It has been 32 years here we moved to the US. Every year, we plan a trip back home to meet friends and family. And, I slyly slip in a mini vacation too, just for the both of us. Athirapally popped up in one of the conversations with my cousins. It looked gorgeous in the pictures. But, when we reached there, what we saw was just magical. Sometimes, pictures can’t do justice to certain places.

My husband couldn’t stop counting the number of Oh-My-Gods pouring out of my mouth. The first OMG moment — the waterfall, so magnificent, that instead of checking-in to our room and freshening up to wash away the tiredness, we just stood there, stupefied. We sat at the terrace, staring at the surreal Athirapally waterfall. A canvas had come alive — foaming white water, golden sky and different shades of green.

While we were soaking up the view and sipping on our tea, there was a sudden interruption. Two large birds landed on one of the trees at a distance. “Oh my god! The Malabar Grey Hornbills!” They took off, and guess what? Two more joined them. They came so close, zipping right above us.

They were just fluttering around with their beautiful grey-white wings. I tried clicking pictures, but it was just so difficult to get a clear shot. That’s when my husband said, “It’s alright to let some of the moments go uncaptured.” Yes, that is so true. Sometimes, the best moments are the ones that stay in your memory, raw and unfiltered through any lens.