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Monsoon Trek to Nag Tibba with My Girlfriends

It was a rainy afternoon at work. The weather made me nostalgic about my university days in Dehradun. I was quietly reminiscing the faraway valley when I got a call from my former flatmate, Pooja. She was going on a short trip to the mountains and asked me to join her. I could not have asked for a better intervention to my brooding. On hearing my impromptu travel plan, two of my closest friends, Aaina and Amrita decided to tag along.

Three of us spent the next couple of days gearing up at the Decathlon sports equipment store and packing our rucksacks. On Friday, I was quivering with excitement until we finally clocked out from the office. We rode the metro rail to “Majnu ka Tilla” from where our bus to Dehradun would depart. Pooja was already there with our dinner – a big parcel of burgers and fries. We napped for the better part of the overnight journey as we would need every ounce of our energy for the next day.

We reached Dehradun ISBT before the first light was upon us. Only a handful of people were out and about. Through a few dimly lit windows, we could see shopkeepers snoozing in the early hours. We rented a room at a nearby hotel to get some more sleep. There were another three hours to go till our pool ride to the Panthwari village would arrive.

Our anxious slumber was interrupted by a phone call. Our cab driver was waiting at the rendezvous! We hastily checked out of the lodge and walked a short distance with our luggage to board the vehicle.

The land rover went up the swirling mountain highway, revealing breath-taking views with each treacherous turn. On our west, there was the hillside booming with fresh vegetation. Hundreds of rain-fed waterfalls and streams were gushing out from rocky crevices every few meters along the road. And, on the west was a beautiful emerald landscape with an amber sun rising at the backdrop. Sunrays reflected on the river winding through the gorge making it shimmer like molten gold.

We stopped for a quick breakfast at a roadside shack. Our obvious choice was to order individual plates of steaming Maggi: delectable instant noodles enjoyed best at an altitude. After another hour of enjoying the joy ride, we disembarked at Panthwari. Here we would begin our ascend to the Nag Tibba campsite.

We stocked our backpacks with chocolates and water, took our pick from a pile of study sticks and began our strenuous journey. Dense white clouds were strewn across the blue sky above us. There was no warning for rainfall. After a kilometre of walking uphill, we entered the woods. Under the dense canopy, drapes of mist hung on moss-laden branches of ancient trees. Their trunks appeared black from the moisture soaked into the bark. Rays of the sun penetrated the wilderness like slender spotlights on the forest floor. Every sight we beheld was an ethereal scene out of a fairy-tale story.

Nourished by rain, the jungle was brimming with life. We often stopped in awe of the biodiversity and listened closely to the birdcalls overhead. We also spotted many fascinating mushrooms along our way. Some were clustered, some were of bright warm colours, others had curious shapes and one was bigger than my shoe! We moved slow, relishing every sight before passing them by. We took many photographs and gawked at the mystical scenery to our heart’s content.

Our journey concluded at a clearing where several big tents were perched. We were accommodated in two of them which gave us enough room to spread our weary bodies. As we were settling down a familiar and calming scent filled my awareness. I looked around in search of the source of the refreshing aroma. Then only I noticed what was just at my feet. The patch of land was underneath was not covered with grass but a thick webbing of wild mint that laced the damp air around us with its fragrance.

My belly rumbled as I heard the kitchen staff announcing snack-time. We helped ourselves with generous portions of flavourful potato cutlets that were seasoned with wild mint leaves and a cup of piping hot tea. We spent the rest of the evening exchanging anecdotes as the sunset painted the sky in outrageous shades of pink and purple.  

Dinner again was a delicious affair of homely food; including a banana custard that knocked our socks off. Soon all the campers hurdled up in their tents. My friends retired to sleep as well. I decided to stay outside by myself under the star-studded sky and wispy moonlit clouds. Before long, a humongous black dog came to keep me company until I called it a night.

The next morning after breakfast, we began our final climb to the summit where the Serpent God or “Nag Devta” resides. This part of the trail was steeper and our breaks became frequent. We continued steadily on the muddy path etched on the slope of the mountain. The morning dew had left the bare soil slippery so we walked on grass wherever possible. After an hour and a half of inclined walking, we finally reached the top. We wandered about the uneven pasture chasing many colourful bugs and admiring wildflowers. We paid our homage at the humble shrine of the amphibian deity – a tower of rocks decorated with ceremonial flags. Then we sat down silently among the trees, gazing into the distance and soaking in the beauty of our expansive universe. Too soon clouds started rolling in, encasing us in a white shroud. The guide declared that it was time to go and we reluctantly followed.

We returned to our tents and ate a quick lunch before commencing our descend. It was drizzling. So, we pulled over our raincoats and stepped on the wet rocks with caution. Occasionally one of us would unsuspectedly slip, fall flat on her tush, and instantaneously burst into lively laughter with the rest of the gang. The rain grew heavier as we continued on our path. We had to slow down even more as our vision turned blurry. It took all of our focus to move as fast as we could afford to and avoid further accidents. The downpour ceased as we approached our destination and we let our wobbly legs carry us downhill.

Consequentially, it took us longer than anticipated to reach back to Panthwari. We had no time to spare for refreshments or a change of clothes. Our jeep rushed us back to the bus depo with just enough time to get our dinner packed from a local pizzeria.

Utterly exhausted we fell asleep on the bus taking us to Delhi. The recent adventures precipitated in our memories as we dreamt about it and twitched around unconsciously. We were back into the smog-ridden city before we could realize it. At last, we wearily entered my apartment with a bittersweet emotion that haunts us all after a wonderful vacation.

Written by: Meghma Hira, Healer and Digital Writopreneur

#nagtibbatreak #monssontrek #monsoonwriting #storywriting #storytelling #meghmahira #digitalwritopreneur #rajindersoni

My Monsoon Family Trip Story to Chitrakot and Tirathgarh Waterfalls

My name is Risha Khan and I was born and brought up in Jagdalpur, a small town in Bastar district, located in the southern part of Chhattisgarh. I lived in a small quarter in CSEB (Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board) colony with my parents and younger brother. My father was an Assistant Engineer at the 132 KV sub-station at that time. This colony is situated on the outskirts of the town. 

