the trip to hrishikesh - recalled

om wrote a rather long account of the trip, not the logistics as much as the high-points

and that is precisely the reason why i want to write about it again. i feel happy to think about it, to read about it, to see the moments captured in pictures; it surely deserves another post.

to hrishikesh, again we went.

i got up easily and more easily i went to the loo - maybe that was the omen, that the trip would be smooth :p met deepak again... and then met the laughter riot anjie. met aseem too.

we started when it was still dark and though i didn't want to talk much, anjie made me speak up, about ghosts. somehow the thought of entering muzzaffarnagar belt scares me. it certainly works me up. and i always search for those spooky looking criminal elements out of the windows.

the fog was beautiful. the stoppage for tea was refreshing. it was a romantic start.

after some usual interruptions, we started paddling. water wasn't as cold as expected. and so were the rapids - unexpected. the major chill went through my [our] spines when sunny told us that the raft in front of us flipped. i can't tell about others but i, for a second, thought if rafting at all is such a good idea [although it was my 4th trip through them]. and the blessing in disguise was that i was recalled at the rear of the raft by sunny because he apparently wanted weight in the front. and i just saw the best rapids-formation in all the trips.

and

i was not thinking anything
i was not missing anyone
i was not moving anywhere,
i was simply scared

every second it seem that the raft will just flip; it didn't, and we went ahead victorious. mother nature has a way of telling you that you are a kid and you have to feel victorious like the kids do when they are involved in a playful banter with their moms.

in evenings hrishikesh is silent but warm [not temperature wise]. i felt sad when i looked in to couple of those windows which housed the old folks. it's sad that they have to be alone... its weird how a small place has different meanings to different people. i wasn't alone there, i was with friends there because i had to enjoy and i enjoyed because it was peaceful. they were alone there, maybe without friends and there because they had to be - dunno if they really enjoy the peace.

was getting comfortable in deepak's presence and liking anjie's laughters. i find people who laugh, beautiful. laughters resonate happiness.

and then the next day - we found what we probably haven't found ever earlier. a tool for private indulgence. a tiny waterfall and a concreted pool. we played, like kids, again - in the water, under the fall. we were laughing.