Battle Against Sphinx

Chapter - Seven

Miles

I tossed and turned not able to get any sleep. My mind was running on what Zara had said. Something like that had happened in my life too but I didn’t want to think about it. Finally I woke up and then decided to take a walk silently. The balcony door was open so I went up to it.

“Julia?” she turned around and gave a small smile. “Even you didn’t get any sleep?” I asked and she nodded. “Oh. Thinking about anything deep?” “Kind of. Just look at the view. I’m sure we are amidst huge rainforests. This is beautiful and I am not even able to capture the moment” she said looking. “Oh, look at it this way, you may not be able to capture it in your camera but you have captured it in your heart. You’ll never forget this moment.” I said and this time I got a genuine smile from her .

“So, don’t mind but the only topic I have is tell me something about yourself. So go on” I asked her “ Why not this time you tell something about yourself?” she asked me in return. “Umm… no , anyways I have to tell everyone so I prefer one time talking” she laughed at that. “It wasn’t funny” “Yes it was. Anyways, I love photography, mainly nature what about you?” “Even I love nature , but not photography exactly. I don’t even know how to use a lens camera” I admitted it. Photography isn’t my thing.

As if she read my mind “Then what is your thing?” “I love going on solo trips.” “ Won’t it be boring? Like all alone , just roaming , no one to share your moment with?” she asked me out of curiosity. “No, it’s never boring. Imagine yourself walking down the roads into this forest. You don’t have any pathway leading you ahead. Just the trees surrounding you. The sound of cool air gushing, chirping birds, rustling leaves. Somewhere far you can hear water gushing away. Maybe a waterfall or a river or a high tide lake. You never know. Just go with the flow and find yourself experiencing something which you might never experience otherwise.”

“Wow , that was good. But what if that works only in forests ? Can someone have such experiences in other places also? Like some crowded city maybe? How can one go 'with the flow' in such places?”

Hmm, that got me thinking. I thought for a while and then I went 'with the flow' . “In crowded cities.” I said to myself. “ Walking around the streets , looking at different people, different places, getting to know stuff about those places by natives and not the internet. Making new friends , doing adventures like cycling or riding through the streets. Basically getting to know different traditions, and getting a different perspective of life”

“Wow, you just speak like my brother. Even he said such things once when we were young. Solo trip , going with the flow, experiencing different stuff , and he used to say some word for it” she tried to remember. “ Soul searching” we both said it together and laughed. We spoke for some more time and then went back to sleep.

I woke up to a loud shriek. I saw Zara getting her breath back. “Wow , Ms. Scary cat relax. It’s just a letter” I said seeing that she got scared as the letter fell or was placed directly on her face. Who knows how this host is planning stuff. He puts up keypads and electric locks on doors and even sends us handwritten letters.

“Relax Zara” Julia calmed her down. “Lets read the letter” I snatched it from her and started reading it.

'Hello my lovelies,

Hope the first riddle got onto Zara’s heart. I knew it would since her mom eloped with her boyfriend.

Anyways your next riddle awaits you in the pathway towards your right. Type Zara’s mom's full name and enter the space. Then you know the drill.

Here is your riddle :-

THE LIFE OF π STARTS HERE

Good luck my lovelies'