Bastar district is famous for tourism spots such as Chitrakot and Tirathgarh waterfalls, Kotumsar and Kailash caves etc. Caves usually remain closed during the monsoon season while waterfalls are a pleasure to watch. Whenever a new family settles down in our locality or relatives visit us, a trip to these famous places is always confirmed. It was these moments of togetherness that everybody was waiting for with bated breath.

Planning the Perfect Getaway

It was the month of July, the year 1998. The electrical department was expecting some guests from Barsoor for inspection purposes. The family was staying at a guest house of the colony. After the inspection was done, my parents exchanged greetings with the guest’s family and invited them for lunch which was organized in the main hall. While having lunch, a trip was planned to visit the famous Chitrakot and Tirathgarh waterfalls during the weekend. My father took the responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for the following day. 

As a 10-year-old kid, I was overjoyed hearing this news from my parents. The next day, we had our breakfast at the guest house with the family. A jeep parked outside was waiting for us to kick start the journey to our destination. All the preparations regarding the meals were done and loaded into the vehicle. We departed from the guest house at 11:00 AM. It was a 45-55 minute journey and we were completely mesmerized by the scenic beauty of Mother Nature. We were recalling our old memories of the time spent while living in Barsoor. The image of the famous twin Ganesha temple is still fresh in my mind. I also remember those moments when my father took us on a tour to HVDC sub-station when I was a toddler. My mother, brother and I would rest on the comfortable rexine couch in his office cabin and he was on a meeting with his seniors in the conference room. 

The Excitement Begins!!

We lost track of time while reliving those unforgettable moments and realized that we have reached our destination. I could see the Indravati river flowing at full speed and the roaring sound of the waterfall gave me an adrenaline rush. I wanted to witness the scene now but my father told me that we need to wait for some time. All the stuff was unloaded from the vehicle and we proceeded toward the direction of the rest house that has a beautiful garden. It has a walkway with viewpoints to enjoy the beauty of the waterfall. The staff opened the rooms for us so we could freshen up and have some rest. 

Now, it was time for some adventure. We came out of the rest house premises to visit the falls from a safe distance. I was holding my father’s hand and my mother was holding my younger sibling. The guests followed us too and they were spellbound as they watched the falls. The water is usually muddy in the monsoon season. It is milky white with a beautiful rainbow during other seasons. There is always more to explore here but since the area around the waterfall is slippery, proceeding any further was not a wise choice. The height of this fall is around 90 ft and the shape is that of a horseshoe. We admired the beauty and decided to enjoy the walkway while standing on the viewpoint. It is a whole new experience while watching the scene from this place. Photographs were clicked and more memories were created in the meantime. 

The rest house also has a stairway to go down and view the full width of the waterfall. Most tourists do boating here. Since the level of the water rises in this season, there was no sense in going down now. My brother and I played in the garden for some time. Soon, we were tired and hungry. We had our lunch and decided to leave for Tirathgarh waterfalls. It is one-hour journey and we were excited for the road trip again.

Way to Tirathgarh Waterfall

After creating countless memories in Chitrakot waterfalls, we came to the popular Kanger Valley National Park. It got its name after the “Kanger” river and as you go further you will get to see Kanger Dhaara waterfall and Kotamsar Gufa. We stick to the main road to visit Tirathgarh waterfalls. We reached here at 2:30 PM and we decided to view the waterfall from the top. 

It is a block-type waterfall with a height of 300 meters. It looks like water flowing down on a staircase made of stone. The view was really beautiful from the top. Munga Bahar river flows down in the form of Tirathgarh waterfall.

We entered a gate and what follows next is a series of a stairway. Every time we went down a level, we could see a different view of the waterfall. At last, we reached the first level of this waterfall. There is an archway bridge which helps you to have a closer view. We went down further to see the lowest level and the view was spectacular. There are temples within the waterfall premises. It holds religious significance for many tourists. Hence, the name “Tirathgarh”.

It was so much fun sitting on a flat rock, leaving my legs dangling and splashing water. I have always loved playing with water. My parents helped me to be stable as the rock area is usually slippery. We created more memories. I could see some tourists taking baths as well. The rocky structure and the water flowing through them were a treat to watch.

Finally, it was time to leave and we were dead tired. The thought of climbing stairs was already making me nervous. We took some rest after climbing a few flights of stairs and proceeded whenever we felt better. At last, we were out of the premises and everyone decided to have tea and snacks. 

Whenever we visited these places, we got a glance of Bastar “art and craft” prepared by tribal people here. Whenever I got a chance, I left no stone unturned to pay a visit to thee places with my neighbors and family members. I hope you had as much fun as I had while exploring these famous tourist spots. 

Author: Risha Khan, Digital Writopreneur

#monsoonstory #monsooncontest #chitrakotwaterfall #tirathgarhwaterfall #rishakhan #digitalwritopreneurs

@d_vamsidhar Your account of the Chitrakote Waterfalls and its surrounding attractions was detailed and fun to read. I really liked that you mentioned the type for both of the waterfalls in the story. It arouses curiosity to know more about these magnificent water bodies. 😇 

@risha15!! What a descriptive travel story. It was easy to visualize the experiences that you have penned down and that’s exactly what I look for while reading any story. Impromptu trip plans are the best!! 👍 

