Everest Base Camp - trek to the brutal beauty

I have always had a penchant for travelling to mountains. it has the serenity and peace which i need in life from time to time. My first solo trek to Ladakh made this feeling permanent. It would be very cliched to say that I was exploring myself. I wanted to fall back in love with myself.

This mixed love for mountains and myself took me to Everest Base Camp. 15 days of non-stop walking, surviving on minimal amenities, not taking bath for days (trust me that is a big deal for me), meeting new people, eating the basic staple rice and daal (daal-bhaat power, 24 hour) and the brutal beauty around, only made me realise that this is me. I have been trying to explore what makes me happy and i had always found the answer in the bed of gorgeous mountains. But this trip made me realise more than this.

I started my journey, along with my team, from Kathmandu, took a flight to Lukla – the first point of our trek. Lukla is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. 

We began our trek after taking rest for a day. All we had to do was walk, walk and walk more. We used to walk for 12-13 hours every day, of course with breaks in between. It was tiresome but amazing. The food was so simple yet delicious. Our guide was very helpful with local knowledge. We crossed Monjo, Namchebazaar, Tengboche, Dangboche to name a few. My team and I were very happy to finally reach the final stop - Gorakshep. Everest Base Camp was few hours away from there. Our group was divided on whether we should go to base camp or scale Kala Pathar (a mountain made of black rocks which provides most accessible point to view Mt. Everest). We finally decided to go to base camp the next day.

Everything was perfect and was going as planned, until the unfortunate day when I was trekking to Everest Base Camp. 25th April, 2015 - my life changed forever. I was at the base camp when the earthquake and the avalanche happened and shook me. I couldn’t do anything but freeze in my place and feel the ground beneath me shake vigorously. I held on to a huge rock beside me, praying that it should not fall and take me with it. Before I could overcome the emotions after the earthquake, I saw the snow topple over from Mt. Everest, Mt. Luptse, Mt. Nuptse and Mt. Pumori. The snow started coming down on us from all the four sides, with a speed only god knows. I sat against the rock in a baby pose and within seconds I was covered with white all-over. The gale made it impossible for me to even get up. This went on for 10 minutes.

I saw destruction around me. All the colourful tents buried under white; never thought that peace could come at a price. That moment I realised, I am nothing! People say humans are the most powerful being on this planet, but that moment I was the most vulnerable person. The pathway was cracked, rocks tumbling from Pumori Mountain beside me; it was nature's fury at the best. From being stuck in the snow to walking continuously for 24 hours, from braving the aftershocks to being rescued by the Indian Air Force - I experienced a lot in those 72 hours. But amongst the destruction, I saw life as well. I saw a couple getting married, which only proved one thing to me – all you need is love and will to live.

This doesn’t mean that I am stopping here. All this has made my passion of trekking even clearer and stronger for me. It has brought me closer to mountains, telling me that's where I belong and I look forward to exploring much more. Amen! 

P.S - Abhijit, the trip would have not been so awesome without you and your camera and our Jab We Met sessions. Milan and Harshit, we had a great time together. Anushka and Raabi, you two are the most adorable yet strong girls. Bhushan and Amit, you guys are awesome team leaders, always guiding us. PP and Prasad, you guys have got heart of gold. Don't ever change. And the rest of team, I am so glad to meet all of you. 

Wanderlust..Forever

Have you ever felt that you belong somewhere when you visit that place? Does your whole existence become a big question to you? Do you struggle to settle back in your mundane life? If yes, then join the club. This recently happened to me and I started questioning every thing in my life - my life till now, my job etc. etc. As Seth Godin said,  "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try"  So I decided to take the risk.

Recently I went on a solo trip to Leh- Ladakh and was bitten by the travel bug - big time. I am now suffering from a deadly disease called WANDERLUST. I mean really, what was I doing for so long! I always loved travelling and have almost covered most of the North region of my country, but that was different. I never felt the way I am feeling now. Maybe because I went with my family and was not allowed to explore things my way. But this time, I don't know what but something happened for sure to me. Not able to put a finger on it but I am sure Kuch to hua hai...kuch ho gaya hai. 

