Dil Chahta Hai - An Ode to Friendship

Recently, while channel surfing, I stumbled upon one of my all-time favorite Hindi movies “Dil Chahta Hai” (DCH) and while I was re-watching it for the umpteenth time, I went on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Can’t believe it’s been almost 15 years since this cult movie came out? Time really flies, doesn’t it??

Anyway, DCH is one of the most important films to come out of Bollywood and it came out at the perfect time too. The new millennium had just started and it was a time of incredible change, for me and for all of us belonging to Gen X. Full of energy, enthusiasm and millions of dreams in our eyes, fresh out of college, we were going to change the world.

The Internet had just made its advent in India and boy, was it slowww!!

Only RICH people had mobile phones, which were really huge “compass boxes” and charged Rs. 17 per minute for incoming calls. 

The “pager” was THE gadget of choice and most people who wanted to feel important carried one. 

In the future, the cellular phone technology will become cheaper and every person will own a mobile phone. The “pager” will die, leaving no trace of its existence.

The first mall in Mumbai, Crossroads, had just come up in the up-market Pedder Road/Haji Ali locality and McDonalds, KFC, Domino’s and Pizza hut had exactly 1 outlet in the financial capital of India.

Multiplexes were unheard of and hence, I and my friends watched “Dil Chahta Hai” in a regular single-screen theater.

I don’t believe 9/11 had happened yet. But it would in the next few months and thus, change the course of the history of the world.

We were the new generation – Gen X - the first generation of all these sweeping, mind-blowing changes happening in the world, the catalysts between the old world and the new world. 

And that was the time of “Dil Chahta Hai”, a movie which was made especially for us – the Gen X’ers.

The feelings and ideas we lived by can be summed up by one of the memorable quotes from the movie by Aakash (played brilliantly by Aamir Khan). On the College graduation party, he gets up on stage and says “Now, I am going to sing a song titled Naukari Paane ke Sau Tareeke (100 ways to get a job)” There is dead silence on the dance-floor and everyone starts murmuring, at which, he chuckles and says “Relax Guys, I was just joking. Who the hell cares where we land up?”

There was loud applause from the young crowd in the theatre at this dialogue and rightly so.

Our parents and the previous generation had been brought up in the era of the License Raj in India, wide-spread corruption in the job market, the horrors of the emergency still hanging low and the slow economic growth. Finding a job after graduation was a biggest apprehension for them. Talented, highly-educated students ended up working at lower end jobs as office assistants and clerks. Some never got any jobs and languished; their talents wasted.

We were the first generation for whom the jobs were already available, like a red carpet. We never had to go searching for them, they came searching for us. This was primarily because of the advancements of the IT and BPO industry in India, which provided employment and paid good money to the youth of the new millennium. We were young. Life was cool. We worked hard on the weekdays and partied harder on the weekends and danced through the night in the clubs and discos chanting our Anthem “Koi Kahe, Kehta Rahe, Kitan bhi humko Diwana”!!

Anyway, back to DCH. The directorial Debut of the genius, Farhan Akhtar (who would in the future reveal his talent as an actor, singer, music composer, song-writer et al), DCH is the story of 3 friends - Akash, Sameer and Sid, best buddies whose life changes as time passes. Interestingly, I saw the movie with two of my best buddies and although we were too young to realize it at that time, time really did move on and all of us did change in some small and big ways.

The movie is told in an extended flashback, where Sameer and Sid are in the hospital, meeting each other after a few years and they start sharing memories.

One of their earliest memory is where they spontaneously start a Water / Color fight with each other. The scene shows the incredible closeness they have as friends and we realize that they are childhood friends. Such closeness can only be between childhood or school friends, because that is the only time when friendships were formed without any motives, compulsions, biases or prejudices. We just become friends with random people and the friendship builds stronger as time passes. It is the first true form of friendship based on pure love. Just like the characters in the movie, I am sure all of us have fooled around with our childhood friends, throwing color, ink, water etc. on each other. In fact in the case of me and my friends, we even threw each other. :-D

As the movie progresses, we see the characteristics of each of the 3 friends. Akash is a practical, but happy-go-lucky, fun guy. He does not have a girlfriend and does not believe in love. He wants to live life on his own terms, without any hassles of girlfriends and such.

Sameer is the romantic but goofy guy. He falls with love with every other girl he sees and ends up in difficult and often hilarious situations.

Sid is the sensitive, brooding artist. He is a thinker and a philosopher. In one scene, he shows his paintings to his new neighbor, Tara, who observes that all of his paintings have a theme of quite introspection. “All the windows are closed. The eyes of the figure in the painting are shut. No one knows what’s behind, what is hidden inside. You stay with all the people, all your friends, but no one knows you who you really are” she says. Sid is blown away. Tara is the first person who understands him and he promptly falls in love with her. So what if she is a middle-aged divorcee.  Love is blind, they say.