A TRIP TO REMEMBER IN MONSOON
It all starts with our college vacations. My friends decided to go on trekking and have some fun together. So they drop text on my phone to know whether I am interested or not.
Well who will say no to such trip I guess no one as long as you adore the beauty and treasure nature holds in it. Of course I just love it and looking forward for a soulful adventure.
So all of us made a plan that we will go to TIRTHAN Valley. Let me tell you first that TIRTHAN Valley is in outer SERAJ valley, a part of Kullu District.
My parents were Gazetted officers and were being posted in Kullu at that time so it was easier for me to offer stay at my residence to my friends during this trip and I invited them a day earlier so that arrangements for the trip could be made easily without any delay.
So we hire a cab who will arrive at sharp 7O’clock at our residence and will drop us at starting point of trekking. Everything was double check by me to ensure safety of all of us. Then we enjoyed our dinner prepared by mom and me and then we take rest.
Now is the time for some gossips and leg pulling as well because girls will be girls after all and without gossips there is no possible get-together . We keep munching on snacks and enjoy the silly college talks and then we feel tired so decided to take rest and fall asleep so that we will be refreshed for next day.
I woke up at 5 O’clock and make everything ready for trip .So after taking bath and having our breakfast we were looking for our cab .
Our cab arrived at time and we were very excited to the journey ahead . We enjoyed it fully by taking short breaks in between and photoshoots also on the way to TIRTHAN so that we could have more memories to cherish for coming years.
We arrived at starting point of Seolsar lake, the main attraction of the trekking by 11 O’ clock and have some tea there and then started our journey without any idea that how much time it would take to complete it. We just started enjoying our trekking and soon after reaching some height we saw immensely calm and quiet environment which we were missing in daily life chores which left us all captivated. I grew up in mountains and kullu is my favorite place as my schooling was done here only. So we decided to sit down for a while and just to enjoy the tranquility which nature was offering to us and we all get lost in the beauty of mother nature. We were feeling that mother nature is giving us a hug as fog is trying to cover everything under it like it’s heaven on earth itself. Ahh! What a beautiful feeling we all got here and thanks God to bless us with this beauty and opportunity to visit it. We all were feeling so blessed and greatful too. Then we start moving forward and then comes the top of the valley.. Oh Yes!! There it is… our beautiful Seolsar lake..what a mesmerizing view I can’t depictits beauty in words you can only feel it…and a small temple of goddess who is supposed to take care of this place..

Folk says it’s jogini who resides under the water very deep down and it’s a sacred place to protect at any cost. He also tells us that there’s a famous story of a man who just fall in this lake by chance and drowned deep in the lake and others think that he’s dead and will not returned back but it was believed that he saw jogini under the water and found a miraculous world under which is unbelievable and jogini had saved him and took a promise that he wouldn’t tell anything to anyone about what he had witnessed here or he would die and the man was out of lake by surprise and return to his home without telling anything to anyone but his wife asked him how he saved his life after falling into lake so he told her that jogini saved him and he narrated the whole story to his wife unfortunately he broke his promise and die eventually.

At his mysterious death all the villagers were very surprised and this place become so popular and people had great faith in this temple and goddess after witnessed this miracle. We all went silent and start thinking about that mysterious folk tale that how we all are surrounded by miracles. Nature is seriously nothing but a bundle of miracle to explore.
Then we take some rest in the lap of mother nature. We had our lunch which we were carrying in our bags and clicking pictures while enjoying the magnificent view of the Seolsar Lake. We started walking back to our starting point where our cab is waiting for us. We all completed this trekking by singing songs and leg pulling of each other and enjoyed a lot on our way back to home. We all had a day to remember and a day full of fun and adventure.

Title: College-Waala love Kahani!

A Rainy Afternoon:

Aug 9, 2016, 1:00 pm, Vignan college, the weather is calm and clouds look little and puffy with a cold breeze. Anhitha and me rushing to Library to submit books. At the entrance of the library, when the cold air was blowing on my face, when the drizzle wet my lips, “Suddenly a guy appeared in front of us, “he said Hi Anhi”. I was stunned at his looks and keep glance at him, a handsome with half wavy curly hair, like Jung kook, with a muscular body. Every girl in surroundings falling for him including me, I’m not hearing any voices, except my heartbeat.

But then I heard him, “Hi…… Vasavi, he waved to me”.

 I smiled and nod.

He is the distant cousin of Anhitha, who recently moved to Guntur from Hyderabad as his father was retired and he changed the branch to stay with his family. We three go to the canteen after our book submission in a library had a chit-chat on a plate of Snacks. On Aug 12, 9 Am, freshers day in college, everyone is busy with the arrangements, Anhitha and we are wandering on the 3rd floor of U-block, in 304, leaning against the bench and holding the guitar, he looks like a professionalist. He waved to us and we sat there while watching him preparing for the performance, his musical voice reminds me of Jungkook’s deep voice, I could not hear those voices except his voice. He is not only attractive but matured with an understanding nature, who does not fall for him. 

Weekend Trip to Chikmangalauru:

While I’m thinking of him, days pass by and we entered our final year. On a weekend, July 10, 2017, we planned for a trip to Chikmangaluru along with three of our other friends. We took a bus in Hyderabad on July 9 at 9:00 pm for Bangalore and the next morning after check-in to the hotel, we rented Royal Enfield from the local rental service, it’s a 6hr journey to Chikmangaauru. We began our journey at 7:30 am in the morning after having breakfast at a nearby hotel, by taking the Bangalore highway route via Belur and Mathikere. With awesome weather and no sun, the ride went peacefully. At 1:00 pm we reached the cottage in Chikmagalur, relaxed for an hour after having lunch, and started the ride to Jhari falls.

 On the way to Jhari Falls:

It’s a 2 hr ride to Jhari falls from our cottage, the experience is awesome, we saw various coffee plantations and estates. There are lots of narrow waterfalls falling from the top of hills, it’s a bumpy ride for us. Finally, we reached the entrance, from there we should go only via safari, own vehicles are not allowed. They charged us R.s/-700, we can use any of their vehicles. Jhari falls also called Milk falls, many artists were portrayed it well with a milky mist, water falling from the hills doesn’t look narrow or too wide. As it is monsoon, there is a rainbow on top of waterfalls that looks like a semi-circle covering the top of waterfalls. As it is the weekend, many people visited with their families, and youth like us came with friends. There is a tree horn under the waterfall, to experience the real thrill of the waterfall, I sat on the tree horn by stretching my arms peacefully, lifted my neck, this is the first moment in my life that I feel that moment should pause for some time to experience it more. All my pains due to the journey cleared when waterfalls on my head to toe, shoulders to legs and I just enjoyed the moment that there is no other day in my life. We took pictures and we were able to spend only an hour due to the closing time was 5:00 pm. After taking pictures, we took the safari to return to our vehicles, there are restrooms available to change clothes. Later on, we started the ride and returned to the cottage, we didn’t plan more on that day, as we need to reach Mullyanagiri peak in the early morning to experience Nature’s beauty. In the evening, the manager arranged a campfire for us, we stayed there until 9:30 pm after having dinner, went to our rooms to sleep.