I was in need for a break from this running around and was in dire need to find myself. I was feeling so lost and caught up in this materialistic world. I wanted to run away from every thing and never come back. I know it sounds very selfish, but this time I just wanted to think about myself. I wanted to do something for me. I was tired of pleasing everyone and trying to make them happy. I am a very optimistic and positive person, so it is very tough to bring me down. But my last relationship took away the energy from my body and soul and left me gasping. So yes I was hurt and I cried till there was no energy left to even do that. I felt like a drapetomaniac; all I wanted to do was run away and never come back. And it was always in my head - that if I have to run and go some place, where no one can reach me or contact me, it had to be Leh. And that was it. I had promised myself as a New Year resolution that no matter what, I would travel. Even if I have to die hungry. And also, I wanted to explore Leh on my own (before I get married to some chomu).

So I just made up my mind, found out a travel agent and finalised my plan. Packed my rucksack and lied a little to my parents (had to). My mum would have freaked out if she knew that her daughter, who is in the age to bore children but still a child for her, is going all the way to Leh, all ALONE. Sometimes one's got to do what one's got to do. Yeah, so I left my comfort zone, with loads of ideas about travelling alone in my little head and took a leap of faith. And I am glad I did it. If you get to experience something as serene and calm and beautiful and amazing and I don't know what else (falling short of words) as Leh, then I would do this always.

I think I had forgotten who was I. In the process of making  everyone happy, I had lost myself and my happiness. I had forgotten to smile meaninglessly. I had forgotten to love myself while I was trying to find love and love others. I had forgotten that I needed ME time more than anything else in the world. But now I know that girl is still there in me; I just had to bring her out from isolation. I shed all my inhibitions and did what I never thought I could do. Met so many people, made new friends, travelled alone, asked for lift from a total stranger and lived freely, without any tension.

I promise myself that for nothing else in the world I would ever let this girl get lost again. I would only get lost being a wanderer, exploring new destinations, meeting new people and living my life. I cross my heart and hope to die and I promise to be a wanderer forever. "Travel not to find yourself, but to remember who you have been all along" 

My College Life (first ever)...

It's been really long since I have written something. It's been really busy time for me and every time I thought that I would write about something, my new love just didn't allow me to do so. And before any one of you start guessing in a different direction all together, let me tell you that my new found love is nobody else but my college- Xavier's. It was love at first sight for me. The moment I entered the college, I knew I belong here. And even when I was planning to do my Post Grad, I had made up my mind that - if I would ever go to college, it has to be Xavier's and nowhere else.

I was disappointed when I was unable to clear the entrance exams the first time, but I did't give up.  And I could not have been more elated. But it was not easy to get Xavier's in my life. I had to go through tests, group discussions and then finally personal interview. But my patience paid off. And Xavier's said "yes" to my proposal and accepted me with open arms, and I happily went along. 

I still remember my first day. It was full of questions. Who all will I meet? How will my classmates be? Will they accept me the same way Xavier's did? And many more, as I have never been to a college. And I stepped into a world totally unknown to me. But I was not disappointed. I finally met my awesome classmates and every single day, every faculty used to make us go through the procedure of introducing ourselves, but it was fun and we got to know each other a bit more. 

The first initial days were rosy for all of us. I was exploring the campus (trust me its beautiful and humongous) and I am not complaining. The canteen has a buffet set for us, and me being a hard core foodie, it's a heaven for me, and yes I have gained weight. Then came the day when we faced the moment of truth - assignments. We were bombarded with it. Every faculty gave us some assignment and a deadline to submit it. It was fun, as we were working in groups, but hectic too. But I am not complaining. We all came even more close to each other. But between all this madness, we found a method to have fun. We were holding our own fresher's night, and every one in the class had a blast. We danced the night away. 

Then more assignments! But we were determined not to fall flat. We kept on crossing every hurdle and kept enjoying ourselves. Even our faculties were having equal fun with us. A cool dude teacher, Mr. Nitin Das Rai came and won our hearts by performing on "Oppa Ganagam Style" exclusively for us, and it was total worth and priceless moment captured in all our cellphones, or rather smart phones.

