Its been really long since the time I publically wrote something last.... now that most of you know how I cry and make huge deal about turning one more year old on my birthdays.. or how I crave for doing something really crazy and make it special for myself... this year, while I took my birthday reminder off facebook and went AWOL, I wanted to run away from regular cakes and obligatory gifts (no offense to anyone, I do love everything that you guys gave me)..
Close to nature.. Close to randomness and close to being wild and exploring myself... too much to ask for?
Yes, I have been told, warned, teased and screamed manier times for having these huge self expectations.. Suck it losers, I seldom heard it... but I love you all, you know that... :P
it all started when mum showed me 'jumpin heights' write up in newspaper... then googling, finding, startletting, tagging and determining to go became so profound, even the 'unemployed and broke' status dint hampered it... the gang was a bunch of strangers.. a couple of my friends, friends of them and friends of them... but not for even one minute since we all met at Delhi station, we felt unknown.. Call it destiny, call it awesome antennas, we all were connected very well... I don’t really know whom to thank.. Ryz, for tolerating all my nakhras.. prachi, for giving it a blind leap on my faith... uno, for getting everyone together... rahul, for being so sweet (I just can not find a better word for you), tanay, man you are our savior... or jess, for being such a sweet jerk he is...
A few of the highlights... (Just to churn that burning heart in you sweeties..)
An empty creepy shuttle ride from nizamuddin to New Delhi.. And the best announcement I have ever heard on station... "main nizamuddin bol raha hu?!!" :O...
a pick up from station next day early morning and rendezvous with new friends... hot parantha breakfast to be followed at a roadside dhaba...
amazing heavenly beautiful pampering clean soft white Swiss tents at Jim Corbett... *still drools over it*
16 and half tigers we saw at Jim Corbett.. ;) beautiful serene forest that one green patch is... open top jeep, deer, birds and what not.. (for some jerks among you lot, I saw a lizard.. jungly and dint get scared.. bwahahaha..:P yeah it was like 10 ft away from me... :D)
the pool table.... 4 hours... me n rahul one team... rest everyone tried different combinations... we just let them win the game... but the first and last game belonged to our 'winning combination' ;) so much of competition, it was decides whoever loses the first game in the morning, have to take a dip in chilled swimming pool... alas... we left early morning next day and ryz, tanay, prachi and uno were saved... :)
bon fire in the night and one tully uncle almost made it to each of our tents... fortunately supervised and guided by his cute little son.. :P
next day ride to rishikesh, without tanay... yeah being MT almost sucks, had it not been for the lucrative luxury after first appraisal... :P ... super chilled weather and an amazing restaurant with 'noonveg','snecks' and 'ting tong' :P
'rishikesh main enter hoke, degree college k yaha ke peepal ke ped k niche' was the landmark where our pick-up guy was suppose to meet us... the way to the camp went through Rajaji National Park where in elephants had gone crazy and playing footsie with vehicles... our lakhan bhaiyya (the driver) almost made the pick up guy cry in guilt for agreeing to pick us up.. he must have had thought of calling one of mad elephant to serve mr.lakhan... 'tum to local ho, hathi pehchanega tumko.. bachhe (?) hai gaadi main, kaha bhagenge hum....' , ' kya ped patte dekh ke kilometers bata rehe ho..?' .... AKA Lakhan to the poor pick up guy...
the camp, just on the river front and carved outta mountains from all ends possible... BEAUTIFUL... no geyser, no heater... badminton with prachi and chidiya was superfun... *prachi freezes to death in the night*
picking up lost jason from laksham jhula was one thing I just don’t want to forget... poor guy travelled all way from Mumbai-Delhi-bad mishap in Delhi metro-haridwar-rishikesh... be it clicking snaps on disserted and windy, beautiful laksham jhula with uno or watching him smiling funnily after few firangs, watching jess jump outta auto and giving bear hug to uno, whom he had never met before, or just meeting him after 7 months was priceless...
dinner and fruit salad at midnight on jess's birthday... night went spectacular with a lot of catching up while walking on wet grass... and with the help of some dry grass..
early morning strode to the river to join the gang playing with couple of cute dogs... the great and fortunately 'missed by others' fall in the river and the poor camera gave up... :(
Attack to 'jumpin heights' office... and great welcome by Dev and staff... we ATTACKED it... truly...