Roller coaster ride to Mullyangiri Peak:

On the next morning, we woke up at 5:00 am, after taking bath, we started our ride to Mullyangiri peak. The height of the peak is 1930mts, it is also a basic trek point for trekkers. It has another name called “Seethalayyanagiri”, it gets the name due to the “Mulappa Swamy” temple who is believed to have meditated at the caves, a couple of feet below the summit. The hill is slippery as you climb, we feared if we will slip, I never had such a thriller and fearful ride experience, bike slips as it loads. At finally, we were able to reach the destination by 6:00 am.

The Beauty of Mullyangiri:

While watching the hill covered with clouds and when climbing mountains, I feel like I’m running on clouds. Standing at the top of the peak which is 1930mts, enjoying the scenic beauty of nature, I forgot everything about the surroundings, and just enjoying the moment. “The clouds are as beautiful as the fairies dancing in heaven. It is as if they came to us and touched our face”. I’m just living in that moment, Anhitha started to capture me, even he, but I didn’t notice him. Meanwhile, he started to take his guitar and sing, everyone around us enjoying the music and Nature queen, we stayed there until 8:00 am. Slowly, the Sun lingering behind the clouds just seemed to come to the fore. There is a Baba Budangiri (Dattatray Peeta) temple which is located on the right side, slightly below the Hills, it is also a great spot to take pictures. 

The moment I’m thinking of:

When the clouds are moving one after the other due to the sunrise, Anhitha, Neha, and I go to the Dattatray Peeta to take pictures, while I’m taking Anhitha’s picture. I feel something on my hand (you’re right), he grabbed my hand and carried me to the peak of hills. The sun behind me was slowly coming out of the middle of the clouds, he sat down on his knees and put the ring on my hand.

“Will you be forever mine”, he asked.

 I was stunned, this is the moment I’m waiting for months, I’m thinking about how to confess my love to him, but he said yes even before I said anything. What you need more than this, I feel lucky, I couldn’t stop my tears and I said “YES” by hugging him and cried. Except for me all of my friends know the surprise, they planned it together. 

I feel blessed to have such a thrilling experience and the beautiful moments in life at the same time. We took pictures, having breakfast at the food truck at the hill, returned and packed our things returned to Bangalore, watched a movie, and had dinner. By 7:00 pm we took a bus and returned to Hyderabad. 

Now the time came where we had to part ways for our careers. We both got placed in MNC but he left for Canada for MS and we are apart for two years, it hurts to separate from our loved ones even though it is temporary, but I need to calm myself as it is for our career. He contacts me regularly, assures me he will be back soon, time pass by and the day I waited to come. 

In July 2020, he visited India, after a couple of days, I went home on leave, he visited my home and convinced my family that no one will be perfect for me other than him.

The beautiful moment of our relationship from two souls to one soul happened on Sep 17, 2020, he tied a knot at 9:35 pm in a wedding hall decorated with natural flowers and leaves, my name changed to VasaviSatvik.

“The winters, the summers, the springs and the autumns are seasons; Monsoons are mercy,” thought Jason while engaging in an internal monologue and dropping his school bag off on the floor. But that came out as a mumble unaware, which his mother quickly picked up and scolded him, saying, “If God truly heard all the prayers, it would have rained heavily for all 12 months straight and allowed you a twelve months vacation, but I am glad that’s not the case”.

Jason, now a 14-years-old lad, loved rains like anything and was a pluviophile since childhood. Earlier, this love was undeniably due to the unexpected school offs that came with thunderstorms, but as Jason grew, this petty reason behind the love for monsoons faded away. And as the perfect saying goes, Love is Magic Jason was soon about to experience his epiphany when it rained hard the next time.

Emilia and Mercy were the other unconventional kids of the band led by Jason named Mystery Seekers. The trio’s objective was to solve the mysteries of the universe, but also that it often led to creating more mysterious problems is yet another story for some other day. Emilia loved all seasons, provided that she had enough cases at hand, and Mercy loved watching Jason in the rain. And the trio was presently solving the local hoax about a mysterious sage dwelling in the nearby forest, purported to be a rain summoner.

The trio’s objective this time, apart from finding the sage, was a little more than what appeared on the surface. Unlike every other time, the trio banked the hopes on hoax turning out to be true. Emilia always wanted to turn Sherlock, and this could be her first breakthrough to fame. Jason dreamt of becoming a rain summoner himself, and if the hoax had any truth in it, he would learn the magic of his dreams. Mercy had no such extraordinary aspirations and was being around only because Jason was into it.

They went to school in the morning and spent their noons in the Jungle, rumoured to be sage’s home, and returned home only in the evening when they had scratch-marked trees of the successfully searched area. On every alternate day, they returned home completely soaked in rainwater, shivering mildly, and sneezing every 15 minutes, and this eventually got them stern warnings from their parents. 

“We haven’t got much time before getting banned from visiting the forest forever. Yesterday, I had enough of it at home,” said a concerned Emilia one fine morning, to which Mercy also nodded in agreement. “You people even talk such a stuff at home?” questioned a shocked Jason. “I mean, whose parents would allow their children to roam about forests like nuts amidst cloudburst in search of an even-greater NUT?” Jason added. “And what excuse you might have made?” questioned Emily. “Extended Mathematics classes, of course,” answered Jason while winking. “I wish all parents were so naive,” said Emilia countering the joke. And while all these exchanges took place, Mercy remained a silent watcher.

Emilia’s concern was fair enough. After all, fifteen days had passed without much success. But their efforts were not going to set in vain, though, as they had already explored half of the gloomy Jungle and had reached the threshold of the dreaded and virgin Dew Valley in 15 days’ span. And in doing that, they had crossed all the lines of permissions set by their concerned parents.

