Sunday

Sunday @7.30am

I am up. Sun is bright, lovely lazy Sunday morning. I know its good outside. I don’t want to go out alone. I want to witness this with her for the first time. We deserve to experience all those beautiful things together. I don’t know how much it matters to her; it does matter to me a lot!

I wake her up. She looks beautiful as an innocent child when she wakes up. She is beautiful. I tell her that we need to step out. We step out. We look around. We look at each other. Is it some heaven they talk about or what!!

Bright sun yet not scorches. Flowing water yet appears so calm. Wet grass yet sparks to well. Huge Mountain yet feels so silent. Rocks as if they ever been here. Sand as if no one ever stepped on it.




Nature at its best!!

We start running towards the river. Water is chilled as ice. We make some footmarks on the sand. Sand is smooth as snow. I threw some sand on her, she doesn’t seem to notice. She is hypnotized by this splendid scenery. She looks like a mermaid. She loves to pose. I love clicking her in those poses. I love her!

Saturday

Saturday @7.30am

Started. Later on the way we stopped at some dhaba. It was the worst dhaba on the whole way. In fact I still wonder why the driver would have to stop only there and nowhere else!
We bought Smirnoff Orange Vodka on the way; Haridwar and Rishikesh are dry places.


Saturday @12.30pm

Haridwar. We had lunch somewhere on way. Stuffed capsicum was awesome.


Saturday @2.30pm

Rishikesh. Bright and sunny. Perfect day for river rafting.

Me: You want to do river rafting with some life jacket on you?
She: Sometime later. Let’s look around for sometime. Let’s grab those golgappas.
Me: Awesome!

We both had golgappas but I couldn’t really enjoy them. Not that those were some bad g’gappas but due to my inability to appreciate spicy things.
They were good g’gappas.

We sat near the Ganga bed for a while and spotted a few interesting things. We talked to the rafters and school kids. I managed to retrieve my shoe meanwhile. She was scared. That was love!!


Saturday @3.30pm

Maddy came and asked us for river rafting. It was already cold but we decided to go for it. I paid Maddy in advance after those superhuman bargain skills of my girl. Maddy managed to survive somehow.
We went to change when Maddy appeared saying some mountain fell down due to blasting and the way is blocked. Basically we can’t go for rafting this evening.

She: WTH!!
Maddy: Ji wo to ab subah ho payega
She: Ye hoga tumse bas! Paise wapas karo
Maddy: Ji lekin wo…
She: PAISE…


Saturday @5.30pm

It’s been already dark and we decided to start for Camp Wild River resort. Let’s see how that place would be.


Saturday @6.30pm

CWR resort!!
WTF!!
Where is the place? It’s complete dark, no light no human kind nothing. We call the manager to hear someone is on his way to receive us.
My girl is scared. She wants me to stay with her. I feel responsible.

Chotu comes with a lantern, we start following him. He has the lantern of hope in his hands. We step down some 50 steps to find nothing. Where is the place? It’s complete dark, no light no human kind nothing. It’s the same feeling again.

Then we see a few more lanterns. I get it all. There is no electricity.

Me: Light kaha hai?
Chottu: wo to nahi hai yaha
Me: to tum log rahte kaise ho?
Chottu: hum to yahi rahte hai, samne ganga hai… aage mat jana.
She: kitna aage hai? Ye place safe to hai na.
Chottu: haan hum to yahi rahte hai.

We can hear the calm sound of water coming from somewhere nearby. It is drizzling. It is dark. It basically is romantic and scary at the same time. The feeling of scare dominates.
They want to serve us dinner. We ask for campfire.

Chottu: wo to nahi ho payega. Barish ho raha hai
She: hum wait kar lenge. Koi juldi nahi hai dinner ki
Chottu: barish nahi ruka to?
She: to hum baad mein kar lenge dinner.

We settle down in our tent to figure out there is nothing lavish about it. In fact it was just a tent with a couple of cots and a stool in it.


Saturday @8.30pm

Rain stops. Chottu appears

Chottu: barish to ruk gaya. Abhi dinner laga de?
Me: haan laga do.
She: And campfire bhi.
Me: haan wo bhi laga do, kitna time lagega
Chottu: 10 min mein ho jayega sab.
Me: bulane aa jana


We have a decent dinner around the fire. Water is still flowing, there is all dark around.
We talk for a while. We talk about anything that came in mind, no content. We sing old songs. We try some salsa as well. It is good. Life is good!
Far from some place we can hear them singing. They are a bunch of people. They are singing loud. I am trying to sing louder. We dance again, thinking how beautiful this place could be, how beautiful this life could be!

We go back to tent and crash.

Friday

Friday @11.30am

She: Why didn’t you give a morning call?

Me: Baby I thought you must be sleeping.

She: Hmmm… So what’s the plan for the weekend?

Me: Oh!! Weekend right!

She: Great! So no plans so far! I hate you.

Me: Okay what is in your mind? Let’s plan up something.

She: Up hills somewhere... anywhere! No more ggn.

Me: Wow!!!

She: Remember I have weekend from Friday night onwards.

Me: I got it!

Friday @2.30pm

I’ve gone through all possible options. Nearest hill station would mean a minimum 1500km drive to and fro. That would mean we are just travelling and travelling, touching the up hills and then travelling back. That won’t work!

Anyways I am at a remote place, not possible to reach ggn before Sat morning, which implies Friday night already gone. Her weekend starts from Friday night onwards. That won’t work!

Travel agents. They are wonderful people. They suggest where to go, manage trips and make easy money. I called up several of them. Not possible/all Volvos booked already/no drivers available/please do not go was all I heard. That won’t work!

Friday @4.30pm

Me: Baby it seems impossible to plan for an up hill trip now.

She: I want to go to Leh Laddak or Auli or Alps.

Me: That would be like wasting the place. We do not have enough time.

She: What is the option than?

Me: Rishikesh! Let’s go there. A complete chill out trip. We’ll do camping.

She: Sounds good!! Plan it now.

Me: Alrighty babes. Do you have some contacts there?

She: Its Friday here. I am in office. Start respecting the fact that I am working.

Me: I got it!

Friday @5.00pm

She sends an SMS, says ‘Camp Wild River, Rishikesh’

Google and Vodafone helped me to contact those people. They have their wonderful resort at about 27kms from Rishikesh. It is at the bank of Ganga and they shall provide you lavish tents to stay at night. Or at least the pictures at their web site say so.

Alright now! We can stay there. Now we need to reach there. All the Volvos are done already. Train seems to be the option.

Me: Baby the resort has been booked. We need to travel via train.

She: Are you kidding me? Who goes with a train on a chill out trip?

Me: Right!!

She: Did you try calling the guy Bhagirath?

Me: Bhagi who?

She: See you don’t even care to read my SMS carefully. Now call him up.

Me: Right away!!

Bhagirath gives you rental car at cheep rates. He is reliable, economic and marwadi. Basically he is the man, he is the transportor.

I took the night train to reach Delhi @4.00am. The train is late by 1hour and so am I.

We had a plan to start at 6.00am which can not be accomplished now.