“I Love my India… I love my India”, transcending the borders, the different cultures and languages, the good old song brought me back to the enchanting surroundings. Till then, my mind was preoccupied with mundane matters which prompted me to look at the mile stones and name boards attached to wayside shops and restaurants. “We are yet to cross the Karnataka border… Here and there they have huge buildings but agricultural lands have been left alone… Wow, they have acres of such lands on either side of the road leading to the hills… I love my India!” My mind was relieved from mundane thoughts. Paddy fields gave way to trees, bushes and vast stretches of meadows where cows were grazing. One of them yawned and made a sound which was almost like “WELCOME”. Time was ticking away and even as I was immersed in the naked beauty of the nature, the driver of the taxicab shouted, “There he is! All alone…” Yes, there he was! The elephant was slowly crossing the road, just meters ahead of us! Then, there were monkeys, deers, a couple of majestic peacocks and umpteen birds freely roaming and flying in that forest. Every minute seemed to be valuable, for the car in which we were traveling would soon cross over to the human ‘habitats’. Yes, we had crossed the forest area and there were human beings, shops and buildings all over but the forest loomed large in my mind. It was a long journey but the comparatively short distance through the forest area was mesmerizing.