One fine Saturday, the trio, unaware of time, hunger and other beings’ existence, rigorously progressed ahead in their hunt, keeping their eyes open to even an ant’s movement. They were so much involved in the mission that even a lightning drop would not have caused any harm to their concentration. The rains, as usually, descended from the sky with such wrath that it reminded every towner of God’s fury. And while the trio’s parents worryingly prayed for their Children’s safe return to the home, the Mystery Seekers recklessly climbed the dew valley — a place reputed as “Ascension to death”– adamant in their faith.

But faith can move the mountains. And the Mystery Seekers did achieve the feat.

Halfway down into the permitted Jungle area, after which the restricted wild territory began, the trio spotted indications of human presence: A fume rising high amidst the thunderstorm. “This could be no sane human other than the nutty sage,” shouted Jason to make his point clear amidst the thunderings.

(The high rising fume was not very far, and the trio did not delay a single moment and ran wildly to meet the sage.)

“Gotcha,” Yelled Jason in a claiming voice, to which Emily immediately responded, “Please, Jason, observe nicety for rain’s sake. “We are the Mystery Seekers, Oh famed Sage of the Tulips town. And we have come here travelling 10 kilometres on foot to have the honour of meeting you,” said Mercy Introducing the trio.

The sage looked like a shabby vagrant, and his appearance justified the title he had acquired by dwelling in the Jungle. “Mad are the toons of the town who call me sage; I am a technologist,” he replied in response to Mercy’s elegant introduction. “But we have heard that you are a sage who knows how to summon the rains, is that true?” asked Emilia.

“True, but only to an extent, and please, I am no sage. Call me Pete,” answered the vagrant. He then continued, “It took me five years to come up with these magic flares. Thanks, children, for showing your interest in my story. What the Tulips Town calls rain summoning is scientifically called Cloud Seeding. You won’t believe me, but these look-alikes of cracker rockets bring rain when used in appropriate conditions.”

“I think I just found my ‘Guru’.” Uttered Jason emotionally, interrupting the conversation. “Come into my tent, children, and have a watch,” Said the sage invitingly.

” Woohoo! You come from a distant future!” Exclaimed a bewildered Emilia upon entering the tent.

captivating, this story should be converted into a movie. 

@meghma-hira the story is mesmerizing! 🙂 

@meghma-hira the story is mesmerizing! 🙂 

@risha15 beautiful story ma’am 🙂

SHOWERS OF LOVE  ❤

Monsoons are always special and much awaited.

It’s a most loved season as the “PETRICHOR” from the showers rejuvenates our soul.

And a hot cup of tea or coffee along with crispy ‘n’ crunchy snacks is a must.

It’s a season of love and most of us would love a rain dance to the natural beats of the downpour or some Bollywood rain numbers.

Here’s a monsoon love story of  two individuals Sameer and Reema. Who are from different walks of life with  issues but a common solution.

This beautiful season of love united these two wonderful souls.

Sameer  a business Analyst by profession in a reputed company,was an eligible bachelor with good looks and sound job who longed for a companionship but unfortunately wasn’t willing to go ahead due to his health issue, He was  a juvenile diabetic. And one particular  incident had left him embarrassed where the girl’s side hadn’t been  informed  about his health condition where he and his   his parents were left insulted which left him uninterested in seeking an alliance.

Reema- who also worked in the same firm as sameer as  a HR professional. She too  underwent similar insult for no mistake of hers. Because of her dusky complexion  people demanded. Dowry that left her devastated.

So both were sailing in the same boat of misery in different ways.

Sameer-I was looking through the glass window where  the dark clouds were  greeting each other with thunder. The whooshing sound of the rain dimmed the noise in the background where people were busy working and in chit-chatting.

I wanted to leave but waited for the showers to cease. Suddenly my eyes fell upon a pretty hand stretched out of the moving  rickshaw and enjoying natural silver beads. I could see that beautiful hand splish-splashing the droplets, it rose my curiosity but suddenly the hand  withdrew inside and  later the vehicles started moving.

The mysterious pretty hand was that of Reema, who had left a bit early than Sameer.

Next morning, the sun was bright. The roads were  wet and  water clogged. While people resumed their daily routine, more showers were expected. It could pour anytime in any part of the city and nothing more beautiful to witness at Bangalore.

It  so happened that Sameer was  passing  by  and  his eyes fell upon her. He saw that she was a beautiful girl with brown eyes, wavy curls and the most vibrant smile. He still remembered that bracelet on her hand which she had worn last time when he saw her.

 They both bumped into each other and apologized as crossed their ways. It rained heavily every evening for next few days. Weekends were the TGIF moments for bangaloreans after a tiring week of work.

It was an exciting weekend as the company had hosted a lunch for the entire office and all were excited about it. The get-together was held at one of the posh Café cum restaurant which had newly opened. And again they met. She saw Sameer there and he said “Hi, so you too work here is it” asked Sameer. “Yes  answered reema.

Now for the first time their eyes met,he could see that she looked nothing less than a daffodil in that yellow kurti and jeans, she was beauty personified.

And to her he was handsome, dignified and easy on eyes.

After a good lunch everyone bid bye.while stepping out he noticed her waiting.

He called her out and asked her where was she heading to and offered to drop her saying he was going the same way.

He saw her giving a confused look, though reema was a modern girl she was still reserved.

“ Don’t worry I won’t abduct you” he said giggling.

“Well nothing as such” she said. As they  got into the car Sameer played the music system

“I hope you don’t mind” asked Sameer

“O no not at all in fact I love music” said reema.

Well there are so many similarities between us Sameer thought in his heart” but what’s the use said his mind”

Reema broke the silence by asking about his  family as she shared about hers.

“Don’t mind but how come you are still single” asked reema.

“Coz I’m too sweet to handle, you see” said he.

“what do you mean” she asked quizzically.

“I am diabetic” he said slowly.

“so what!! Is it Said somewhere that people suffering from diabetes should not settle”

Sameer gazed at her and asked  who do you think will marry a person having health complications? He later asked about her.

“Yes I’m single, but would never want to mingle forgoing my self-respect, I’m happy being like this ” laughed reema as she later narrated about her life.

Sameer cleared his throat and said “you are so beautiful and I’m honest about this

“ Really” she loudly said with a surprise. She got a big smile on her face after hearing this.

