‘How was it?’ mom asked before I even stepped inside the house after my trek today. I grinned and got in. I showed her photos of the day as we sipped tea. But I didn’t answer her.

After almost an entire month of craving for this day, after I and Sanish’s first monsoon Mufasa ride, (name of his Royal Enfield Thunderbird), after finally hugging stones and trees and receiving the same love from mountain and its streams throughout the day, I don’t know how to say how was it?!

The bike ride till the base village, Sonvala was chaotic. I still had work thoughts in my head. I was missing my few dear trek mates and it was a weird feeling. But to me travelling is to let go. And by the time we reached the base of Ganpati Gadad Caves, my mind uncluttered.

We begin walking but I had a new thing to think about. One of our trek mates got lost in the way and drove his bike way ahead. We were almost halfway, all thinking and talking about him when he suddenly arrived!

He did drive ahead in full speed and lost his way, but he didn’t lose hope. He drove back, found the village, parked his bike with our bikes and caught up with us before we reached the top. I mean HOW?

I kept asking everyone how is this boy like this? He doesn’t know the place and he drove ahead. Yet he found his way back. How? I am terrible at directions and everything related to it. I hardly remember maps accurately.

I kept thinking what I would do if I was him. I asked almost everyone else the same. They all said they would roam around somewhere else and go home. None gave the reply that he actually did. He found the way back to us.

A year back I had lost my way in Chitkul, a small village in Spiti Valley. I panicked, gave up and froze in one place for a while. My people found me. My biggest fear to be lost in an unknown land had come true and I couldn’t cope. But this boy didn’t give up. I felt like to hit him to get lost the way he did but I just didn’t for the way he came back.

I still wanted to hit him for getting lost yet I was smiling to see him climb on with us. We crossed streams and reached the caves. We ate and then went to see the deity in the Caves. I wish I could go back in time to see how it was made. Only parts of the caves are left, a lot is ruined, yet the aura of the structure mesmerized me.

After photo sessions we begin to walk down. I had seen a spot while climbing up near the stream where I had wished to relax. I kept my bag at one place and walked down towards it. I removed my shoes, kept my feet in water and sunk in the moment completely.

The sound of the stream, the fluttering of the trees, few bird calls is all I heard for the next fifteen twenty minutes. I lied down and closed my eyes. I thanked the super powers for blessing me with this moment and walked towards my group.

I walked ahead of where they were clicking and saw a little pool for me to jump in. Water makes me mad, I embraced it, splashed it and spend time doing every possible thing I could in it.

After a lot of the madness we finally resumed our walk back down. We reached to where we had parked our bikes and zoomed out. We stopped next at a hotel to eat. The day was dreamy enough but some good chicken added to the blessings.

Tummy full, heart filled with joy we headed home. On the Mufasa ride back, I was singing Raabta to the mountains like usual when it finally rained. It felt wonderful to receive the love back. Yes the rain was hitting hard on my face but I stood up behind the bike and accepted the love pouring down completely.

The rain didn’t last too long. It was like a quick hug we give to our friends to bid goodbye. I couldn’t stop humming, grinning the entire way back home. When I reached, I felt refreshed, joyous and blessed for yet another trek day.

How was it? Maa, I think I was drowning in too many thoughts and was desperate to be outdoors. I wanted to give up on many things this month, but thanks to the crazy friend and this mad trek, I think I’ll hang in there, try better and not give up. So, it was too good a day to be true, Maa, I hope you pray for many more such days for me!

This month I haven’t been able to blog everything that has been happening. This for the soul reason that I didn’t have the time. I had to write, but not enough to jot down every single detail of each trip. I had five back to back trips, not giving excuses, but trying to make up for it with this post.

The month began with my first ever office trip. It was to an NGO based in Nanded. I slept through the train journey to the place. The playlist in the vehicle kept me alive in the two hour long journey from Nanded station to the NGO.

The Nanded city landscape very easily transitioned to black soil farms, small houses, and smaller roads. When we finally reached, our place of stay was one cosy structure. We got fresh and did our work for the day. In the evening when we reached back to our place, it rained.