Bungee.... ryz and uno, you guys are my heroes... I simply adore the way you guys bungeed.... for me, yes I chickened out when I reached the edge... the gravity pulling me towards her, the green water on the earth winking at me.. the rocks looked steady and firm, not scary surprisingly... and I said 'I can’t...' the fear was not what if the rope loosens.. but the fear was to jump from 83mtrs with all the willingness.. wind unfurls your hair... the height blackens your vision.. those two firang bungee masters flirts with you, only to make your comfy and confy... you forget how you had planned to jump, or how you wanted to scream... prachi shouts from behind.. 'Ganpati Bappa Morya' and my former NIM instructor who is a part of crew here, says you can do it... with just one thing in mind, whatever happens, don’t close your eyes... and with that thought... 3...2...1.. bungyyyy... you lean forward and zooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmm.............. one word *KICKASS*.... and trust me, one jump isn’t enough....
it was followed by the funniest flying fox vid... 1kms... horizontal to ground... 160km/h.... zzzzzzzzzooooooppppp.......
the aarti at the ganga riverbank.... DIVINE.... overwhelmed by the sacred chants.. soothing ganga... the holiness in the air... purity of soul... made me forget the desire to excel, achieve, win, show, want.... the experience is not very hard to share, coz I exactly knew what and how the feeling was... but may be its just to personal or customized communication between me, the ganga and that holiness... we spoke.. spoke a lot... like meeting best friends from past....no wonder, why one dip in ganga washes away physical sins... the aarti at ghat cleanses the mind.... *spiritual party in my head*
and then...... we ran.... we ran like goons on lakshman jhoola.... ran... in between tourist, sadhus... indians, firangs, vehicles, dogs.... ran like there was a tiger behind our backs....
and then... the day came... when we all were playing bluff in the room... midnight... and for 2 mins, after I prayed... I just witnessed the peace and cooling sensation in my brain... no phonecalls... no waiting on line 2..3...4.... no random.. thank you... and waaaa :'( m 25 and old.... but just a boost, ***** u rocked ur 25th.... although, noone remembered for 2 mins... and remembered only when jess hugged to wish me... then prachi and then rahul and uno... jackass ryz dint... but I knew why was he saving up.. so forgiven... in the end, I wasn’t scared or sad or crying on turning 25.... just super contended for accepting the aging gracefully... (as said by riddhi...)
rafting in the morning... prachi went street hopping, as she is hydrophobic... I m still not convinced why rest of them came... the water was ice cold... 3 degrees... 26kms... amazing currents and unexpected falls... the 'winning combination' coordination... and funny raft men... swimming, jumping, rafting, diving, posing for photos... man... we were on roll.... I swam till all my muscles were stiff and blood was leaving its liquid form...
coming back was ultimate 'crème de la cream' fun too.... but that’s all 'oh so secret' ;) waving bye to everyone looks so freaking impossible...
me n prachi beat jess a lot in the train back home... train was 8 hours late... thanks to gurjars of rajasthan... both of them, buggers, dint leave chance to tease me to death... but guys, I haven’t told you half of the things yet... ;) *keep guessing*
the trip was awesome... something I was dreaming to go about for years... I absolute love everyone who was part of the journey.... I thought I could steal few moments to contemplate my life so far... but having you all around, just made me realize I have lived a good life so far and found the best people on my each milestone... I wanted to organize the chaos in my mind... I agree, it still gives me trouble, it’s still very demanding... but I love making it a part of me...
'I can not be me without this chaotic mind....'
\m/
so....
as always.... everything I write comes with a....
vote of thanks....
Mom & Dad... for letting me choose my way which is always a highway... and also for letting me inherit your rock solid heart.... :)
Prachi.... just for believing so much in me.... noone would have.... Thank you...!!!
Ryz... for tolerating all my nakhras.... it was royally unintentional....
Jess... for reminding me 'I smile, coz you smile..'
Uno... for keeping the best smile on throughout the journey.... and to make the journey happen in real sense...
Rahul.... for your great presence... the moolah control and for making us win the pool game... ;)
Tanay.... who does that.... just for one day known strangers... really???
Lakhan 'BHAIYYA'.... for the entertainment you provided as freebie... and saving us from mad elepthat riot....
Ritesh.... *bows* *bows* *bows* Thank you...!!!!
Swapna... I just can’t begin to tell you, how much I scared of you, care for you, think highly of you, love you... you are just perfect in all sense... an amazing friend and absolute awesome support...
Jojo... for just being so supportive and cool about every weird idea I throw upon you...
Shrek, Chiii, Rudzo, Asmi…. Nothing I write can be complete without your name…
For everyone who remembered and wished me…. I loved every single message beep and phone ring that day… I will treat your very royally whole this year…. :D
*a toast to the nature and a promise of re-visit*