Recently we all went to Sula and Bhadhardhara on a class trip (organised by Pallvi Karnatak, my awesome classmate, and I) and we had so much fun. We never wanted this trip to end. But we had to face reality. We came back with lots of priceless memories and moments, and yes of course lots and lots of pictures (because we are a photo crazy class, and we never get tired of posing at any given point of time and place). Here are few examples-

I even got famous!!! One day my H.O.D called and informed me that I am the face of XIC's new programme and I was not able to believe it. Then he told me that he has sent me a link of the college website and also the picture featuring me. And this is what it looked like-

I was super happy to see myself on the website. Our internships happened in December and we were so excited to have that experience in life. And then came the convocation day, the day when we feel proud of our achievements and make our parents proud. My dad was in tears when he saw me featuring in the college video, and that was the time I knew the hardwork was worth it. 

Our job life started and today we all are working in different organisations, and I hope that we all excel in our areas and companies, and make our parents, our faculties, our parents, and Xavier's even more proud of us. Hope we never stop being awesome. Will keep posting more stories. Till then, keep smiling..:)

My 'Jab We Met' Moment

"Maine ek sapna dekha, bada hi ajeeb tha. Badi bechani ho rahi thi, ais alag raha tha ki mano jaise koi train chuth rahi ho...aur main uske peeche bhaag rahi hoon..." When I saw Jab We Met, I loved every single moment of the movie. Be it Kareena running after Shahid or Shahid driving Kareena to the station so that she could catch the train, every single frame was amazing. But never in my wildest dream did I ever imagine that the same would be happening with me! The dialog which I mentioned in the beginning almost came true for me.

After I got a job in GBM (a Public Relations firm), I had to travel to Delhi for my job training in May. Everything was set - my tickets, my luggage etc. I was very excited and was making plans about what would I do when I reach Delhi, where would I go and eat an so on and so forth. I was not in Mumbai one week prior to my journey, but as everything was already set before hand, I was relaxed. The tension started after I was not able to get a ticket back to Mumbai from Gaya, Bihar. After that nothing was going right for me. Every single day my brother and I used to look for tickets, but only failure came to us. I had a train on 24th of May and till 20th I was in Gaya. I was spending sleepless nights. But finally, somehow my father got the tickets for 21st and I reached Mumbai on 22nd May. I was confident that nothing will go wrong as I had already reached Mumbai. All I had to do was to take my luggage and leave for Delhi. But life can not be so sweet to me.

I had to shift places, so my brother and I were busy shifting luggage from my place to my aunt's place. We could not do it in one day, so we decided we would come early and shift rest of the luggage the next day. And that was the day when I had to travel. We reached our place, got a cab, loaded the stuff and were on the move. As usual, something bad had to happen. We got a lot of traffic on the way and I was running short of time. My brother was yelling at me about how irresponsible I was about not leaving on time and all. I was on the verge of crying because my train was supposed to leave at 5pm and it was already 0445. We were 5 mins away from the station, but the traffic was not letting us move freely.

Somehow we managed to reach the station. I saw my train standing on the platform and it was about to leave. I passed on the luggage to 2 coolies and ran for my life. My whole life was coming infront of my eyes. The moment I stepped on the platform, the train started moving. I shouted at the driver and begged him to stop the train for just 2 mins. Just like Kareena in Jab We Met and Simran in DDLJ, I caught the train running. Behind me came the 2 coolies and they dumped my luggage infront of me. The train was in  motion. I had to pay a whooping price of Rs.500 just for 2 bags to the coolies, but I had no other option. The moment realisation hit me and before I could think or react, tears started flowing from my eyes. I called my brother, mother, cousin, friend and God knows who not possible, and informed them about the incident. and after that I started laughing. I searched for my colleague who was travelling with me and narrated the whole thing to her as well. She got worried first but after two minutes, even she was laughing on this.

This incident might sound filmy, but it will always be a nightmare for me. I could never forget that unfortunate day ever. But I guess whatever happens, happens for a reason. Nevertheless, I reached Delhi safely and as now I sit in my office writing and thinking about it, I smile.

A Ride to Remember

Travelling- one thing which we all love to do, and its an integral part of our day-to-day life. And if you stay in a place like Mumbai, then you are blessed with extra travelling everyday, whether you like it or not. And by the comment I just made, you might have guessed that I'm a Mumbai girl. But my case is different. People don't like travelling here but I love travelling and exploring new places. In Mumbai, no doubt the local trains are considered the life line of the city, but other transport modes like BEST buses, rickshaws and the yellow-black taxis also play an important role.

