a bit guilty of leaving them behind. Why this escape from the people she loved, she asked herself. She had no answers. The need to be alone, just be oneself was so overriding that she felt it was worth spending rest of the days nourishing her soul with what she liked to do most. No sin there.
                        She came back rejuvenated, perhaps for a while. There would be answers like these in future too.