Randhir tiptoed his way around the room as he prepared to go for a pre-dawn jog in the corner of Matheran where they were staying. Both Aman and Sanyukta were fast asleep, Aman because he was only a child and Sanyukta because, well......he grinned as he glanced lovingly at the girl whom he had driven to the point of exhaustion before he finally let her sleep.  He had to stock up on pleasure points before he prepared himself mentally for a year-long bachelor life. Though Sanyukta watched her weight and managed to work out whenever she could, she could never match his stamina at play. He planted a peck on her forehead and walked out of the door, closing it lightly. As he stepped out of the hotel he noticed that the air was chilly and the ground was dew covered, soaking the red laterite earth and making it soggy. There was a mist enveloping the place which would dissipate when the sun came up.

He noticed that early risers were already heading toward the viewing points aiming to catch the breaking dawn. Ponies were heading towards the various hotels with their handlers, hoping to pick up these early morning enthusiasts keen on a guided tour. He passed a local woman in a traditional nine yard saree carrying a large stack of hay on her head. Joggers like him braved the nip in the air as the spurt in their metabolism would warm the body quickly. Matheran is home to some highly gregarious and at times aggressive bonnet macaques and langurs who take a swipe at anybody carrying a bag if they suspect that it has food in it. The animals can easily distinguish between tourist and locals, generally avoiding the latter. Troops were already descending from their trees and would soon set out on foraging missions, with several monkey mothers clutching babies on their bellies.

Randhir had been to Matheran before. The hill station is a popular climbing trail for youth from Mumbai. Randhir and Parth had accompanied some seniors from IIT-B on a monsoon-trek that started from Dodhani village in the plains and ended at the Sunset Point in Matheran, sipping lukewarm beer to slake their thirst during the uphill climb. It had been an exhilarating experience, the Sahyadris were clad in the rich green carpet and little streams went on to become cascading waterfalls. On the other hand one could slip and hurt oneself if a foot skid on the wet sodden soil. The view from above was to die for and they completed the leisurely climb in 2-3 hours. Their accommodation was modest, the food rustic but filling. All was well until the senior boys somehow managed to find a couple of streetwalkers whom they invited in to provide night-time entertainment.

Unwilling to wait their turn a team of boys partied with the girls behind the locked door, getting them drunk and making them put out for them in a sort of a relay race, unabashed as Randhir and Parth mutely witnessed the Bacchanalia, without actually participating themselves. With another grin on his face Randhir recalled the experience, he was glad he had waited so long for the right girl to turn up in his life. The following morning those two girls had negotiated themselves through most of the boys' money for having provided them a communal carnal experience. The only other time he had been tempted with a three or foursome was a few days ago when Ira had propositioned him. If he let it be known on his college campus he was sure most inmates would be more than willing to participate. Getting laid was an ungratified need and a dream for the starving denizens who had bachelorhood forced upon them due to the paucity of funds or dating opportunities.

As he made his way back to the hotel birdsong helped enliven the air and he even spotted an elusive shekru or giant squirrel wearing a rich tan fur coat. A macaque mother holding a suckling infant squatted on the ground looking at him in anticipation, with an expression so soulful that Randhir bought a pack of biscuits and handed it to her and she promptly ran off with it on a high branch, surprising him with her agility, making short work of the food before competition could get to her prize. Randhir knew it was not proper to feed wild animals any human food but the primate had melted his resolve. She has a baby to feed, thought Randhir, forgiving himself the transgression. He wondered what his own adoptive family was doing that moment. To his pleasant surprise Sanyukta was already up and having bathed Aman she was herself in the shower when he got there.

After she came out of the bath Randhir freshened up. The hotel served them early morning tea with warm buttered toast and they enjoyed it in the veranda as they watched the most glorious sunrise from their room. They played badminton in the morning light until it was time to go to the dining room for a 3-course American breakfast consisting of cereal, fried eggs or omelette with bacon, and an endless supply of buttered toast and jam and pots of tea. They were supposed to check out at 10 am but the owner tempted them with the offer of lunch with Mulligatwany soup, fish and chips, and summer pudding on an a la carte basis and they gladly accepted because they were not keen on the sweet-toothed Gujarati Thalis popular in Matheran. They went for a stroll into town to buy Aman's favourite chikki, the famous nut brittle one can easily find in any hill station in Maharashtra. After they returned they checked out of the hotel and turned their attention toward the delicious lunch.

They reached Matheran station just in time for the train which departed as soon as they got on. They dozed off in the heat of the noon sun as the train descended toward Neral. Sanyukta was surprised to see their car parked near Neral station, Randhir had paid a driver to ferry the car from Mumbai just in time for their arrival at Neral so they could enjoy a comfortable ride back home. It was evening by the time they returned and after an early dinner a tired Aman went off to bed early. Sanyukta made them some moong dal khichuri and begun bhaja, reminding Randhir once again of his Didima. He could hear her hum a tune as she finished her chores briskly. He knew she missed her music, off late she had been so busy she could hardly sing at concerts. They had picked up some plain vanilla ice cream for dessert and Randhir made them a large bowl to be shared topped with a generous dose of coffee liqueur. As they fed each other, eating more than half from the other's mouth she became tipsy, giving him a spontaneous performance of a belly dance crossed with a lap dance. Randhir knew she had been taking lessons from Polina on the sly, and he did not mind that one bit as he pushed her onto the bed promising to do unspeakable things to her, to heighten their mutual pleasure.