We were confused – besides being perplexed at the ambiguity of our purpose to travel to different places, our choices have given us exuberant highs and abysmal lows. Exploring new places widened our worldview and made us sensitive but has also induced occasional fatigue.
For us, going out is a quest, not knowing what the Holy Grail is…
This time we went out to a secluded place somewhere deep in a tiny hamlet of the Himalayan valley in the Tehri-Garhwal region. Choice of the place of stay was entirely Kamal’s and I was completely clueless about what was in store.
Our flight was delayed, and by the time we reached our destination after taking a precarious road trip from the Dehradun airport, it was already dark. As we reached there and stepped out of the taxi, I came across a place with some rustic-looking log huts in lush greenery. I was kinda bamboozled, but before the initial shock could fade away, came another – that there’s no TV, no newspaper, no magazine; absolutely nothing in the name of what we call relaxation, entertainment, or what you will. Anyway, we took dinner and slept.
The next day began with the chirping of birds right on top of our hut and soft sunlight peering through the window. We explored the area around, which caressed our senses. It was a whole new world with an incredibly beautiful view of the mountains, trees, lush green forest, birds, butterflies, and flowers. The morning was awesome. As the day progressed, I felt a bit anxious about the evening without TV or even any reading material. Anyway, after some cribbing, I managed to pass time leisurely walking around. Rishikesh
The next day felt comparatively better, especially as we realized that ensconced in our comfort zone, how incredibly tiny our world becomes. We live in a cocoon, existing in artificiality. Watching the mountains, birds, butterflies, trees, and the serene surroundings, I realized that, unlike TV shows, nothing is recorded in nature. Every moment the frame changes to a new realm. The twig you watched a moment before would not be there the very next moment, the birds chirping on a nearby tree branch would hop to another, butterflies keep moving all the time, and a zillion other things we couldn’t observe closely.
Apart from this, the resort observed the ‘Silence Zone’ from 3 pm to 6 pm and meditation sessions from 8 pm to 9 pm. There were people from other nationalities, especially Europeans. We briefly chatted with a couple from Helsinki, Finland. There was a ‘natural swimming pool’ and hot water spring within the resort premises.
While trekking on the mountain path, we saw a small waterfall, we stood there for quite a while just watching the flowing water. It was a perfect time to reflect…
‘Life is like a waterfall, always moving, and there’s always uneven flow to it.’