Then, one fine sunny day, they get up and go to Goa. Just like that, no plans, no thought, no commitments and they have the time of their lives. They are young, they are free and they have their whole life ahead of them. They can do what they like, live how they like.

It’s just the thing that best friends do, isn't it?. There is a weird thrill, an enchantment in just getting up and going where the road might lead. “Life is what happens when you were busy making other plans”, John Lennon said and if you have your friends to share that life, those moments with, it’s the icing on the cake.

While they are in Goa, at one time, they are silently watching the faraway sea. Sid looks at a ship in a distance and starts speaking aloud about the transient nature of time and life. “Someday”, he says “We will drift apart. We meet everyday today, but in the future, we might not meet for years. Just like the ship travelling on the waves of time.” Akash interrupts him and says “Nothing is going to change. We are friends now and will always remain so.”

This scene is the most poignant and iconic scenes in the movie. It’s a scene that is the essence of DCH and is at the heart of the film. It’s a scene that reflects reality to such a huge extent that it is a stroke of pure genius.

Well, let me explain. At the time when we first watched the movie, this scene was just another one of the various interesting and nice scene to look at. I don’t think I ever got into the philosophical or metaphorical meaning of this scene, until I watched it again recently.

This time, I realized the importance of that scene. Life really is transient. As life progresses second-by-second, minute-by-minute, month-by-month and year-by-year, we meet various people. If we are lucky, some of them become our friends and hold an important place in our lives. But as time passes, we drift apart from them. Work, responsibility, ambition and commitments take the front stage and friendship slowly slips into the background. Like the ship in that scene, we move on, away from the shore, but we still stay connected, in the words of Akash "we are friends and will always be". We miss those good times spent together and cherish the memories in our hearts, like pearls in an oyster. Those times which will never come back, but remain etched in the corners of our mind and our soul. 

Even in the movie, eventually, Akash, Sameer and Sid do fall apart. Akash and Sid have a vicious fight, leaving Sameer in the midst. Akash moves to Australia. Sid goes off for his future education to becomes a painter and Sid remains in the city.

The movie now shifts focus to Akash and his life in Australia, where he meets Shalini (Priety Zinta, looking so gorgeous, she instantly became every guys dream girl). 

Salini and Akash hit off instantly and Shalini tries to change Akash’s views about love.

Another interesting scene is the one in the Sydney Opera House, where Shalini and Akash go to watch the Opera “Troilus and Cressida” (the Bollywood version :-)). In the Opera, Troilus is killed and when he goes to heaven, he asks the ‘Angel of Death’ for one last moment of life to see his lover, Cressida. At this point, Shalini asks Akash to close his eyes and think of the person for whom he would want a moment of life, even after death. It’s an overwhelming moment and Akash closes his eyes. In the next few seconds, his whole life flashes past him and finally he sees Shalini standing in the empty theater, looking enchanting and gorgeous. She is the person he will like to live for even after death. She is the person he loves and the realization hits him like a brick.

This scene is one of the most brilliant scenes ever composed in any movie, in my humble opinion. The scene is not only brilliant technically, what with the opera music playing in the background, the camera-work etc., but it also beautifully shows the true meaning of love, of family, of your wife or girlfriend or lover and the most important things in life, which are not material things, but the people you love, for whom you would like to live on, even after death.

The movie veers towards a predictable finale, where both Akash and Sameer get the girls that they fell in love with and eventually, even Sid finds a true love. The movie ends with the catchy “Dil Chahta Hai” tune and you end up feeling wonderful. Two and Half hours spent well!!

Re-watching DCH was like a trip back in time for me and that is why it continues to be one of my favorite movies, even if I have seen it so many times. I know I will watch it umpteen times more and always come back feeling good and nostalgic. Maybe as time passes, the ideas and themes of the movie will reveal new meaning to me and I will find newer ways to appreciate it.

DCH is an ode to life, love and most of all to friendship. And isn’t it really friendship in any relationship that gives real meaning to that relationship? 

Toy Story

So, the story is that Ivanka and Anoushka recently watched Toy Story and they asked me if toys really come to life when no one is watching.

"Yes, of course," I said. "Toys are just like us. They also want to play and do fun things."

"We want to see when they come to life", they said.

"Okay", I said "When you go to school, I will place hidden cameras and then, we will see what your toys have been up to."

So, next day, when they went to school, I placed Anoushka's favorite doll is various poses and clicked pictures. 

Toy Story featuring Anoushka's favorite Doll, Sweety!!

First, Sweety had a Tea-Party with her friends Bunny and Teddy.

