Annya's Enchanted Realities

It was 2022 when I had the chance to visit Yercaud on an official trip. During the trip, I got a chance to cross off one of my bucket list items. I had written down my bucket list earlier that year, and this gun shooting experience was the very first one I got to cross off. While the title may sound intense, I assure you, the experience was purely fun and filled with excitement.

It was the last night of our trip to Yercaud, and we all went to the market for some shopping and sightseeing. The weather was pleasant, though a bit too cold for some. But the cold never bothered me anyway—lol! (At this moment, I really feel like Queen Elsa, if you catch my drift.)

We wandered through the marketplace, stopping to enjoy some freshly made vadas and crispy cauliflower pakoras. And, of course, me being the Ice Queen, I ordered an ice cream. Everyone gave me strange looks, but I didn’t care—I was enjoying my treat!

After finishing my ice cream, I continued exploring the market when something caught my eye. A tall tree stood nearby, and tied to its bark was a board with balloons strung across it. A few feet away, a man held a gun, inviting people to shoot them down.

I had always wanted to try this. Whenever I saw these shooting games at the beach or other places, I felt the urge to play but never acted on it. Maybe because I had written down my bucket list this year, it gave me the push I needed to finally go for it.

I don’t even remember when or how I started walking toward the man. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of him, asking how to take part in the game. Apparently, I would get 10 shots, and if I hit all 10 balloons, I’d win a prize—a teddy bear!

I decided I was going to do it. The funny thing is, I actually thought it was just a toy gun used to shoot down the balloons. I was wrong. When the man handed me the gun—boy, it was heavy! I blurted out, “Anna, ithu nija gun-a?” (which means, “Is this a real gun?” in Tamil).

He laughed and said it was a real gun with buck shots in it. It had small ball bearings used to pop the balloons. Then, he showed me how to aim.

The gun I was using was a type of rifle. It had a butt coil that rested on my shoulder. At the start of the barrel, there was a rear sight, and at the tip, a front sight. To aim, I had to close one eye, line up both of those sight thingies with the balloon I wanted to shoot, and then pull the trigger.

I was really nervous to take the first shot. The moment I heard it was a real gun, I started panicking. What if I accidentally shot someone? I could already see my name in the headlines for a minute there—lol.

The Ice Queen had officially abandoned her throne. Haha!

Then I remembered—this was a bucket list item. I had to do it. Backing out now would make me a coward. So, I gathered whatever courage I had left and aimed at a green balloon.

As I looked through the barrel, my vision suddenly felt blurry. Great, I thought. Now I need glasses too. But as I focused, everything else faded—the sound of my heartbeat, the wind brushing against my face—and my eyesight cleared. All I could see was the green balloon.

I pulled the trigger. I felt the buck shot leave the barrel, and then—pop! I got it. I hit the green balloon.

I couldn’t believe it. I screamed, “Yay! I did it! I did it!”

That caught my team’s attention, and a couple of them came over to cheer me on. Now, I was even more eager to take the next shot.

This time, I felt a little more confident. I aimed again and hit the yellow balloon. Then the blue, then pink… and it went on.

And then—I think I got jinxed. I missed the 7th shot.

My teammates kept cheering me on. I took the next two shots, and both hit the balloons. But the last shot? I missed again.

I felt a little disappointed. I needed stronger motivation to win that teddy bear.

Then, as I looked at it, something clicked. Up until now, I had been shooting just for fun. But this time, I was going to do it for Erin.

Whatever I won, I would give it to her when I got back home.

Somehow, earning this little teddy bear felt more meaningful than spending money on gifts. Don’t you agree?

I paid for another round and took my first shot.

You won’t believe what happened—I hit two balloons in a single shot! I felt ecstatic!

I thought to myself, Okay, good. This gives me an even better chance of hitting all 10 balloons.

Everything was going great… until the 7th shot. I missed again. I don’t think seven is my lucky number.

To win the teddy bear, I needed a perfect 20/20. But by the end of my second round, I had only scored 17/20.

So, no teddy bear for me.

I think the guy was a little moved when he found out I had played for my daughter.

He said, “Sister, I can’t give you the teddy bear because you didn’t hit all the balloons. But you played for your daughter, and that means something. So, here’s a gift for the score you got.”

Then, he handed me a 3D sticker strip with a butterfly, Pooh Bear, and a sunflower.

I felt like I had just won a Golden Globe or something!

I thanked him, and my team congratulated me. On the way back, I couldn’t stop talking about the experience.

But more than anything, I kept wondering about Erin’s reaction.

The next day, when I gave her the stickers, she was so happy. And when I told her how I got them, she hugged me tight and said, “I love you, Amma.”

What more can a mother ask for?

So, there you have it—one more happy memory and the first item crossed off my bucket list. I didn’t think I would be blogging about this back then, so I never took any pictures to capture the memory. But I hope this blog transported you to the moment and made you feel like you were there with me.

Hope you enjoyed reading this memory!