“Believe me you are perfectly imperfect”

Ok so are you ready to marry a dusky girl or even you are in the league of people who run after color and not qualities  asked reema frankly.

Sameer looked at her and said “what if I say I’m ok with it”

“And  would you like to lead a life with me knowing that I’m diabetic” asked Sameer seriously.

There was a minute of silence and only heavy downpour could be heard on the rooftop of the car.

Sameer felt love in the air as he looked at her happily.

He stopped the car, got out of his driver’s seat and went to reema who looked surprised and  said

“ standing beneath the showers of Love I ask you, will you marry me?

Even though it was pouring he could see her blushing as she nodded her head to a ‘ YES’

It was a coincidence as the song “Aj mera jee karda  from the famous Bollywood movie “MONSOON WEDDING” played on FM.

“so Mister you like me  so much  is it” said reema coyishly.

“May be, but what makes you feel that I like you so much”

“Well for your information you just drove in the opposite direction while this is not your route” said reema

Sameer couldn’t lie and blurted shyly “ yes” but how did you get to know.

Reema had a mischievous smile  and said “Don’t you forget I’m from the HR department and we have the  horoscope of all the employees, I know you reside at indiranagar but have come all along to Richmond Town just to drop me”.

“Hmm.. so someone secretly gathered info about me”.  They both burst out laughing together as they headed further.

https://1drv.ms/w/s!ArTt6XdDvHbQcltpF63txV8WXgk

Adding a final touch to the clouds, I sighed in content, feeling elated with the way I was able to depict the breathtaking view in front of me on my sketchbook. The cold air brushing through my hair and the clouds sailing just above me gave me so much stimulation that I had to take out my sketchpad to capture the beauty of this place adored by the monsoon weather. Taking in the blissfulness around me, I realised agreeing to the weekend road trip was the right decision to make and I was glad I did. I shuddered at the thought of me hunched up on my bed, bawling my eyes out over a silly little heart break. But I was really lucky and greatfullful to have some lovely friends who decided not to leave me to sulk alone. And as their last attempt to pull me together they declared a road trip, one I was yearning for since I was eight, a road trip to Lonavla. My chain of thoughts were interrupted when my dear friend Aditi sat down beside me on the meadow that was beautifully spread across the hill top we were at. She passed me a cup of tea we had packed from the early stop we made at a road side tea stall, smiling as her eyes met my sketchbook on my lap. Sipping on the tea, I took a deep breath wondering if there could be any other weather that could complement this marvellous place better than monsoon.

Having lived almost whole of my life in Bahrain, I’ve missed out on a lot of monsoon experiences. And hence whenever we plan to come back to Pune, I made sure it was during monsoon. I could never get enough of the rain and hence each of those limited memories were revisited countless times. I remembered sipping on my tea by the balcony, enjoying home made fritters as I watch the drizzles plummeting on to the ground. More than the tasty fritters, the smell of wet mud hits my nose, soothing me. Sometimes when the roars of thunder scared me, I hid behind the windows but still found entertainment racing raindrop gliding down the windowpanes. And when the pouring stops, it still leaves behind a bunch of jollity behind. Like floating paper boats on the puddles with cousins and friends or trying to shake the trees up to  create our own little rain.  I was brought back to reality when my friends said it was time to leave and the reality was an even better version of the monsoon from my memories, nevertheless those memories will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Though it had only been two years since we met, Aditi, Rahul, Meeta, Avinash and I had become such a tight group. These friends of mine are the only assets I had gained from joining college, apart from my degree of course. Avi had picked me up from my hostel early in the morning while Meeta along with Rahul joined us on the way on his bike. The last to join the trip was Aditi and her bike as she lived more near to our destination, Lonavla. Getting back on our bikes, we quickly rode off since our last minute plan numbered Lonavla, Korigad and Aamby Valley as our destinations. As more and more green appeared on either side of the road, everything started to look more beautiful. We slowed down to watch fetching tinny waterfalls on the elevations by the road sides. Even when the air thrashed my face as I cut through them, I couldn’t take my eyes off the palette around me. The tonal mix of white, blue and green left me in awe thinking how much the weather could enhance the beauty of a place. As the air got more foggy, the excitement started to building in me to know what could be past the magical spell. I couldn’t help but think Mother Nature is just being a bit dramatic, taking her own time, gifting her beauty to us in style.

Except for the occasional stops to take in the marvellous views, we didn’t really explore Lonavla much. Our stop by the Aamby Valley was also brief as the soft drizzles from the frowzy yet ravishing clouds decided to grace us. And our jackets proved to be insufficient to withstand the cold making us borrow more into them as if it was possible. Not even my jittery teeth could take away even a bit of my relishment as the elegance of the meadows, the heights of the sky and the serenity of the rain communicated more power, alluring anything and everything towards it.

We hardly came across any human but only few dogs here and there making us wonder what people are missing out on. We walked towards few of the nearby lanes only to find them empty, all doors to the only few homes closed tight. The people here must be so used to this beautiful weather that they no longer find it worthy enough to fall sick for, like us. We tried to explore a bit more into the thickness of the green around as we followed the empty patches on the fresh, green ground. We realised a lot of people have explored this place as the empty patches soon connected into a rocky path that led to the ultimate surprise of our day. The waterfall was absolutely mesmerising and new to us. We had a good time pulling Aditi’s leg for not knowing it’s existence even after living close by. Rahul swore to find more about it as he could not just let this be known as a random waterfall we discovered. Silly of him I thought as we all laughed at him.

Our trip was cut short, leaving Korigad still unexplored by us. The heavy but short rainfall that occurred every now and then made the atmosphere too chill for us to handle and hence we were too cold and hungry to continue. Though we were disappointed and disheartened making the decision to go back , we all knew it was the right thing to do. It was just a snag of a bunch of college kid’s improperly planed last minute trip we will all laugh about I thought. But no, it was more than that. Though incomplete, it was one such experience that got me more closer to nature without me realising as ever since I’ve been travelling to multiple places especially in the monsoon. Because that trip gave me a taste of monsoon that I’ve craved for. It is now a treasure I’ve added to along with my childhood monsoon memories. I am in fact glad that someone had broke my heart that day, pushing me into a journey that I forever cherish.