Then, Sweety went for a little ride on her pet Zebra, Marty. Little Baby was amused to see this and wanted to ride Marty too. But Marty would not let anyone except Sweety ride on him.

So, Little Baby got Doggy to ride on and he and Sweety went on a long ride on their rides.

After coming back, Sweety played the Guitar for sometime.

Then, She Read her favorite Book. 

Finally, after an exhausting day of playing and other activities, she had a refreshing drink. 

And So, Sweety had a great day. 

I showed the pictures to Ivanka and Anoushka as proof of Toy's coming to life when no one is watching. Of course, they did not believe me. In fact, they started planning Toy Story 2. :-)

How to spend a Sunday Morning

In my humble opinion, the morning on a Sunday is the best time of the week, because, of course, morning IS the best time of the day in any case and it’s a Sunday, which means one does not have to wake up early for office or home chores.

But on the contrary, if you truly want to enjoy the Sunday Morning, you should try waking up early.

Now, you might say, wake up early on a Sunday morning and do what??

Well, let me justify my “blasphemous” statement with the below pointers

1. Wake up at a comfortable time like 6:30 or 7 am and not at any unearthly dark hour.

By this time, the sun has just come up the horizon and it is a nice opportunity to say Hello to him with some peace, quiet and time to spare. You might even strike up a conversation with him and make a re-introduction (or perhaps, an introduction).

Well, you can up the ante by waking up 30 minutes earlier and witness the sun-rise, but the important requirement for that is to be at a place of a higher altitude, which is not possible in our pigeon-holed city apartments. My suggestion is that you could safely reserve the “watching the sun-rise” activity to when you go for an outing to any hill station. For a regular Sunday, just look at the sun after it rises (when it allows you to watch it without blinding you for life) and just say Hello.

He will gift you with some Vitamin D, which will make your bones stronger.

2. Move your favorite chair next to the window

Once you have completed your conversation with the sun (and your daily ablutions, of course), you should move your favorite chair near the window and look outside to the street. You will be pleasantly surprised to see that they will be empty. Sitting near the window will also help you inhale the fresh morning air which will fill your lungs and wake your mind and your soul.

Believe me your lungs will love you for this little gesture.

3. Watch

Now that you are comfortably seated and feeling refreshed - look outside and I mean really look!! Watch!!

Switch off that smart phone/tab, throw away the newspaper and Just WATCH!!

You will see such curious people as the milkman, the paper-boy, the security guard, the car-washer etc. going about their daily work, which you were too busy to notice in your daily life.

Occasionally, you will see a dog which will trot and will stop exactly below your window, lift one of its hind legs and scratch its ear. It will then watch absently into a distance for a few seconds, do a small bark or howl and then it will again carry on its slow trot to nowhere in particular.

These are everyday sights, but since you are watching them without any hurry, they will fill you with wonder and bring you into the current moment, in tune with the universal flow of energy and life. It’s Good Chi, people!!

4.  Also, Hear!!

While you watch, also try to HEAR. The sweet chirping of the birds and if you are really lucky, some mysterious and rare bird-call, which you have not heard in a long time (or never heard at all).

Enjoy the beauty of nature right in your city apartment. Now you know what the builder the saying.

5. Now, comes the most important part – Tea!!

Now, while you are watching and listening to the world outside coming to life, make sure you get a cup of piping hot tea.

It cannot be any regular tea either. It has to be cardamom or Ginger tea. The soft steam of the tea will waft on top of the cup and you will be able to smell the enchanting concoction. Wait for the tea to cool a bit, because if you drink it too hot, you miss on a lot of its flavor (unless if you are used to drinking it hot).

Drink your tea in slow, small sips, savoring it. Leave it lingering on your tongue for a few moments before your gulp it. This will free up the flavor in the tea and will further rejuvenate you.

NOTE: Not to be unfair to the coffee drinkers, please do what best suits you. I am more of a Tea Connoisseur and cant advice you on that department.

MOST IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless you want to annihilate this tranquil, serendipitous, early morning experience, please make the tea by yourself instead of asking the better half, who is probably catching up on the Sunday Morning Super-Sleep.

6. That’s all, folks!!

After finishing your tea, you may want to continue watching the world outside, or watch TV or your cell-phone or whatever it is you want to do.

By this time the world would have woken up and magical morning is moved off into the history tab.

Happy Sunday to you and Cheers to the wonder of life!!

Sandakphu - The Journey of a life-time

I

Sandakphu was my first trek in the Himalayas and one of the things that struck me was the difficult lives of the people who live in these mountains, where the wind and the cold turn you older, faster.