In Mumbai, nobody has even an extra second to waste, so when we get the opportunity to travel by cabs (yes, taxis are referred as cabs in Mumbai) we don't let it go. Every taxiwala is a bhaiya for us (as people have this term for them to call them) as they hail either from U.P or Bihar. And in our daily life we get into so many cabs that we don't even have a count of it. But few journeys change your life and your perspective about certain things. And I happen to have that journey. I belong to the media industry, so I have to be constantly on the move. My colleague and I were done with our media rounds and wrapping up for the day. We decided to take a taxi till station as we had no more strength left to walk. We were constantly waving at the taxis to stop but none were free. We thought it's hopeless to even look for a taxi as it was the time when everyone was in a hurry to go back home. We were about to give up when a taxi stopped in front of us ans we hopped in it.
Our journey began (yes i'm calling it a journey as it was an experience from which i learnt something) and my colleague and I got chatting. We informed the taxi driver to take us to Dadar station, but he said he has to go to Mumbai Central to park his taxi, as his driving time was coming to an end, so he would drop us there. We agreed to the offer. All this while, he was looking at us through the rear view mirror.On being asked the reason for he catching the train from Mumbai Central and not Churchgate (as you get a seat if you board the train from Churchgate during office hours), he smiled and replied that he had a "grouping" in the train and his friends would keep a seat for him. My colleague got down en-route his destination and I continued. He asked me where do I have to go, and when I mentioned Marine Lines, he said then why take a train for such a small distance, rather he'll drop me and still would have time to come back to park his taxi. I was more than happy.
Out of the blue, he asked me where do i come from, and the moment I said Bihar, a big grin spread across his face. He joyfully said that he also belongs to Bihar and exactly the same place as mine. He said that he completed his Masters in Arts, Geography to be precise and had applied for government sector exams, but couldn't make it through, so he gave up on that and was working in an office in Nariman Point. My inquisitive nature couldn't stop me from asking him another question, so I asked him the reason for driving a taxi even after being educated and working in an office! He smiled and said- "it's part time madam. I drive taxi to fulfill the demands of my children, I have two sons and I love them a lot. They ask me so many things and I earn well from the office job, but that's not enough in today's time. So I drive the taxi as a part time job in the evening after my office and make good by the end of the month. I'm happy and even my family is happy." I was thoroughly surprised by this and also touched by his story.  He sacrificed his sleep to keep his family happy and still there was no sign of tiredness on his face! He never complained about the hardships he was facing everyday, infact he was happy, as happy as anyone can be, i guess even more than a millionaire.
He reminded me of my old self, the way I was driven to make it big in my life. I was always passionate about whatever I did in my life, no matter how many sacrifices I had to make for it. I used to enjoy every moment of life and was always happy and joyful. But I guess inevitably I have become a part of this ugly rat race. To prove myself, I have lost myself somewhere. He helped me connect to my self.
We tend to loose ourselves amongst the crowd in the process of finding what we want in life, loose the precious moments which we should have lived, and later complain about it. But this man was a winner for sure. We might be a step ahead from him in terms of education and lifestyle, but he surely defeated us in terms of life. Thank you Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pandit ji for making me realise what I was missing in my life.

The Lost Book and Friend

Sometimes, somethings in life are supposed to happen, or much better destined to happen. I lost two priceless things from my life- my friend and the book i got from my friend, in a very short span of time. The first one i lost because of the circumstances of life, but the second one because of my cousin. 

I met my friend when i was a teenager. We never actually spoke a lot, but we knew we were friends (somehow that was the basic instinct). We had plenty of time to meet and chat, but we never actually did, because my friend was really shy in nature or maybe because he was scared of me..joke. Days passed, but we hardly socialized with each other. We used to say hi and bye for sure, but that was it. Few months later, we made some progress. It was winter and kids in the society used to play badminton. So one fine day, he also cam to play and that's when we got chatting. We shared a great camaraderie and it was fun. Days passed in a haze and he cleared his higher secondary and decided to do Engineering. He got admission in a very good college and he even called me home to show me the prospectus and everything related to his course. The glow and happiness on his face was enough for anyone to know how ecstatic he was and then he left the place to pursue his dreams. I had seen him working really hard to achieve his dreams, and it was totally worth. After sometime, it was my time to do the same, and I landed in Mumbai with heart full of dreams and aspirations. We were settled in different cities, and somehow we lost touch and were back to square one - not talking to each other.

