Let’s Take A Virtual Trip!

“Mujhe khabar thi mera intizar ghar mein raha,
Yeh haadsa tha ki main umr bhar safar mein raha.”
-Mir Taqi Mir

Last night while going through my gallery I was filled with nostalgia and I realised ‘life’s not a bed of roses.’ In fact, it’s far from it and the thought left me thinking and I even shed a tear because what are we even doing? We are living in crazy times. None of us had thought that something will consume us so much and no one was prepared for it. It makes me feel anxious and gives me sleepless nights and sometimes I think what if this never goes away and I know many of you would have felt like that too. But then again I think we are headed towards a better future and a better environment wherein we will be more considerate towards nature, towards animals and towards fellow human beings. I know looking at the light at the end of the tunnel can be hard and all the negativity can be exhaustive and overwhelming and that is why I planned on writing this blog.

The last five years I have traveled far and wide. Although I have only explored hills, I have been to the best ones and this is why I know when things get better the first place I will run to will be either Landour or Mashobra. I have explored a new hill station every year for the last five years and here while taking you through a virtual trip with pictures I will also share either an anecdote or something I wrote while I took the trip here for you to read. I hope you can relate to it and like it.

I wrote this sitting at riverside and lost in thought. I felt a connection with the river and as the river was flowing, so were the words.

Because the river doesn’t talk, it doesn’t care where you have been, what you have done, and why is it you are standing by its side! It just flows and rolls on by, whispering to your soul….
Don’t worry, its going to be alright. The river just knows. The river teaches us how to just go with the flow and we shall never slow down or loose heart because there are obstacles in our way. They are the ones which are going to make us stronger.

I wrote this sitting at a bridge right across my hotel and when the beauty of the hills and the calmness and serenity was slowly taking over me. I visited Chakrata when I had hit my lowest in life. Nothing in life was going right and these were the words that came out then.

As my heart feels heavy and my mind feels numb here in this quaint, little space I believe I can still smile. Sure, it is difficult to find my voice right now and yes, I have come face to face with my shortcomings which are quite hard to accept yet I know I am a good person and my heart is pure and I have never once in life had bad intentions and knowing this makes me happy. I will find it in myself to be whole again and I know one day I will find my voice and my courage but not today. Today I want to loose myself to the beauty of nature and I want this silence and calmness to drown me because I know nothing of this silence except that it should win but I promise one day I will find my voice. Till then, ‘mad heart be brave.’

I wrote this on my last night in Shimla. This trip to Shimla made me grow and evolve as a human being. It made me a more grateful and happy person. So, here is the write-up.

This trip to the hills for 4 days has been one of the most enthralling,adventurous and beautiful experience I have ever had. Surrounded by hills on all sides, greenery all around, cool breeze, the chirping of birds, waterfalls, the amazing sunset. It was all too serene to be simply narrated. There was a different kind of peace in the environment something one would never get in the hustle-bustle of metropolitans. The people, their lifestyle its all so simple yet it has something so attractive. They are free of vices and too affectionate. I have never met such people in my life. I was irritated because my 3G was not working properly and these people they were happy and contended with whatever they had no matter how less it was. Life seemed better. In all those days I had spend there, I was quite less perplexed and baffled than my usual self. It seemed perhaps I have too much and simply no reason to complain!

My trip to Mussoorie in 2018 was something that moved me beyond measure. This was the third time I visited Mussoorie. Yes, it is one of my favourite hill stations and is in proximity from Delhi and easy to reach too. This write up might be the shortest but it is probably the closest to my heart.

And today as I sit here sipping tea with the loveliest view both thoughts and tears flow because of my relationship with you and my love for you which transgresses all the boundaries and crosses all the limits of this crazy world. Dear Mussoorie, you have given me lessons I won’t ever forget, love that I never thought capable of, thoughts which are perhaps not just mine, beauty which is beyond the realm of reality and courage which I never found. Of greys, of negatives, of flaws, of letting go, of hope, of paradigm shifts, of me. Thank you for being you, Mussoorie.

This was the most wholesome, beautiful and unforgettable trip I have taken in my entire life. I visited both Sikkim and Darjeeling and it was so fulfillling. Sure, the traveling was a bit tiresome but as they say ‘All’s well that ends well’, so was this trip. Let’s get to the write up.

Everything about you is magical. You have taught me so much and I will remember it forever, I promise. Every day I have spent with you, you have made me feel more than welcome and I can’t be more grateful to you for it. “Safar ka tha main, safar ka hi raha” is the quote and the feeling that I felt every single day which I spent in Sikkim and Darjeeling. I think it is quite normal to think about the song ‘Phir Le Aaya Dil’ from Barfi because the movie was shot here and the line ‘Dil keh raha hai ussey mukkammal kar bhi aao vo jo adhoori si baat baaki hai, vo jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai.’ Thank you Sikkim-Darjeeling giving it all at once to me.

I know the times right now can get really hard and I think maybe none of us are in the best mental space and it can all be overwhelming. It has been for me and I know how it feels. Trust me, I too am dying for it all to go away and for me to be able to hug my friends, go shopping, explore cafes, visit bookstores and take a trip which I want to, so badly and thinking about it makes me happy and sad in equal amounts. Because I don’t know how long will this last but I know we will get through this, together. Till then, be brave and try keeping your sanity.