I remember one specific instance when we were walking downhill on a moderately steep slope and saw a young woman coming uphill with her 2 children carrying a load of fire-wood. The first on the two children was a girl, maybe 10 years old, also carrying a load of fire-wood on her head and the younger boy, about 4, carrying a long piece of wood on his tiny head, held firmly into place with his tiny hands.

My heart ached to see this little family lumbering up the steep hill with the fuel that will help make their dinner tonight and I thought about our easy city lives, where at a flick of a knob we have all the fire we need.

Amongst all the things that travel has given me, I think that perspective is the most important. The perspective that all people are different and everyone is fighting their own battles, so it is important to be kind and patient with people, the perspective that everything happens for a reason and sometimes when we can’t do anything about a situation, we just have to let it go and move on and the perspective (rather, wisdom) to have gratitude for what I have.

II

The Mt. Sandakphu trek in May 2015 was my first trek in the Himalayas, but will definitely not be the last.

The highest mountain in West Bengal, Mt. Sandakphu is located inside Nepal’s Singalila National Park and stands tall at 11929 ft. on the border of Nepal and India. The road to this Mountain is flaked with dense forest, winding mountain roads and daunting climbs to its summit. The single-digit temperature just adds to the woes of trekkers.

But at the end of the road, when you reach the summit with swollen feet, chocked breath and near frost-bitten fingers, Mt. Sandakphu will reward you with the magnificent view of 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the world, viz., Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Makalu.

III

When you go to Sandakphu, you have to be prepared for a cultural difference.

As we arrived in the mountains in the cab from Bagdogra Airport, we were suddenly thrust into a different kind of world. The world of the North-East. The people whom, we in the rest of India call “kancha” or “chinki”, were suddenly all around us. Exceedingly warm and beautiful people, who have adapted the harsh life in the mountains with a smile. You will never find any person here who seems sad or unhappy. They are always smiling and laughing and joking, their eyes light up with a mischievous, innocent light, like a child who is about to play a trick on you. 

Their houses are small, their bodies are fit and their food, although simple, tastes great.

IV

The other thing to be prepared for is the cold weather; and at the time we went, we found incessant rain throughout the 5 days of the trek. Due to the rain, the temperature of the already cold air was down by atleast a couple of more degrees.

The first day of our trip, when we reached the trekkers lodge at Dhotrey (the trek starting point), I opened the door of the Innova to get out and the cold wind hit me like a brick wall. I immediately closed the door and decided that I was never getting out in that kind of cold.

But after travelling for 2500 kilometers from Bangalore to Dhotrey, “not getting out” was not an option. So with gritted teeth and clenched jaws, I got out of the car and ran inside the trekkers lodge, only to find that it was maybe one degree warmer than outside and that’s when the realization dawned that the cold was here to stay, I had to get adjusted to it (of course, with a little help from the thermals, sweater and jacket).

That night after having a dinner of rice, dal and potato sabzi, we slept in the darkness (as there was no electricity in the village) inside our small brick-walled hut. The air grew cooler outside, but we were tired and slept fitfully in the warm, cozy beds.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up and heard a howling sound outside. My fatigued Hollywood-movies infested mind promptly imagined a pack of hungry wolves. As I waited for sleep to come, I wondered how many wolves there were in that pack and what were they hunting for. What would happen if anyone of us got out of the house to attend to nature’s call? The wolves will surely have a mighty feast.

Suddenly, the howl sounded closer and I imagined one of the wolves right outside the hut. Maybe he can smell my blood, feel my fear and read my thoughts. Maybe his eyes are glowing red in the darkness and he is lusting for prey. Any moment now, he will peep through the glass window next to my bed. How difficult will it be for him to break the fragile glass and pounce inside?

I prayed that I will survive this godforsaken cold place, this isolation, away from all my family, surrounded by these friends of mine, these adventure-loving maniacs.

I coaxed myself, 'Nah, it is no wolf. It was just the wind. Al Izz Well, Mamu, Al Izz Well!!!'

Closer to nature, closer to the elements, the excitement of adventure brewing just under the surface, surely, the air in the mountain and the jungle was playing tricks on my mind. With these final thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.

V

Fortunately, we never encountered wolves or any other animals throughout our trek. What we encountered were the fierce elements – the damp, never-ending rain; the bone-chilling cold and the winding, steep, mountain road.

The rain fell eternally throughout the first 4 days of our trek. Although, it was not heavy rain, it was continuous and it thoroughly drenched me inside the rain-wear, ponchos and jackets, to the point where on the third day (in Phalut), I did not have any dry clothes to wear and sat shivering in my wet clothes near the kitchen fireplace.

Due to the rain, my gloves would get wet and the cold felt worse to the fingers – first it felt excruciatingly painful and after sometime all sensation in the finger-tips was lost. Was I getting frost-bite?

