It was my brother's 14th birthday and I didn't know what exactly to gift him. Though I did know that he'd love it if I'll take him for a ride. I decided to take him ti my favourite place in Vasai. A 16th century church.
The first time I'd been to the church was during a school trip. I loved it then. I loved how peaceful the surrounding was. I loved how the church was situated in a village that very closely resembled my hometown in Kerala. But I didn't know the exact location of the church. Neither did I know it's name. I only remember my Principal saying it's in Merces. No one I asked seemed to know a church in Merces. Or the exact church I mentioned. It sounds silly, but it took me 2 years to find the church.
One rainy day, when a friend and I decided to go for a ride in the rain, we decided to go find the church that I was trying to locate for the past 2 years. After asking a lot of people, losing our way several times and getting drenched from head to toe in spite of our raincoats, we found the church. And it was exactly as I remember it to be. Calm and serene and a beauty. And we figured, it is known as Our Lady of Mercy Church.
After finally discovering the church I've been there thrice. Once during Christmas, once alone and once on my brother's birthday. I'm sure he loves the church just as much as I do and that's the first place we plan on visiting after the lockdown is lifted and most importantly after our parents allow us to go out.