One Monsoon, Many Summers Ago

One monsoon, many summers ago, I was overcome with acute nostalgia to meet my long-lost friends whom I hadn’t seen in the past five years. During our college days in Pune, we had taken several monsoon trips together and, therefore, the nostalgia was just. For a reunion, I decided that we will go to Munnar via road from Bangalore. As soon as the idea came to me, I couldn’t help sharing it with them, hearing which they agreed to come down to Bangalore. 

A day before we were to leave for Munnar, we bought all the necessary items such as eatables, trekking equipment and woollen clothes. By night, we couldn’t keep our excitement down as it was to be our first trip to God’s Own Country.  

On the day of the trip, we woke up at 4 am to set the wheels in motion. Our journey took about 12 hours to complete the run of 500 km from Bangalore to Munnar. During the final leg, whilst we were crossing the scenic Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, we noticed a herd of elephants passing below the bridge we were on. 

There was one single strip of road bordered by thick deciduous forests on either side. Suddenly, it started to rain heavily, and as we moved forward, we saw an elephant standing right in the middle of the road staring straight at us. We decided to wait for the elephant to turn and cross the road; however, the elephant suddenly started to run towards our car, making Pritesh, my friend who was in the driving seat, go frantic and start reversing at full throttle. 

It was like we had seen a ghost. We all went white with fear, hearing the heavy thud-thud of the elephant coming near and near. I was seated at the back with Rahul in the front with Pritesh. To our dismay, ours was the only car on the entire set of this drama — the road wore a deserted look as far as our eyes could see, and it was beginning to get dark minute by minute.  

We continued to go backwards, and the elephant, too, pursued its lurch in full speed. At one point, Pritesh stopped the car with a screeching sound. The elephant stopped its frantic pace, hearing the tyres screech. Pritesh then swerved left to the sidewalk and continued driving over the gravel as fast as he could and, finally, overtook the elephant, which kept looking at us blankly. 

The jungle grew dense as we drove ahead. On the way up to Munnar, we could vividly feel the exotic scent of sandalwood trees. By the time we reached our resort, it was already 7 pm. We knew our tired bones and jittery nerves needed quality rest before the real adventure began. We had an early dinner at the resort’s restaurant and went to sleep almost immediately. 

The next day, I woke up at 5 am and opened the door of my room, which was on the 1st floor, only to get welcomed with a soft, chill breeze that caressed my cheeks. The door opened onto a balcony that overlooked a vast space. However, I could see nothing but pitch-black darkness across that space. The whole area was deserted and quiet. I could even hear the eerie sound of the breeze. Since my friends were still asleep, I decided to wear my jacket and sit outside in the well-lit balcony and read for an hour or so. This sense of stillness was something that I enjoyed in those days. 

I must have read for about 45 minutes when I lifted my head to observe that dawn had already arrived. What a blissful moment it was! The stillness in the air, the soothing breeze, the chirping of the morning birds, the misty streets, and the dawn light giving way to sunrise whilst slowly and slowly uncovering a view of the vast green expanse of land stretching for miles before my eyes. I realised that this was what Mother Nature hid from me in the darkness.

I peered through my eyes into the vastness to observe a little pond surrounded by valleys on both sides, with green being the colour of Mother Nature’s garb. Later, I saw billows of clouds frequenting the green expanse. I had not seen such a beatific vision ever before. It was as if Mother Nature surprised me with a beautiful performance of hers. I thought with a smile that if William Wordsworth were alive, he would have penned down this scenery in his poems for sure.

Seeing the creativity of Mother Nature, I felt the feel of the monsoons was all around me. This memory continues to stay with me even today.

After my friends woke up, we had an early breakfast and headed to explore the picturesque hill station of Munnar. We explored the town in the following manner:

Tea Estate Tour: Munnar is a world-famous spot known for its beautiful tea and coffee plantations. Most of these plantations sit along the roadside, making the tourists go awestruck with their breathtaking views. So, visiting a tea estate was bang-slap on our travel itinerary. For this, we chose Lockhart Tea Estate, which is known to be the first tea plantation of Munnar established in 1879. Located on the slopes of Chokarmudy, one of South India’s highest peaks, Lockhart Tea Estate gives you a spectacular view of the entire valley of Lockhart.

We had a serene experience seeing these terraced tea gardens stretch for miles in every direction. We even ventured inside the Lockhart Tea Estate, with necessary permissions in place, and enjoyed a freshly prepared, naturally flavoured brew of Ginger Tea. With a sip of this tea, our energy levels got instantly rejuvenated. 

We stayed there for about 3 hours and met tea planters and learnt about various tea processing techniques, picking of tea leaves, tea seasons, and types of teas produced in the estate. We also visited the estate’s Tea Museum and took a bicycle ride in the meandering alleys of its tea gardens. Each of us bought around 1 kg of black tea for our family back home. We then moved towards our next destination.

Food Fun: I believe no trip is complete without sampling the local cuisine of that area. Since we were tired, we felt famished and headed to have a good lunch at a nearby restaurant. I’d made up my mind to try Malabar Chicken Biryani. This dish had been on my list for a long time back then. We also ordered Prawn Curry with Rice, and both of them turned out to be equally delicious. The flavourful aroma of the dishes was strong enough to arouse the epicure in me. During our stay in Munnar, we found that the local cuisine was high on its taste quotient with a rich mix of spices. 

Visiting Mattupetty Dam: As the evening approached, we headed towards our last spot for the day — Mattupetty Lake and dam site. When we reached this dam site, it started to drizzle, and we had to take refuge under the shelter of a tea shop. Sitting there, we enjoyed a cup of coffee along with a plateful of hot Maggi whilst enjoying the open scenic view right in front of us. Surrounded by rolling hills, spice gardens, and a green expanse of tea plantations, the scenic beauty of Mattupetty Lake is a sight to behold forever. After the rain stopped, we took a 15-minute speedboat ride on the lake and enjoyed the splashes of water on our faces. This exhilarating boat ride boosted our energy levels, and we winded up day 1 of our tour. 

