Sun and Flower

Journey to Gundlupete

We all have that childhood sweetheart girls’ gang we cherish. For some, it’s just a sweet memory now, they may don't even have contact. For others, it’s an occasional call or message. And then, there are a few lucky ones like me, who are still together....Yes, my girls’ gang is still same! 

We live in the same city, we meet often, hang out, laugh endlessly, and stand by each other. Honestly, this was our childhood dream. I still remember how we used to say, “One day, we’ll watch movies together, go on trips, and do everything as a gang.” Back then, it didn’t really happen. I recall my 10th standard school trip to Bangalore. Three of my closest friends couldn’t join, and I felt so incomplete. The trip was fun, but without our craziness, it just wasn’t the same.

And yet, life has its own way of surprising us. Today, the four of us live in Bangalore—the very city we once couldn’t visit together. Now we go for movies, share endless laughter, and even manage to find our own “Valli case” moments which was meant to go in other direction,but Nooooo we will go to those valli's and feel "we are trapped" and laugh about it with the same unity and madness as before. Now you guys will get the idea how stupid we are😂😂.We may not be on international trips (yet!), but honestly, these little things mean the world to me. I’m truly grateful for how life has turned out.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Believe with all your heart. What’s meant for you will always find its way. You don’t have to chase it.

Our journey started with a single phone call.

“There are sunflowers in Gundlupet.”

“Nammak poyalo.” (Let’s go!)

Perfect timing Ganesh Chaturthi was around the corner, and Wednesday was a holiday. The plan was simple: crash at my room, book an Uber to the railway station, catch the train to Mysore, then hop on a bus to Gundlupet. Easy, right?

Wrong. What followed was pure chaos wrapped in comedy.

The “Valli Case” 🕵️‍♂️

Tuesday night was dedicated to what we call a “Valli Case.” Don’t ask me why. It’s not a case. It’s just… a vibe. Let’s just say Heisenberg’s famous line—“I am the danger”—feels like it was written for us. Naturally, we didn’t sleep a second that night.

At 4:15 AM, with a 4:30 train to catch, we were still calling an Uber. Enter the Hell Rider Uber guy, our personal Vin Diesel who somehow dropped us at the station by 4:32. Luckily, the train was two minutes late. Thank you, railway gods. 🙏

The Platform Olympics 🏃‍♂️💨

Now came the real mission: find Platform 6.

We run through the station like athletes—Platform 1, Platform 5, Platform 9… but no 6. Why do we always end up on every platform except the one we actually need? By some divine grace, we made it in time.The moment we got on, we burst out laughing and decided to take a nap. The train was nearly empty, dead silent. We found a cozy three-seater. Opposite us, a guy was lying down, head wrapped completely in cloth like Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan. Our first thought: Is he even breathing?We stared until his stomach finally moved up and down. Phew. Crisis averted.

Dolby Atmos Uncle 🎧😂

Silence again. Eyes closing. Peace. And then… Out of nowhere, the sound of reels BLASTS across the compartment: “Yaayieaa… ayaieaaa!” We snapped awake, turned left, and there he was an old uncle, sitting with a straight face, watching reels like it was his full-time job. The volume? Dolby Atmos, IMAX, 7.1 surround sound. We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Finally, the reel marathon ended. He put the phone aside. Phewww. We relaxed.

Across from him sat an  aunty, his wife, both dressed in matching yellow outfits. Cute, romantic… until she picked up her phone.We exchanged that helpless “what do we do now?” look. Luckily, her reels weren’t as loud. Sleep seemed possible again.

But twenty minutes later: BAM! Another round of “ayieayiaa njenjenjee…” echoed through the compartment. We woke up  eyes watery, faces grumpy, lips curled in anger. I finally gathered courage and asked him, politely, to keep it down. With the sweetest smile, uncle replied, “Oookeeyy.” Poor yellow guy.(Now when i look back they feel like sunflowers,both in yellow,charming,vibrant as sunflowers😂💛). Not long after, the couple got down at the next station. Peace returned. The train felt lighter, emptier. We even found seats to lie down.My friend set an alarm for 7:45. The train was supposed to reach Mysore at 7:15. By some miracle, she woke up early and shook us awake. I said, “I’m not getting up, let me sleep.” She scolded, dragged me out, and we stumbled onto the platform. We started walking straight, not sure if it was the right way. But honestly, who cares? At least Dolby Atmos Uncle was gone.

The Great Food Hunt & Auto Adventures😋🛺

Our trip started with a simple mission: find food. The first place we entered was a grand-looking hotel that felt more like the Tanjavur temple than a restaurant. For a moment, I was genuinely confused should I order or start praying? Then we saw the menu. Let’s just say, the prices looked like I’d have to sell my house just to pay for a dosa. Since our trip was strictly budget-friendly, we quickly backed out and walked on.

That’s when we spotted a Thattukada a humble roadside eatery. We ordered something that looked like dosa and sambar. At least, that’s what they called it. The taste, however, seemed like it came from another galaxy altogether. While we were eating, my friend suddenly turned to a guy behind us and confidently asked, “Yeshtu?” (How much?). The man looked confused and replied, “What?” Turns out, he wasn’t the waiter he was an auto driver who had just come there to eat. We were still proud though my friend had managed to throw in Kannada, even if it was at the wrong person!