The heavy rucksack weighing almost 7-10 kgs added to the discomfort and sometime caused painful shoulders and back. Last but not the least was the continuous walking, kilometer upon kilometer, the steady upward climb that would leave me breathless after every 100 paces or so. But I could not afford to stop, because once you stop, starting again is double the effort.

But it was not all bad. The views (whenever the fog lifted) were magnificent, the air in the forest was refreshing and sweet, the company of friends was exhilarating, we encountered forest birds singing their ancient songs and the topography kept changing, never getting monotonous. Also, our guide Pemba was an expert and a very nice guy, on a couple of occasions we got to taste the Rusky - Rhododendron flower wine and everywhere we went the people were friendly, hospitable and warm.

And on the second day of our trek when we reached the summit of Mt. Sandakphu, I had a mystical experience that I will never forget.

After keeping our luggage in our room, Pemba, our guide, led us to the summit, which was a small sloping hillock of mud, not more than 50 feet high. But because of the rain, it had turned muddy and slippery. Cautiously, taking one step at a time, we climbed the hillock and reached the summit. Because of the fog the visibility was zero, but it felt good to have achieved the landmark. 12000 feet above sea level, the words grit, determination, perseverance and will-power had ceased to be mere words for us. We had transcended mental boundaries (and some physical too). Like Theseus’ ship, something had changed inside all of us.

It was an overwhelming feeling.

In Hindu mythology, the Gods are considered to reside in heaven - the sky directly about our heads. So, on this summit, we were obviously very near to God. We burnt some incense sticks and said a silent prayer, before getting down from the hillock.

On the way back to the lodge, Pemba suggested a re-route via the village temple and we slowly walked towards it. The village temple was really a site with multiple little temples, with idols of different gods. The customary prayer flags were hanging all over the place and as twilight approached on the foggy, cold evening, the entire area got an enchanted, surreal feel to it.

Appu and I went to one of the small temple where a lady was chanting some prayers in a mix of Hindi, Sanskrit and Nepali.

Appu promptly removed his Iphone to video-graph the entire prayer of the woman, while I stood aside listening.

In her prayer, the lady invoked the Goddess of the temple and described the omnipresent, omnipotent, nature of God. God as the master of all creatures - living and non-living. God present everywhere and us humans, the mere insignificant figments in the grand scheme of the universe.

The twilight had deepened now and darkness had almost overtaken the daylight. I stood on a slope of the mountain, before me the valley slowly creeping into darkness and to my right the temple of the goddess, with the woman praying within.

The entire surrealism of the evening shadows, the atmosphere and her voice invoking God transported me to a different plane. For a few seconds, I felt like I was lighter than air, I was filled with immense happiness and an extraordinary calm. In that moment, I felt my present. I felt alive. I felt lost and intoxicated. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. There was no truth, no reality and no physical state of being. There was only an immense space of nothingness.

While I was floating in this state of bliss, I suddenly felt the ground beneath my feet shake. And the next moment, I heard Appu’s cellphone creating a vibrating sound, as it rattled against the aluminum sheet of the temple wall against which Appu had held it while he was recording the video.

Appu looked at me. “Earthquake” he said.

I nodded my head in agreement, but somewhere in my heart, I thought that I had been touched by the hand of God.

That night after we had our dinner and were just getting ready to tuck in, Pemba, our guide come excitedly into our room and asked us to come out with him quickly. The thought of stepping out in the bitter cold night was not too enticing, but we were curious to know what he wanted to show us.

We walked some distance with him and from a high place at the end of the walk, he pointed out to the horizon to what looked like a high cloud. As the moon came out, we saw that it was not really a cloud but a huge white mountain, covering the horizon from one end to the other.

It was the Sleeping Buddha, Mt. Kanchenjunga, bathed in moonlight in all its majesty.

The sight of the mountain invigorated us and filled us with hope. I even declared to everyone that the next day, we will definitely see the 4 Mountains and so filled with hope, we went back to the lodge and went to sleep.

On that day we had walked to toughest 15 kms of our journey. It had been a cold, wet, exhausting day. We had strained ourselves to the point of collapse and the next day we were supposed to walk to Phalut, which was a 19 km trek. While we were dreading the thought of the walk, we were also filled with hope and excitement.

Sleep came quick to our exhausted bodies and quicker came the morning, again wet and cold.

VI

The 19 kms walk on the next day was not as bad as we had expected. Or maybe we had mentally prepared ourselves so well, that it did not feel too difficult. But the cold in Phalut was a different animal. It was chilly, biting cold. The kind of cold that numbs your skin, turns your finger-tips blue and makes your joints ache. The kind of cold where you want to find a fire and not budge from it and even when you are turned to the fire, your back is becoming colder and number.  

