NEWS COMICS — Tabloids have been raving about a magical forest of light hidden somewhere in the depths of the wilderness. A place where one can bask in the magnificent beauty of bioluminescent plants and trees. A place where you can transcend reality and feel like you’ve been transported to a magical fairyland. Sounds like paradise, doesn’t it?
So, with a sense of giddy anticipation, armed with a mosquito net and a few mojitos, I decided to embark on this enchanted adventure.
The trek to the forest was a gruelling adventure. I suffered through muddy swamps, trudged through ankle-deep bog, and dodged forest creatures I never knew existed. By the time I reached the clearing, I was already itching all over like I'd been rolling in poison ivy.
As a breathless, mosquito-ridden adventurer, I was looking forward to basking in the radiance of the hallowed forest. But as I stepped closer, my face began to fall. The bioluminescent trees and plants, which I had so eagerly anticipated, were less impressive than a 15-minute firework display during New Year’s Eve. I had just stumbled upon the most disappointing forest on the entire planet. With more disappointment than the number of people who still haven't gotten over the finale of Game of Thrones.
I had somewhat expected an enthralling symphony of colours bright enough to make even Technicolor red with envy, but what I got were half-baked Christmas lights that ran out of battery two months ago. I was left standing in the middle of the forest, staring woefully at the disappointing array of lack-lustre brilliances before me.
The mosquitoes were also another level of massive and persistent. They were the kind that could donate blood to the local blood bank and still have enough left to harass you. I had more bites and bumps than a poorly written Twitter post.
Amidst the magical drabness of that dreary forest, I tried my best to make the most of it and capture all those stunning Instagrammable moments. But my pictures came out more like screenshots of a child's crayon drawing than a wall-worthy photograph. I had failed to capture the magical essence of the forest of light.
To add insult to injury, it wasn’t more than an hour after I had arrived, that it started raining. Not just a drizzle either. Not some little droplets that tickle your skin, but the kind of rain that falls heavy enough to make the Incredible Hulk cry. And because the mosquitoes loved the rain, it was like they had extra wings or something. It was like they were happy that it rained because they could carry-on with their "annoy human beings" campaign.
I just stood there, shivering in the rain, more disappointed than the world was when we found out Pluto wasn't a planet anymore. All that anticipation, all that planning, all the mosquito bites, all for nothing.
So, to all the future travellers who are thinking of hiking into the forest of light, I have an important piece of advice for you. Bring your imagination and fancy camera filters with you. Oh yeah, and make sure you've got a good health insurance plan that covers massive mosquito bites and furious rains.
So here’s the moral of the story – Don't believe everything you read in the tabloids. What may seem like an enticing idea in your mind’s eye can end up being a major disappointment. Just like that romantic weekend away with your ex which ends up being an eight-hour argument about cleaning the bathroom sink.
*Note: Comic story just for humor only.
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