What followed was classic travel drama. The auto driver tried to overcharge us ₹300 for a ride that Uber showed as ₹35. We felt smart and booked Uber instead. But in our excitement, I jumped into the wrong Uber, proudly waving at the other auto drivers like I’d just won a battle. The pride didn’t last long I had to sheepishly get out when I realized it wasn’t my cab. Finally, the real Uber arrived. I gave a grand farewell wave to all the auto drivers who were still laughing at our confusion, and we left for the bus stand.

At the bus stand, at least, we made one right decision we calculated carefully and chose the correct side to sit: the one with perfect sunlight on our faces.

And that’s how our “food hunt” turned into a full-blown comedy of errors.

Lost in Gundlupet🌻🌻

We finally reached Gundlupet and got down, excited to see the famous sunflower fields. My friend told me, “The field is just 650 meters away.” That was all the motivation we needed—we started marching.

First mistake: we took a right instead of a left. After a while, we realized it, crossed the road, and kept walking. People on the way stared at us like we had just landed from another planet. In my head, there was background music playing[kri kri kri kri] because honestly, three people in white tops and blue jeans, walking with so much confidence in wrong direction, must have looked ridiculous. We walked further into what felt like a village. No sunflowers in sight. Instead, we stumbled upon a Malayalee mutton stall. The meat hanging outside didn’t even look like mutton to me, but we ignored it and checked Google Maps again. “Arrived at destination,” it proudly announced. But all we saw was the stall, no fields, no flowers, nothing. We asked a local, and he laughed, “Google Maps is wrong. Many people make the same mistake.” Great. We had walked all that way for nothing.

So, we retraced our steps and finally found an auto. Bargaining mode activated. The driver asked for ₹180, but bargaining runs in my blood. I pushed for ₹150, then ₹170. He refused, I said at least ₹175. With a dramatic sigh, he agreed. I think he realized I was going to be a pain in his ass. At last, we reached the real sunflower field. Entry fee: ₹20. Worth it.

We walked through the tall, golden flowers, reached the end, and turned back. That’s when the magic happened all the sunflowers were facing us. The entire field looked alive, like they were dancing in the wind just for us. After all the wrong turns, stares, and bargaining, the view made everything worth it. Sometimes, getting lost is the best part of the journey.

A trek to Hills through Chendumalli Fields 🌼

From where we stood, a hill rose in the distance. And of course, if there’s a hill, we’re climbing it. That’s the rule. We started walking along the road, and a guy passing by said, “It’s 15 km.” Fifteen? Huh, who cares! The climate was too good to stop breezy, cloudy, and cool. The kind of weather that makes you forget distances. People in vehicles could never feel what we felt. On both sides of the road stretched endless fields bright orange and yellow chendumalli flowers swaying in the wind, and lush green banana plantations adding to the magic. It was like walking through a painting. After a while, though, we realized the road was long, too long. Then, across the road, another hill caught our eye. Without hesitation, we changed our plan. Why stick to one hill when another calls?  Crossing over, we found ourselves on a path that felt like a secret.

The trail through fields of chendumalli in different shades, fields of cabbage, and narrow mud tracks sooooooo slim that only one foot could fit at a time. We had to walk in a line, one after the other. First came the green fields, then yellow chendumalli. Standing in the middle of it all, surrounded by colors, it felt magical. We sat there for a while, letting the cool breeze wash over us, listening to old Malayalam songs.

As we walked further, we came across some truly wonderful human beings. Often, people warn us, “Don’t go there,” but instead of caution, we found warmth and support. Among them was a sweet little family Madhavan Chettan, his wife, and their young son. They welcomed us with peanuts and guavas, and I cherished that moment deeply.

What struck me the most was the peace in their simple life. A small family in a small home, surrounded by nature’s beauty the sound of birds at morning, a playful goat, vibrant flowers, endless greenery. No pollution, no honking, no constant glow of screens...just life in its purest form. It reminded me of the beauty of simplicity. For the first time in my life, I touched a goat there it was such a delightful experience! We then walked through fields of orange chendumalli, their brightness painting the path.We walked through paths covered in thrones and some plants. Along the way, another couple warned us not to go further because of tigers. A playful thought crossed my mind—“It’s okay, I watched Pulimurugan 11 times!”

Soon, we saw cows grazing on the hillside slopes, guarded by dogs whose barks will keep tigers away(I guess). Standing there, I realized there is two possibilities if we went more up: the dogs might bite us, or the tiger might eat us. So, we chose a third option sit on a rock, look back, and enjoy in the view of the path we had just traveled.

And in that moment, it struck me life is just like this. No matter how far you go, always take a moment to look back. You’ll see the incredible journey you’ve walked, the beautiful paths like chendumalli fields and the thorny ones that challenged you. Each step, whether easy or hard, has something to teach. And that is the true beauty of life.

The Return Journey🛤🔙

From there, we booked our return train tickets and made our way down the hill. A KSRTC bus carried us to Gundlupet, from where we finally reached the railway station. Inside the train, it was the usual scene of typical Indian travel crowds, chatter, vendors, and little dramas unfolding in every corner. Instead of getting annoyed, we decided to take it all in with a smile, turning the chaos into comedy.

By the time we reached Bangalore, we were so tired. We checked into our rooms, and I headed straight for a long, refreshing bath. The moment I lay down, I could feel the pain in my legs. But honestly, I’ve always loved these kind of pain it’s the sweet reminder of everything I’ve pushed through and achieved on the journey. With that thought, I  slept like a baby.

NB: We truly missed “S,” our fourth member, who couldn’t join us this time.

Sometimes, the best journeys are the unplanned ones—the ones where you change your path halfway and discover a little piece of magic. 🌿🎶