But the biggest disappointment was that we had not yet had a chance to witness the 4 mountains. The day had been rainy and foggy with no visibility beyond a few meters.

After dinner that night, Pemba suggested that on the next morning, if it’s not raining, we could trek a couple of kilometers to a higher point on the Phalut Mountain and take our chances with the sighting of the Big 4.

So, at 4 AM, we woke up and set out to catch a glimpse of the mighty mountains. The short trek to the top of Mt. Phalut was brilliant (albeit steep and difficult) and the air was clear (albeit chilly to the bones) and once we reached the top, the view all around was incredible.

But the clouds were still playing spoilsport and we did not have much to do except wait.

So, while we waited the sun came up slowly from the east and the colors of the clouds began to change. At one point, we saw a soft sun ray escape the clouds and cast a spell on the valley below.

For a moment, we thought that the clouds would clear up and we will get a tiny glimpse of the 4 Mountains, but it was not meant to be. Although we were disappointed at having missed the mountains, we realized that this was one of those things in life when we could not do anything except let go and move on.

VII

After Phalut, the trek got easier, as we started the descent. It also got prettier, as we walked through dense bamboo forests with a variety of trees, flowers and shoots, streams flowing here and there, bumping into other trekkers and even spotting a leopard pug-mark.

And so it was, that on the fourth day of the trek, we had walked into Sikkim from West Bengal, into a charming little village called Gorkhey.

Gorkhey is a little piece of heaven nestled in the middle of the valley with tall mountains on all four sides. Untouched by civilization, it’s got terraced farms growing green peas, a stream that rushes in from the mountains with a couple of quaint little bridges built on it and a small temple with a round pond of crystal clear water.

The rain had stopped when we reached Gorkhey and we had a good time exploring around the village until nightfall.

On the next day, the sun finally came out and we passed through some of the most picturesque paths that I have ever been. Everywhere we looked there was bright green grass and pale blue skies, with white fluffy clouds. Huge, ancient pine trees dotted the landscape and two horses grazed quietly, down below, the bell around their necks making a jingling sound which could be heard from far. Small brick and wood huts were scattered here and there like toy houses. It was the most beautiful scene I had ever witnessed and in hindsight, I wish we had spent a day or two in this village.

As we walked on, the morning turned to afternoon and afternoon to evening. And in the evening we reached Rimbik, where a car was waiting to pick us up and take us back to the city (actually, back to Darjeeling. But believe me, it’s as good as a city, with a mall, a movie theater and great hustle and bustle of tourists and locals alike).

VIII

We came to Darjeeling, where we metamorphosed from trekkers to tourists and spent 2 days doing touristy things like riding the Darjeeling Hill Railway, going to the zoo (special mention of the Red Panda or Shifu), visiting the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (this was the highlight for us and we wished we had come here when we were younger and enrolled in some of the mountaineering courses), checking out the Tibetan center and the Japanese temple (4 beautiful statues of the Buddha and scene from his life carved into wood.. marvelous!!). We even went to a nice pub for dinner, watched a movie and had breakfast in the old English “Café Keventes” (this is the place in Barfi, where Ranvir Kapoor proposes to Iliana).

While we were having a heavy duty breakfast at Café Keventes, Rama suddenly yelled and starting pointing out hysterically. We thought that he was having another one of his cold attacks and needed to find a kitchen fire to warm himself up, until we looked up and saw him pointing into the distance.

We followed his gaze and there it was finally – Mt. Kanchenjunga, the Sleeping Buddha, in broad day-light. We had finally had a glimpse of the mountain for which we covered almost 75 kms on foot through tall mountains and dense forests. And the irony of it was that it had decided to show up here in Darjeeling, in the tourist’s paradise. 

While I clicked pictures of the mountain, I was feeling a nagging in my heart about missing Mt. Everest. We never got to see him - the tallest one on earth. But it was also an opportunity to make a resolve. Mt. Everest wants me to come to visit him. It will not show himself to me without me paying the price for it. And I know I will do it. I will make that journey to him, to stand before him and pay my respect to him, someday before the pied piper arrives.

An incredible journey had come an end. A journey which was exhilarating and exhausting, beautiful and sad, adventurous and dangerous. A journey of personal growth and spirituality. A journey of gaining perspective and (trying) to leave behind prejudices.

A journey that taught me to be more compassionate. When more than 80% of the people in the world live in harsh conditions, it becomes the responsibility of the rest 20% to spread kindness and happiness, even if its through small acts. And that's what makes the world go around.

