I have left a piece of my soul there...

There's nothing much to write about the 'nondescript' start of our journey. We left New Delhi around 3.30 PM. We talked a lot and stopped at various places to eat. It was around 10.30 PM that I started feeling sleepy.

I was dreaming... I could hear strains of 'Hotel California' in the background.. people in the car were singing..

They were singing about cool wind in their hair....

I could feel it on my face... cool wind and scent of pine trees.. It was making my nose twitch.. but I was too tired.. to open my eyes.. or take my arms and hands out the comfort of the woollen stole which warmed me.... It was cold... in the month of June it was positively shocking for my poor frayed nerves... I remembered the sweltering heat and sticky humidity when we left Delhi... which was abated by effective air-conditioning.... I also remembered Haldwani... which was not as bad was Delhi... but was still hot enough to bother us...

What I did not remember was falling asleep... When I heard unison of 'WOWS' a lot of times... I peeked from the corner of my eye.. noticed that the windows were open and we were in a small town...

I woke up peered out of the window and saw tall pine trees and a beautiful lake in the midst of a tiny town. It was Bhimtal. The car stopped all of us got out of the car like kids who have broken loose from their mom's apron strings and rushed towards the wrought iron railing... a place which overlooked the lake... a parking lot.. We parked the car and decided to stay the night there... It was a daunting task to look for a place to stay in the middle of the night.. we managed to check-in in a small inn.. which was near the parking lot and the lake...

Our rooms were utilitarian... no frills... we had to share a bathroom... We were too excited.. about the second leg of our journey.. which would take us to the place which was out destination... Mukteshwar.

The morning was a pain in the neck.... with just one bathroom it was difficult for all of us to brush our teeth and have a shower. We managed.... reached Bhimtal Ghaat had a quick brunch. We stayed there for some time looking at the beautiful lake and spent time aound the lake drinking in the sight....after 2-3 hours we went on our way Mukteshwar.

This time I did not sleep. The way to Mukteshwar was nothing less than enchanting... I was enjoying every bit of it... It was a long way and it took us a longer time because we were stopping every now and then! We stopped at Sargakhet... There was a Gift Shop in that small village which sold Belgian Chocolates!! And there was a campsite called 'Camp Purple' which looked pretty fancy and comfortable for a mere camp!

We went all the way up to the highest peak of Mukteshwar... stopped the car.. roamed around a bit and then looked for a place to stay (Yes.. we were foolish enough to reach there without making any prior arrangements!!) Our worst fears came true when we were unable to find a place to stay... There was a resort of some sorts.. very expensive and the rooms were not that great... We were looking for a suite where all us can crash together. Somebody suggested driving back to Sargakhet.. and yes.. We found a place to stay!

It was an inn... We managed to get their best room... It was a suite with a huge bedroom with wooden floor and a view of a garden with peach trees laden with lovely pink fruits! (They were for free!! You can eat as much as you want!) There was a nice bathroom and a tiny sitting room with french windows which opened in a balcony with the most beautiful view of the valley and mountains.

We spent 4 days in Mukteshwar... it wasn't enough to explore the place.. to discover where most of the trails ended and to drink in the fresh, clean air of the place.... Trees looked as if they have come straight out of a horror flick in the misty late afternoon... The roads floated in the clouds in the evenings and stars shone very bright in the night (i.e. when you could see them!)

Most of the days were spent in idyllic sightseeing, hiking, sitting, chatting, roaming around Sargakhet & Mukteshwar... nights were spent around a bonfire... singing, eating and drinking...

The most memorable hike was the one which we took late evening returning from a place called Chaule Ki Jaali... It was dark and we were informed that there are panthers and wild animals in the surrounding forests and they often come out on the roads... We had one torch and It was scary... We talked about ghosts and wild animals all the way...

Another exciting adventure was a natural stone platform overlooking a deep chasm.. a sheer drop of at least 5000 feet... enough to make anyone giddy...We spent close to 4 hours...sitting on that platform... doing nothing at all... It was perhaps one the most daring things I've done in my lifetime...

Soon it was time to go home....

We left... I left.... but the solitude and serenity of the place gave me time to think... rethink and decide on certain things.... I was sorry to leave...

I promised myself that I'll return... if not to take one of those numerous hikes I have missed on... to look for the piece of my soul which i left there....

It was one of those days...

Yes.. It was one of those days... and as always, there was a proverbial cherry on the cake!!! And today, I just know that I have to write about it and get it off my chest..

Shit is happening at work.... and nothing seems quite right in life.. (I am still positive that something good will come out of it!!)

This is what happened....

(Based on true events!!)

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My head was buzzing and I felt sad... ends are always like this for me... especially if its a happy movie with a tragic end.. but this is no movie... This is part of my life..a chapter... and it looks royally fucked up right now... I am not alone in this drama... there are others involved as well... people I've spent loads of time with.. people who have been like an extended family and they are all sailing with me in the same boat.. in the same waters..

It was finally time to go home, V said "I'll drop you home. Lets go." I did not say much... I just nodded, gathered my stuff and went outside.

I got into the front seat. fastened my seat belt and opened the window. I hate air-conditioners. They are so artificial and they suffocate me... despite the fact that they do provide relief from heat and humidity most of the times.. V got inside.. looked at me and smiled. "Are you okay??" he asked. "Yes" I said. "But I am so pissed off.. with whatever is happening!" "It's alright! Everything will be fine" He said.

