The Trip (Part 1)
It was May 12th’09 when I remember getting up with the sun, looking at the ceiling fan and hoping that would be the last day in college. I saw the future, the past and had a hard time accepting the present. An hour past unknowingly when I realized the importance of present and looked at my life ahead with the knowledge center’s (for us a brutal battalion) on the first floor of Chemical Engineering Department. Cycling had always been a passion to me in life but not that day. It was difficult to carry myself forward out of Godavari Hostel to a destination which seemed to remind me of a ride on my dad’s bike to give JEE. Every meter ahead seemed like a heave, a burden; when I met my friend, Shampoo, smiling his way through the Central Lecture Theatre. On this tough road to misery or success he told me about the most serene place on Earth, the Himalaya’s. He was trekking with the Youth Hostel Association of India and told me about the last vacancy if I planned to come. I was excited, looked at the future for a minute when my alarm on my watch snapped my dream. I had five minutes to enter the conference room flooded with the Titans. Though scared from inside, I went in with confidence. Before I even started, the urge of going to the Mountains made me determined to do well and twenty five minutes later I realized my dream come true. Inside it was like thousand soldiers cheering a hard fought victories battle outside I maintained my clam until our DDP coordinator came and told me to submit the thesis by 16th May’09. I couldn’t control myself, shouting with joy I ran down to my cycle and believe me the ride back home was THE ride of a life time.
I went straight to my room to be relieved by the fact that there was one opening still left in the YHAI website. The next hurdle, which was tougher than my Viva, was to get my parent’s approval. During this second battle I had lost hope after a point but did not give up. During my two day rigorous battle I kept on refreshing YHAI’s website praying for the last vacancy to be left. As all parents do after a hue and cry, they accepted. With loved ones it’s more of the emotional battle and they always compromise for their children. The small dream and ambition which Shampoo induced into me was a truth now. I was going to Sarpass with the Youth Hostel Association and for the first time in my life I was going to The Himalaya’s. Things moved very fast from then, after submitting my thesis on 16th I just had two days before I went to Delhi and started my tour.
It was the morning of 20th May’09 and I had to board a flight to Delhi at 6 AM at the new Hyderabad airport which reminded me of Changi International Airport, Singapore. The night before was sleepless and packing my stuff for the next fifteen days was exciting. As soon as I boarded I fell asleep unknowingly and the only thing which kept repeating in my mind was the beauty of the peaks. Hours were like years till I boarded the Manali bus that evening. Surprisingly unlike all the government buses this started on time and we were off to Manali from Delhi.
Sandeep, my friend from college and I started our intellectual conversations on spirituality, life and Engineering. The discussions were intellectual as we spoke shit and every conversation which seriously shits is called intellectual. Sandeep fell asleep after a while when I started thinking about the beautiful mountains; my thoughts then went to a football match in which a senior of mine had scored three goals in the last five minutes to give Godav a hope to win the silver medal; from there my thoughts diverted to CZJ on my bed when the bus driver sounded the loudest and the most horrifying horns in my life to startled me out of bed. Ramji the bus Chauffer came down to me and in typical Hindi accent reminded me that it was time for breakfast. With a cool T-shirt, think overcoat and torn jeans I got down in the beautiful valleys of Himachal to realize the cold and the fragrance from the trees beneath. We were on the top of a hill and supposedly were going even higher. Ajit - my branch mate was considered to be a stud in our department- was gulping on the fat parantha’s with a lot of ghee and for a second I was tempted but then controlled myself considering the trek ahead and my weight. Ajit was joined by Shampoo and looking at them my mouth started watering and my craving for the parantha’s multiplied. But in the end I had given up. Every bite of those hot Aloo stuffed delicacies not only gave me relief from cold but also made me realize the importance of Indian food. When there is parantha it should go with chai and Ramji had told us about chai at that shop to be the best in India in a very great way.
The cameras were out as the bus started towards the beautiful mountain peaks and valleys of Manali. As we started I was reminded of an incident when I was a toddler (was in 10th class but now that seems to be too young) at school. I was nearing the pre final exams when my school announced a trip to Manali to all the graduands. It was adolescence at that age that made me ignorant of Manali but I always knew the beauty of Himalayas and was urging to go. That time there was no battle with parents; it was just a request which was rejected. I felt bad for a day but quickly got over it imagining myself going to Manali at a later point in life. Finally a young toddlers dream was coming true. We passed through tunnels, valleys and beautiful greenery but the most amazing thing which I had never experienced was yet to come. People were sitting on the edge of their seats moving restlessly to find snow and be the first one to take a snap. It just happens to lucky lot and for that moment I was lucky; the first sight of a mountain covered in snow. I was flabbergasted and out of my mind with joy. For sometime the fact that it was reality was hard to accept. I was finally there, at the most popular tourist destination. The bus slowly passed through the several villages around to reach Manali by late afternoon.
This was the start of my looong journey.
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