Throughout the trek, Tapan carried a handful of chocolates in his pocket, which he gave to every little child we met on the way. And when he gave the chocolates to the little girl and boy who were carrying the fire-woods, their faces lit up with 1000-watt smiles which overflowed from their beautiful "chinki" eyes. That was worth all the effort and pain we had endured during the trek. That made the whole world beautiful, irrespective of its inherent flaws.  

Finally, it was all thanks to my adventure-maniac friends (who got new nicknames) -

• Appu “The Iceman”
• Tapan “Time nahi hai”
• Rama “Tandoori”
• Babloo, the caring and sharing
• Prem “the one with the jacket”.. 
• And of course Pemba “Bhutan.. Bhutan, to jaana padega”.

PS - What these nick names mean will require a different blog post. J

Once again, thanks to you all, my crazy friends. This journey would not have been possible without you. And I am looking forward to the next one with you. 

IX

This blog post is already a mile long and probably only 5 people in the world will read it and hopefully, re-read it. So I am going to include a few other items which we will not forget about this trek. Think of it like the picture montage at the end of “The Hangover”.

Earthquake.. Mukherjee Hotel, Mirik.. Dhotrey.. Pemba.. Jai Mata Di, Lets Rock!!.. Mohit and his binoculars.. Jaobari, Nepal.. High Voltage Pickle.. Singalila National Park.. Rama is cold.. Garibas, India-Nepal Border.. Border check-post across the road..  Rusky, the Rhododendron flower wine.. Kalapokhari, the black lake.. Boiled potato and eggs breakfast.. Bhutan planning.. Wai-Wai noodles and veg momos… Strawberry field.. Going Topless..

And Tuffy, the wonder dog who followed us till the end of the journey. I am going to miss her the most. J

Dear Little Baby

Dear Little Baby, Sleep with your eyes closed

Let your body rest on the water

Let your soul wander on the wind

Sleep forever in your blissful slumber

Out of a billion and one people; and a million and one ways

You were the chosen one to disappear under the waves

My heart tears for you, Sweet Baby;

But I try to find some comfort too.

In the belief that you left this wretched place 

And this damned human race 

I pray you have gone to a better place

A place of silence, peace and eternal bliss

A place which (I pray) is much better than this

A place where there are no fights for petty reasons 

Like land and beliefs and rules and ideology

A place where children are not killed for an invented God

A place where you can smile, giggle and laugh

A place where your innocence will not be lost

Oh, how I long to be in that place with you!!

When my time comes, I am sure I will meet you.

Until then,

I have to keep walking on this unwanted planet

Living this unwanted life

Among all these unwanted strangers 

And all this for what ultimate purpose?

For 4 feet of earth, 2 feet deep


(A Tribute to Aylan Kurdi and all the other children who have been or are victims of war)

The Men in the Mirror

“What are you scared of, son? Why do you feel the need to hide? To Run?”

“Are you afraid of the demons in the dark? Something unknown lurking out far?”

“Let me tell you that’s just your imagination. It’s just your brain playing games with you.”

“I am telling you now. What you see is not real. It’s just something that your mind is showing you”

“There are only hallucinations. No Ghosts exist in this real world. These are no demons that you see.”

“So, don’t be afraid now. Don’t give in. Be brave. Hold my hand. Come back into the light with me”

“Doctor, Oh Doctor, are you my savior? Have you come here to help me? To give me your hand? And pull me out of this wretched misery”

“Well, thank you for that!!”

“But you talked about the mind, about hallucinations and about reality.”

“You talked about light, about darkness and demons.”

“It’s an interesting idea you have put into my mind. Let me contemplate it for a moment. Let me share my thoughts with you.”

“Ah, my dear Doctor, let me tell you about Darkness. You know, Darkness is darker, much darker than you think. The word DARK itself, gives me the creeps.”

“Darkness is absence of light, absence of warmth, absence of feeling, emotions, hope, bliss, tranquility, comfort.”

“Darkness is a black hole, a depressive, claustrophobic place. A place with no existence. No walls, corners, edges or boundaries.”

“The laws of Physics, mathematics and logic don’t apply in the dark. Hence, I conclude, it’s a place that is not of this earth. Would you agree?”

“In the depths of darkness, it’s like being in a well of quick sand, submerged under, with your eyes open, but with nothing to see. Suffocating. Gasping, Grasping for breath. A heaviness which is exceeded only by its nothingness.”

“Believe me doctor, the demons are the least of your worries in that dark void. In fact, they are welcome because it’s a comfort to know that someone else is there with you… even if it’s a demon.”

“But unfortunately doctor, there is no one in the dark. No one to talk, no one to feel and no one who cares. The only demon in the darkness is ME and MY Damned Soul.”

“Also, doctor you talked about reality. So, it makes me wonder now, what is the nature of this reality?”

