I had spent the last night in Tbilisi in my room, doing my meditation and munching on potato chips. Although I was looking forward to the next leg of my journey and heading back to Delhi, I was also saddened to leave Georgia after my twenty-five-day excursion. I knew that I would miss Nino. We had formed a special bond and developed a mutual love and respect for each other as we traveled the country together.
Although Nino had a reasonable life in Georgia, she still yearned for something more. Maybe she was just bored of her current situation and wanted some excitement in her life. “You know, Anuj, I get tired. I have to work till late at night, and my brother is a control freak,” she told me as we secretly chatted with each other. “I don’t want my brother to know that we are talking to each other, otherwise he will take my mobile away. He is always trying to dominate me and control me. I feel that I am trapped in a cage,” Nino said.
Nino’s Cage
I felt that she was a lady with a great future, but somehow her family was limiting her potential. “With your beauty and hourglass figure, you will do wonders in modeling,” I told her during one of our many conversations.
She was like a caged bird, and I felt she had gotten bored with her toys, her BMW, and her regimented life in Georgia. She was getting bored and wanted to change her life. “I want to change my life. I want something new,” Nino said to me.
“Then come with me, travel with me in India. We can see Kashmir, travel to Mumbai and Jaipur, see the Taj Mahal. It will be an enriching experience for you,” I told her.
Yes, our little Nino wanted to fly. She wanted new wings and felt deep within her heart that I could give her those wings, I could save her from her cage and from her trap.
“I am sorry for my brother’s behavior. He was rude to you. I apologize; you know Georgian men and their twisted minds,” Nino said, sounding agitated and slightly peeved with her situation. It was safe to say that she was getting mighty bored with her life in Tbilisi.
“I will shoot a portfolio with you when you come to India. You will need a photo portfolio to get you some modeling work,” I explained to her.
She was there in the morning to receive me and take me to the airport. The lady saw me off till the end. We finally bid each other goodbye, and I hugged her for the last time before I boarded my flight to Delhi. With a heavy heart, I looked soulfully into her eyes and said, “I will miss you dearly, Nino.” Saying that, I boarded my flight back to India.