He started the car... and we drove off.. It was close to 11.50 PM. Streets were empty...as empty as I was feeling at that time.. I did not speak much. He turned on the radio and we listened to the music.... Nothing registered except for the fact that my window was closed again and the air-conditioner was on. (Damned technology!! Who invented power windows???)

Thirty minutes passed... It was a long drive... but I was close, close to my destination... my home and my haven... I was looking forward to reach... to have something to eat and then surrender to blissful sleep... I thought about V.. His home was farther... i sighed and looked at him.. He was talking with his girlfriend over the phone... He is so young...at 22 everything seems rosy.

"We're almost there." He said, after disconnecting the phone... "Look out!!" I shouted... We almost collided with a car coming straight towards us... It was a narrow street. V swore a couple of times. "Please drive slow." I said. We were nearing an intersection.. He looked at me and smiled "Don't worry!!" he said and then he looked ahead...

All I heard after that was tyres screeching.... Glass shattering and a metallic whine which was deafening me.. i felt light and was thrown against the driver's seat. I felt the impact... against my right shoulder and hip. I also felt a jolt... my neck was hurting me... My ankle was twisted and my ears were ringing... My head felt heavy and I felt an excruciating pain in my right ear... My chest felt as if it would explode...

Everything was black for a moment and there were images flashing. I saw J saying "I love you baby!" I saw mom & dad... smiling... I saw P.. hugging me when she was leaving after getting married.

I was dazed.. all I could whisper was "V!! Are you alright?"

I looked at my side... I saw V holding his shoulder.. and getting out of the car.. He was shouting... I don't know what... My head swam and I started crying... It was a relief... That he was not badly hurt.. I pulled out my phone.. I called J.. he was in the office... I cried... and talked to him... I told him where I was.. what happened (not in detail.. and I know most of it was meaningless babbling) Saint J... being the practical person he is was asking me to disconnect the phone and call the Police or somebody from home. I promised that I'll do exactly what he would say... (God!! accidents make people maudlin!)

I felt the door opening.. I saw an old kindly face...'Uncle' asking me whether I was alright. I got out with his help and almost fainted after seeing what happened to the other car. It was toppled.. sideways... I heard V having an animated conversation with a guy... I presumed he was the one who was driving the other car. He looked alright to me... I sighed again and collapsed in a chair nearby.. It belonged to the guard who takes care of the 'Kindly Uncle's' house. I saw other people around... people who were rudely awakened by the noise. I felt a cold bottle being pressed into my palm. I smiled at "Uncle' and said "Thank You." He also pressed a tube of some pain relieving ointment in my hand and said "My daughter is a doctor. I have a couple of more tubes of the same ointment. Let me know if you need more."

My head was hurting.. so was my cheek.. my ear... and neck.. I looked at the bottle of water.. It was a sealed bottle of mineral water. I pressed it against my cheek.. it felt good.. I opened the bottle and poured some water on my head... I felt faint .. I sat down... pulled out my phone again.. and called up my brother... asking him to pick me up... by that time I realised that the accident happened quite close to my place..

I looked at V's car.. It was smashed up... pretty bad.. on the right side.. and it was forced on a pavement... front was on the pavement.. and rear was still dangling on the road... it was a sorry sight... I thanked my stars...

V was talking to someone... I went to him.... I figured out that this guy was a friend of the gentleman driving the other car. They were talking about not involving the police. When I approached them... V told me that his parents are on their way to pick him up... The guy he was talking to offered to get his driver to drop me at my place.. I declined and told V that M was coming to pick me up...

M came... I said bye to V and thanked the 'Kindly Uncle' vowed that I'll come and meet him again and say thank you with flowers in a day or two... It was pleasantly shocking to see such caring people in an otherwise cold neighbourhood...

I got home... went to my room... dropped all my clothes off and looked at myself in the mirror.. my cheek... It was a bit swollen...my hair were wet and i looked like a bedraggled cat! I noticed that my right ear looked all red and there was a small bump behind it...

My head was still hurting... I went in the bathroom had a quick shower.. found a painkiller in the drawer.. washed it down with water.. applied some of the ointment which uncle gave to me on my neck... shoulder.. hip.. arm and errr.. face...

My phone was ringing... It was A. She heard about the mishap from V ... She was calling to check on me .. I assured her that everything is okay... I disconnected and was sitting on my bed.. thinking... My phone started ringing again... It was J.

"Are you okay J'???" He asked.. and i felt tears prickling my eyes again.. "I love you." I said and went on explaining what is wrong with me and where all its hurting... after 10 minutes.. during which I got several requests from him to get an M.R.I. scan done... and to go to sleep and consult a doctor in the morning... I hung up and went to sleep...

While lying in bed... I had a 1 on 1 session with my inner self... I concluded that I am thankful for whatever i have been given and that I appreciate life... I promised myself that I will cut down on the complaining and will concentrate more on making most of what I've been given...

I consulted a doctor in the morning and have been informed that I suffer from mild concussion. A minor sprain. I will be alright in a couple of days..

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Its 2.30 AM... My head hurts... so does my neck... The effect of painkiller is wearing off now.. I know I should go to sleep... Its been a long day.. and I have a longer week up ahead...

But I feel better... now...

p.s. Thank you for the idea J.... Nych....

{{Sigh}}