“While on a walk, I talk”, Vijay told his cousin Pranav, who was impressed with his collection of photographs captured on the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II DSLR camera. Pranav was in Bangalore on a vacation and was scrolling photographs on its flip-out screen.

“I mean, how do you capture this?” Pranav wanted to know.

Vijay was almost a professional. Most of his photographs focused on sunrise and sunset, captured from various locations and dimensions. It was the sunrise which he liked the most, and he would compare that exotic moment with Paradise.

“This is a strange hobby, Vijay” Pranav said. “Somebody might inform the cops and probably I would have to meet you in jail” he chuckled at his own joke. “I don’t mind that and possibly nobody does, lest someone rob my camera at knife point”, Vijay replied.

Indeed, it was a strange hobby, capturing moments with a DSLR camera while walking on a road. But, Vijay did find this amusing, when he first read about it on Google, and he was lost in that momentary thought, when he heard the alarm ring on his mobile phone.

“Well, time for my morning walk, country lad. We have to capture paradise today”, he said grabbing the DSLR from Pranav’s hands.

“Make sure you wear the face mask”, he reminded Pranav. The world was living amidst fears of the epidemic, ‘COVID – 19’, or rather politely, ‘Novel Corona Virus’.

“It looks as if we are a different breed, I mean, wearing these masks” said Pranav, pointing at the number of people sporting the mask. “We don’t see that many wearing it in our village” he reminded.

“That’s the way here. People are in panic, but, life has to go on!” he said, reassuring himself that the pandemic would end soon. Indeed, the road with the people wearing the masks gave a bleak look. Scary, even for a city dweller like him.

At the precise moment, a masked man waved at Vijay. The balding forehead looked familiar and upon a closer examination, it reminded him of Professor Aryanath.

“Good Morning Vijay!” Aryanath said, rubbing his palms to brush-off the morning chill. “You’ve got company today?” he asked, looking at Pranav. “He is my cousin Pranav, who is here on a holiday.” Vijay said. Both shook hands, breaking the Government’s directive to not shake hands during a time when hygiene measures were being considered and reconsidered.

“You are walking with a limp, how is your knee holding up?” Vijay asked. “Its early Arthritis”, he said as if it encouraged him to speak. “There is a stiffness when I wake up, and I don’t feel like walking for almost half an hour. Sometimes the popping is too much to handle, and in the cold weather it gives me a pain, as if pricked by a needle.”

Vijay was sure that the Professor was feeling old already.

“I’am exercising regularly, Yoga in particular. Now that the rains will come in a couple of months, I need to be fit and fiddle again instead of feeling miserable” he said.

“I wish you a speedy recovery, Professor. I want to see you jog again”, Vijay said.

Aryanath wished that his bones be flexible again. If he could read the future, then, he could tell that it would take more time. He sighed.

“Where are you heading with this camera? Do take my picture – before and after arthritis!”, he rolled with laughter.

“We are walking towards the bridge, where I plan to capture the rising sun. I had been trying for the best shot since that thought occurred in my mind, but, I haven’t got a real picture. Hope I would get it today”, Vijay said.

“I wish you the best, well go ahead, the sun might be up any moment” Aryanath warned.

We bade goodbye. “This professor is a wonderful chap, is’nt he? There is a lot positive in speaking with him” Vijay said. “Yes, he seems to be a cheerful chap for an old man”, Pranav agreed.

Vijay recollected how he had met the Professor. It had rained suddenly on a morning walk, and he was stranded in the middle of nowhere. He saw a tall man, running towards him and all wet. He had no umbrella and yet he came running. Vijay had wondered why? He said “You should take covers son, else you would catch cold”. So, they both ran and that’s how their jogging sessions started.

On one occasion, he complained about a pain on his right knee. Yet, he never stopped his jogging. It was a bit sad to see him limp nowadays. Vijay knew arthritis had no definite cure, and he wished him well.

They walked ahead and saw an old tramp, only thing was, Vijay noticed that he is not a tramp anymore. As Vijay moved near him, the tramp in limelight waved at him.

Vijay remembered him from last week. He did not know his name, but, Vijay was a happy man that day. Vijay was walking back home with an orange juice in his hand and the tramp was looking at him sipping. Vijay was not sure what to do. The tramp was so frail that Vijay began to imagine how his face would look like upon death, with cotton stuffed in his nose.

“Do, you need a drink, man” Vijay had asked. The tramp said nothing. Vijay felt he was offended. He bought the tramp sandwich and juice. The tramp grabbed it and consumed it in a jiffy. He then wept and said that he had not eaten the other night.

As Vijay was wondering that the tramp would embarrass him again, he beamed and said “Sahib, I’ve got a new job as a waiter at a cafeteria”. He thanked Vijay for the juice and the snack.

Vijay felt happy for the fact that how a poor man as him remembers gratitude. Vijay asked him where he worked and the tramp said, “Kailash tea stall, near the bridge”.

Vijay told him that he will pay a visit to his stall today.

That reminded Vijay about his task. The horizon was brightening and the day was fast becoming a hustle.

“Pani kittumo cheta? (would it work, brother?)”, Pranav asked looking at the now brightening sky. “This is what I had said earlier, while on a walk, I talk.” Vijay smiled.

To reach the bridge the brothers had to cross an intersection.

The sun would rise 15 degrees in one hour. They both looked towards the East. The sun was a dull representation of a yolk in the sky. The lapse would give them a little more time.

Honk said a car, reminding Vijay of a bugle blown by a chieftain at war, which anyway was to happen at office hours. Driving on a working day is no less than a war.

They stopped and allowed the car to pass. “He seemed to be in a hurry”, Pranav said. But both knew they would live another day, especially Vijay, as he had to take his pictures.

They crossed the intersection, and climbed the stairs leading to the bridge. Vijay took a quick look behind him as he climbed the stairs. The horizon was fast becoming bright and the yolk was now a burning blob.

That made him instantly look at the apex point of the bridge. “It should not be far enough for me”, Vijay thought. Determination had made Alexander the Great conquer the inaccessible Fort Varna. Here, he had to walk 300 steps and dodge people coming from the opposite direction. He remembered that he would need the time to adjust his lens.

Vijay walked fast, and in his mind was a remote thought to let go of today’s opportunity to capture the scene. At the same time there was this unfathomable determination, something which he had been always proud of. He would think of it and have goose-bumps. Vijay looked at his hands and they were there. Prickly.

It was now a mission. Both Vijay and Pranav hurrying towards their destination, colliding a few stubborn guys who were reluctant to make way. Vijay was not bothered, but, Pranav ensured he gave a deliberate push to these intimidating people. He was beginning to like it.

Some of the good guys gave a questionable look at their need to hurry.

Eventually, they reached their vantage point. Vijay looked around. Less people in the vicinity. That was what he wanted. The sun was about to glow in full bloom and he had some time to adjust his lens.

Then, the sun woke from its slumber, stretching its sharp rays, bright and beautiful; and cutting the twin towers on the straight road drawn in between them. The traffic was slow paced and was moving beautifully in a disciplined order. The entire location, a concoction of the lush green adorning the roadside and colorful buildings was now bathed in morning gold, mesmerizing everything that waked on the road in complete glory. It was the moment he was waiting for. “Paradise!” Vijay whispered with a flurry of clicks.

Vijay checked the captured images on the flip-out screen. He took a couple of complimentary clicks. The sun was now in a full holy bloom. The moment of ecstasy was over.

He showed the pictures to Pranav. “Adipoli (superb), that’s the best I have seen as far as I can remember”, Pranav in fact remembered. “Which one would you select?”

“Let us talk, while we walk!”, Vijay replied.