WHERE THERE IS LOYALTY, WEAPONS ARE OF NO USE

“Within the human hearts, loyalty and consideration

are esteemed greater than success.”

– Bryant H. McGill

My last visit to Goa was some twenty-three years ago. I went there on a three-day trip with my wife and three-year-old son. We had booked a moderate room somewhere in North Goa. It was summer time… the beaches, streets, eating places were too crowded. The bus, by which we had returned, had an eccentric driver… and, to say the least, it was the worst ending to our already disappointing Goan-experience. Ever since then, I have said this a million times: “Goa is overrated… Too much hyped up.”

Obviously, I never visited Goa, even though people around me literally swore by the Goan experience. 

Last July I turned 60. It’s considered to be a great milestone in many of the Southern states and called ‘Shashti Poorti’ in Sanskrit.  My dear friend, Pratap, who is a Malayalee, one day, said to me, “Sir, you should celebrate it in Goa… There is this amazing resort by the name ‘Dona Sylvia’ in South Goa… You will love the experience… I have been to Goa with my family so many times… and, this is the only place we have been loyal to in Goa.”

“Somehow, I don’t like Goa at all, Pratap,” I played my familiar record, once again, “It’s too much of hype… Not worth it.” Then, I recounted my twenty-three-year-old soar-grape saga.

“Forget about it, Sir,” Pratap laughed on hearing my tale, “You will come back with a different experience if you spend your vacation at Dona Sylvia.” Then, he added this, “You deserve this vacation on your ‘Shashti Poorti’... I will take care of it.”

I really felt so loved and honoured when I heard Pratap spontaneously expressing his desire, that his beloved teacher (and idol as he claims) needed a fine holiday on his special occasion.

However, for some strange reasons, I was still not prepared to go on a Goan holiday. At the end of October, my health had taken a scary twist… There was a cancerous tumour over my right kidney, which was detected accidentally when I had gone for some other routine medical tests. I was in the hospital for nearly a month, and at home for nearly three weeks. I was lucky that the cancer was detected at an early stage… and, so, when the surgeon removed my tumour-infected right kidney, I was declared ‘safe’…

Am I?

Well I pray, I am…

But, the attitude towards life, and particularly towards our relationship, began to change drastically… Both my wife and I began to respect our relationship more now… We began not to take love and affection for granted… My wife began her day at five in the kitchen, just to ensure that I had a healthy diet… Now, she was less reactive towards my flaws and I was more appreciative towards her kindness. “Life is too short”… Yes, this statement had a true meaning, now. “I will love you in our good times and bad times… in our health and sickness”… Yes, the marriage vow had a very special meaning now, too…

A week ago, I just called up Pratap and said, “Pratap, can you organize the Goa holiday… We both need a break desperately.”

The very same day, Pratap got my air tickets and hotel bookings done for three nights at Dona Sylvia, which is now known by its five-star name, ‘Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort’. “Sir, I will see that you come back with a memorable experience.”

Last night, we came back home, yes, with a memorable experience in Goa!

Thanks to Pratap, once my dear student and now a dear friend, who has stayed loyal to his teacher and idol for close to three decades. With literally nothing in hand, and with no God Father to pull strings for them, he and his wife, Beena, have built a vast educational empire…while remaining true to the basic values and ideals which had driven them to follow their hearts.

On the other side of the spectrum, my three-nights vacation at Novotel Goa Dona Syliva Resort taught me some fine values and ideals, too. Here are some ot hem…

You need to remain true, rock-solidly, to the founders’ vision, values and ideals. The Albuquerque family had painstakingly created this beautiful resort on a twenty-acre land on the Cavelossim beach, the way no one else had. They had the renowned architect, and a son of Goan soil, Charles Correa to design the landscape with 181 Mediterranean-styled villas reflecting the Goan-Portuguese architecture… with an amazing lobby area, swimming pool, spa, gym, tennis court, three great restaurants, conference halls, stunning lawns for events, and an exquisite bar lounge, where another son of Goan soil, the legendary Mario Miranda’s classic work adorns the walls from all sides… The statues around the resort are created by another famed sculptor from Goa… The house-keeping is impeccable… The service at the restaurants and the food is top-notched. What is even more endearing is this: right from the  General Manager, Mr. Vishal Khosla, to the boys who mop the floor, everyone  greets you… and, you  know, that they do it with joy. Geeta Nayak, who is in-charge of the front office, goes out of her way to make the guests feel special… A large section of the guests are foreigners – from Europe to Russia, they all come here, year after year. Many of them have been coming here for more than a decade… They stay here for months, at one stretch!

One afternoon, my wife was trying to click a selfie of ours against the backdrop of a fountain with beautiful statues. My wife was not getting it right and showing her frustration… Just then, from nowhere, appeared one tall, well-built gentleman in his swimming attire. “May I help you click your picture?” the gentleman said so gracefully. We both showed our shyness and the gentleman did a fantastic job. “Selfies are no good… See this… Did you like it? Did you like?” he asked us.

When I enquired about him, the gentleman said, that he was from Switzerland, where the temperature presently runs deep into minus, with snow piling up to head height! He said, that he and his wife have been coming to this resort for over ten years… and, have been staying in the same villa! And, they stay here for three months – Jan to March!

While talking to Geeta and other staff at the resort, we learnt, that it was a familiar experience at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort… The guests love its timeless beauty… they love the uncompromising commitment to the core vision of the place…

An unknown author says, ““Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.” When I look back at my own brief vacation at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort, it only makes me more and more convinced, that, the words are so true…

“Where there is loyalty, weapons are of no use.”  Yes, it also becomes clearer to me, as to why  Paulo Coelho had said this.

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: TripAdvisor

Video: Krunal Patel