“When I was a boy I read that reality is what your mind shows you. The light travels through the eyes and paints a picture in the brain. That is what we perceive as reality. But who is to tell if that picture is real? Can YOU definitely say it? Can I definitely say it?”

“For instance, right now, do you think all this is real? Are you sure it’s not a figment of your imagination? A vivid dream through which you might wake up with a start and find yourself in your bed?" 

"Or maybe you will wake up 20 years younger in your college dorm room, after a night of heavy binge drinking.”

“This room, this table, that clipboard in your hand? Is it all real? Are you sure of that? Are you sure it’s not a perceived reality induced by that little pill you put on your tongue at your beach party this evening?”

“These grey walls, that huge one-way mirror on the wall, this asylum. Is it real? And what about me? Am I real, doctor? Or are you just experiencing one of your schizophrenic episodes?”

“Look at yourself, doctor, in that mirror on the wall and tell me what you see.”

“I promise to listen to you. But don’t give me your hand. I might NOT be able to save you”

“Look in the mirror, doctor. In reality, I am the doctor and you are the patient. Look and accept it. That’s the first step YOU will take to save YOURSELF from the demons in YOUR head.”

“Identify the nature of reality, doctor.”

And the doctor looked.

As the first second ticked in his wrist-watch, the doctor looked into the mirror and he saw himself in the patient’s green clothes. The reflection of the man standing on the other side of the table was that of a doctor, wearing a white coat, carrying a clipboard.

As the second second ticked, the doctor felt amazed, marveling at this trick his mind had played. Why was he dressed like the patient? Was it true, everything the other man said?

In the Third second, the patient lifted his chair above his head and brought it down with a heavy crash into the doctor’s bald scalp, killing him instantly.

The doctor writhed, but he felt no pain. Only his life seeping out through his body, enveloping him in a darkness that was suffocating, submerging, weightless, yet infinitely heavy. And then he felt peace, for the first time in his life.  

The patient smiled faintly, for he had successfully accomplished his task. He had used his power to look into the doctors mind and memories and trick him into seeing what he wanted him to see. It had given him enough time to kill the wretched pig, who had been giving him those drugs that made him feel sleepy. But he was happy that the drugs had not unsharpened his gift. 

But he also knew there will be consequences for his little stunt. THEY must be racing right now to come inside this room and pin him down. THEY will put him back into solitary confinement and increase his medication. He will start getting the head-splitting migraine from using too much of his power.

But he told himself to stay sharp and concentrate. Rest a bit and start thinking of how to get out of this asylum, before THEY figure out how to use his gift as a weapon.  

लाल

रोंगटे खड़े है मेरे ,
चल रहा हूँ मैदान की ओर।
गहरी हरी जमीन, हल्का नीला आसमान ,
चारो तरफ भीड़ का प्रचण्ड शोर ।

एक-एक कत्रा पसीना बहाया ,
एक-एक बूँद लहू  जलाया,
पल-पल समेटे, पंधरह साल की
प्रैक्टिस का आज होगा हिसाब ।

हाथ में बल्ला, सीने पे तिरंगा,
टी-शर्ट की पीठ पर इंडिया,
दिमाग में सन्नाटा,
लेकिन मन में सैलाब ।

अब आ खड़ा हूँ विकेट के आगे,
कुछ नहीं दीखता सिवाए गेंद के,

दूंगा आहुति एक शतक की,
उस देवता को जिसे चढ़ाया था गुलाल,
और उस धरती माता को जिसकी मिटटी का रंग है लाल ।

हाँ, लाल है रंग मेरी मिटटी का,
लाल रंग का है वह गुलाल,
लाल है रंग मेरे खून का,
मेरे जूनून का रंग भी है लाल । 

5 Horror Short(est) Stories

Story # 1

While driving back home that night, my favorite song came on the radio and without thinking I started singing along. 

It was only when the singer started singing in a screechy voice, did I realize that I had not switched on the Radio.

Story # 2

She was walking down on a lonely road at night, when the four drunkards started following her with a malicious intent. 

The next morning only one of them was found in the dumpster, dead, his body turned blue and bite marks on his neck.

Story # 3

I always feel fresh after taking a shower, but I also feel hungry and so I decided to make a sandwich for myself. 

But then I remembered that I did not have the knife, as I had left it stuck in my wife’s neck.

Story # 4

A weirdly dressed man appeared in the middle of the expressway and met with a brutal accident and died. 

The police found a piece of clear, highly polished round glass in his pockets, with an inscription - "Google Time Machine”.

Story # 5

If you ever go to the Overlook Hotel and see little Twin Girls waving at you, don’t wave back. 

I did that yesterday and last night they killed me.




(Short Horror Stories written by me.)