Trekking to Echo Point: On the next day, we left early for our most-awaited adventure — the trek to Echo Point. Being adventure enthusiasts, we chose Echo Point, located about 15 km from Munnar, for our trekking expedition. Since we had brought all the necessary trekking gear with us, we decided to take this challenge. I believe trekking is one activity that brings a childlike enthusiasm in people. When I mentioned to Rahul about our trekking expedition, his face lit up in excitement. Back then, he had never indulged in any trekking tour ever. 

Lying at about 600-ft altitude, Echo Point is like a destination within a destination. Commanding an unparalleled view, Echo Point is a green paradise overlooking the valley below. We sat there for about one hour, exhausted from our trek, and saw others trekking to the faraway Top Station, which is at an altitude of 1700 feet. Echo Point is also a prime viewing spot to witness the rare Neelakurinji flowers that bloom once every 12 years. 

We came back to our resort thoroughly exhausted from the trek and instantly fell asleep right after dinner. The next day, we had to head back to Bangalore, and so a good sleep was essential for a proper rest.

Summing up, I can clearly say that Munnar had been a revelation for us, both for its natural beauty and regional cuisine. Being in Munnar that season gave us a subtle, distinctive feel — an experience that can only be associated with the Monsoons. 

Written by : Abhishek Pathak

#travel #hillstation #food #munnar #abhishekpathak #digitalwritopreneurs #travellers #explore #monsoonstory #writingcontest #monsooncontest

Adding a final touch to the clouds, I sighed in content, feeling elated with the way I was able to depict the breathtaking view in front of me on my sketchbook. The cold air brushing through my hair and the clouds sailing just above me gave me so much stimulation that I had to take out my sketchpad to capture the beauty of this place adored by the monsoon weather. Taking in the blissfulness around me, I realised agreeing to the weekend road trip was the right decision to make and I was glad I did. I shuddered at the thought of me hunched up on my bed, bawling my eyes out over a silly little heart break. But I was really lucky and greatful to have some lovely friends who decided not to leave me to sulk alone. And as their last attempt to pull me together they declared a road trip, one I was yearning for since I was eight, a road trip to Lonavla. My chain of thoughts were interrupted when my dear friend Aditi sat down beside me on the meadow that was beautifully spread across the hill top we were at. She passed me a cup of tea we had packed from the early stop we made at a road side tea stall, smiling as her eyes met my sketchbook on my lap. Sipping on the tea, I took a deep breath wondering if there could be any other weather that could complement this marvellous place better than monsoon.

Having lived almost whole of my life in Bahrain, I’ve missed out on a lot of monsoon experiences. And hence whenever we plan to come back to Pune, I made sure it was during monsoon. I could never get enough of the rain and hence each of those limited memories were revisited countless times. I remembered sipping on my tea by the balcony, enjoying home made fritters as I watch the drizzles plummeting on to the ground. More than the tasty fritters, the smell of wet mud hits my nose, soothing me. Sometimes when the roars of thunder scared me, I hid behind the windows but still found entertainment racing raindrop gliding down the windowpanes. And when the pouring stops, it still leaves behind a bunch of jollity behind. Like floating paper boats on the puddles with cousins and friends or trying to shake the trees up to  create our own little rain.  I was brought back to reality when my friends said it was time to leave and the reality was an even better version of the monsoon from my memories, nevertheless those memories will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Though it had only been two years since we met, Aditi, Rahul, Meeta, Avinash and I had become such a tight group. These friends of mine are the only assets I had gained from joining college, apart from my degree of course. Avi had picked me up from my hostel early in the morning while Meeta along with Rahul joined us on the way on his bike. The last to join the trip was Aditi and her bike as she lived more near to our destination, Lonavla. Getting back on our bikes, we quickly rode off since our last minute plan numbered Lonavla, Korigad and Aamby Valley as our destinations. As more and more green appeared on either side of the road, everything started to look more beautiful. We slowed down to watch fetching tinny waterfalls on the elevations by the road sides. Even when the air thrashed my face as I cut through them, I couldn’t take my eyes off the palette around me. The tonal mix of white, blue and green left me in awe thinking how much the weather could enhance the beauty of a place. As the air got more foggy, the excitement started to building in me to know what could be past the magical spell. I couldn’t help but think Mother Nature is just being a bit dramatic, taking her own time, gifting her beauty to us in style.

Except for the occasional stops to take in the marvellous views, we didn’t really explore Lonavla much. Our stop by the Aamby Valley was also brief as the soft drizzles from the frowzy yet ravishing clouds decided to grace us. And our jackets proved to be insufficient to withstand the cold making us borrow more into them as if it was possible. Not even my jittery teeth could take away even a bit of my relishment as the elegance of the meadows, the heights of the sky and the serenity of the rain communicated more power, alluring anything and everything towards it.

We hardly came across any human but only few dogs here and there making us wonder what people are missing out on. We walked towards few of the nearby lanes only to find them empty, all doors to the only few homes closed tight. The people here must be so used to this beautiful weather that they no longer find it worthy enough to fall sick for, like us. We tried to explore a bit more into the thickness of the green around as we followed the empty patches on the fresh, green ground. We realised a lot of people have explored this place as the empty patches soon connected into a rocky path that led to the ultimate surprise of our day. The waterfall was absolutely mesmerising and new to us. We had a good time pulling Aditi’s leg for not knowing it’s existence even after living close by. Rahul swore to find more about it as he could not just let this be known as a random waterfall we discovered. Silly of him I thought as we all laughed at him.

Our trip was cut short, leaving Korigad still unexplored by us. The heavy but short rainfall that occurred every now and then made the atmosphere too chill for us to handle and hence we were too cold and hungry to continue. Though we were disappointed and disheartened making the decision to go back , we all knew it was the right thing to do. It was just a snag of a bunch of college kid’s improperly planed last minute trip we will all laugh about I thought. But no, it was more than that. Though incomplete, it was one such experience that got me more closer to nature without me realising as ever since I’ve been travelling to multiple places especially in the monsoon. Because that trip gave me a taste of monsoon that I’ve craved for. It is now a treasure I’ve added to along with my childhood monsoon memories. I am in fact glad that someone had broke my heart that day, pushing me into a journey that I forever cherish.