It was a typical
Mills and Boons book which did it. The story was cute and romantic with the
usual rich, dark, handsome guy falling for the cute, pretty, accomplished gal.
It was dreamy; definitely something which would impress a 13 year old girl. But
what got her starry eyed was not the passionate love story. Yes, she did
believe in those fairy-tale-like love stories and hoped she would find her true
love, not necessarily rich. But what remained etched in her mind after reading
the book was the location – vibrant and magnificent Spain.
She read with excitement as the author
described the rugged terrains of Andalucia with its warm clear climate and the
high mountains. As she read about the haciendas, she imagined palatial mansions
laced with blooming creepers, flanked by stables, training arenas and huge
grounds and woods on all sides. She was fascinated with Granada, the jewel of
Andalucia. She imagined having a romance in those colorful lanes, walking along
the magnificent parks and walkways of Alhambra breathing in the fresh air. She
wondered if the spectacular Sierra Nevada looked just as the picture in her
mind.
She created images of
the dark, rugged and mysterious people and wondered how they lived. As she read
through the book, she imagined every detail – the place, the people, the food,
the culture, the clothes, their language. She would often call upon those
images of the Spain she created, to keep her company at times of boredom or despair.
It became her dream – to actually see those places she had read about and
imagined in her mind – an impossible dream.
Why? Well her world
was very different. She lived in a simple neighborhood, in a modest city in the
South of India. Some of her friends had never heard of Spain or the word ‘Aliens’.
In all of her 13 years of existence she had never stepped out of her city,
except to visit her grandparents in the village. She had never flown in an
aircraft in her life. Her future was all chalked out in front of her – study well,
go to college, get a job, get financially stable. There was no space for dreams
in that world.
Yes, Spain was an impossible
dream for her. So she kept it close to her heart; never sharing it with anyone.
She never did any research or tried to look at pictures or description of
Spain. She wanted to cherish the images she had created just as they were,
untarnished with reality. This was her romance.
Will this dream ever
come true for her?
To
be continued…..
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