Was it destiny or what, I don't know but i think we were supposed to meet. We met on Facebook (thanks to Mark Zucherberg for the innovation) and got chatting. And then he said he was also in Mumbai. I was happy as i found a known face in this crowd. It was like old times. We met and made fun of each other that how we used to behave and shy out from each other. We made the town alive by our mischief. Time just flew. I was happy to find my friend again. But as they say - happiness doesn't stay for longer period of time. The same happened with us. We had some sort of disagreement and the situation went out of our hands. When he was leaving Mumbai, i went to meet him. He gifted me a book - "Breathless in Mumbai", and wrote a message on the first page of the book. It read - "to the person, who loves Mumbai as much as I do". He kept waving at me from the airport entrance and that was the last I saw of him.

Back at home, in my spare time, I started reading the book. It was a collection of short stories which the author had experienced. I only got to read till 3-4 chapters. Then my cousin's wedding came up and I had to keep the book aside. My other cousin took the book from me to read, as I kept on praising about the book, and she took it to her office. There her friend borrowed it from her and somehow she lost it. And that was the last I saw the book.

I never got to finish the book. The stories were left unread. I felt as if the book was mocking me. I guess the book also decided to leave me halfway. Just like the book, my friend never came back. Now he's happily married and I'm damn happy for him. But the one thing which pinches me is that I came to know about him via mediums. I know life doesn't stop for anyone, it moves on. But i guess some stories are not meant to reach a climax- no matter good or bad. Some stories are better left unfinished.....

Love Conquers All

One thing which I am still trying to understand is that why are people always ready and waiting to ruin someone's happiness and life??? Waiting just to mess up everything in someone else's life?? I mean why??Why can not they just handle their own lives and live in their world??? WHY??? This is so infuriating at times. I think its the motto or modus operandi of their life.

She never thought it would ever happen to her. She never said or did anything bad about anyone, lest think about it. She was very happy in her own world but people just can not stay happy seeing someone else happy and at peace.

She had her fair share of relationships-both good and bad and obviously ups and down in her life. Like any other normal girl, she also had a past, which she was over now and really wanted to start her life on a fresh and positive note. But some people were just making sure that she never gets out of it. She had left everything behind her and was finding peace in small things all alone and the moment she thought, she was about to achieve it, people dragged her past infront of her.

After whatever happened in her life, she still wanted to give love a last chance and wanted to make her fairytale come true. She wanted to be happy and carefree again. Just engross herself in studies and work and see the world in a new light. And there was a person who was actually helping her do so. Yes, someone special came into her life, after a very long time she felt happy again. But she was scared on the other hand-about everything. Scared that she might end up hurting him or getting hurt again, scared to love again, scared about the fact that if he came to know about her past, he might stop loving her. So she did what she thought was best for both of them- she pushed him really hard and far away from herself. And hardly she knew that the man she pushed away, actually loved her so much. She was not able to sleep peacefully and kept on thinking about what to do. But finally one day, the inevitable happened,  which she was trying to run away from. Someone told him about her and even added up few things, which she just assumed and put all the blame on her!! She was shattered. And once again she was betrayed. She really confided in the other person and trusted her, but she never thought in her wildest dream that this would be the consequence. She did not know what to do and whom to turn to or trust now. But the man still loved her and came forward to support her. She really wanted to start her life on a fresh note with him. Even she loved him. And what else she could have ever wanted from life.

She knew this is the man she was always waiting for and now she could not afford to loose him- ever. She just needed to focus on her studies and work and the man of her life would support her, and yes even she would support him in everything he ventured. She just needed his support, trust, love and care and she knew the rest would follow. Because love conquers all, right.

I hope their love story finds a happy ending or rather a happy beginning of a new journey together. Amen!!