I couldn’t stop myself, I headed out and got drenched. I saw peacocks walk by, I had some swans cut my lane too. I just walked, ran and embraced the rain, when I reached back I truly felt alive.

Next day, I had a bike ride around the village for work. What more could I ask for? The small roads, the bright smiles on the way, the farms meeting the clouds in the horizon, could work get any dreamier?

We finished our day’s work, and reached the station for our train back home. The dreamy feel of the work, made me mentally happy but physically everything drained me out. I had zero energy when I reached back home.

So this was till Fourth of July, little did I know it was just the beginning of my mad month ahead. I reached on a Thursday morning, worked in the second half, worked on Friday and Saturday both before I again stepped out for a tree plantation as planned.

I wasn’t too sure to do this tree plantation physically but my cousin’s enthusiasm spreads like wind. I got excited and went ahead with it. He drove the car till the place in Alibaug where we were supposed to. We were served dinner and given places to sleep.

But, there was beach ahead, a play area with a swing, wind and wave sounds soothing our ears, who would want to sleep? I had a very young girl for my company. We were at the swing when it began to rain, neither of us stopped.

It felt heavenly to be on the swing, while the rain kissed our cheeks as we heard the wind wave melody. Soon the kiss of rain began to poke and slap so we turned our back and swinged the other way. Now we could see the huge trees and our small tents and still hear the wind wave melody.

Almost all slept, we both walked up this small stage sort of thing. We spend hours just the two of us. Both lost in their own thoughts and yet synched in the same moment of sanity. We talked and shared a bit before I headed to my bed and dozed off.

Next morning, I and Sanish began the work. We got joined in by a friend and together the three of us planted many saplings. Neither of us kept a count as we were too engrossed in our team efforts. But I can say that the three of us went nonstop for more than an hour.

We were served breakfast, after which we planted a few more saplings and then left to Karnala for our lunch. The ride was mesmerizing. We reached the place before others, walked around, ate lunch with all.

During lunch I finally managed to talk to my friend. The last time we met was the first of January. So it felt like we gave each other the glimpse of the half year passed. It felt good that I had something to share, however mad, I have accepted what my life is at the moment and could share it with positivity.

I reached home in the evening. Packed my bags again as I was to leave for office’s Latur trip on Monday. I somehow managed to rest a bit in the middle of all the packing. Monday in the office was madness. I don’t know how the time flew and soon we were in the train to Latur.

If there can be one office trip I wish to relive the exact way, this one would be it. The people I was with, the people I met, the children I learned from, everything felt like weaving a perfect trip story.

I came back on Friday morning, worked again in the second half, worked on Saturday as well. I didn’t have any energy left to meet a friend for lunch on Sunday. I was too done physically and mentally.

Recovered from little exertion and worked hard the entire week. By the end of which I went to this beautiful trek to Kohoj. You can read the details of this trip here. I had my work week planned when all of a sudden I was called and asked if I can go for another work trip to Beed?

Saying no to a chance to travel doesn’t come naturally to me. I had a word with mom, and I went ahead with it. I returned on Friday morning, extremely exhausted and sick. I couldn’t work the second half of Friday, nor could I work on Saturday. I slept the two days of and rested.

Sunday I woke up with better energy and wrote these two posts back to back. By mid day I got done posting the Kohoj experience but finishing this post took longer.

Somewhere, I don’t wish to let go of July. It has been so kind, ending this post is like ending it all. Hopefully you enjoyed this read. Please pray for a more adventurous August for me. Thank You.

A trek, finally! I had many trips around Maharashtra this month but not a proper trek. So last weekend trek to Kohoj was special. Little did I knew, it would turn out to be one of the best learning experience.

We took the first shuttle to Palghar from Kopar. I sat at the door with my younger sibling Sachin for a while and later with my dear trek mate, Sneha. We both laughed about the stand-up comedies we had recently seen.

We got up, took our bags, all set to get down when at the next station when we noticed a faint rainbow. Mountain as a backdrop, amidst scattered buildings, this rainbow looked majestic.

We got down and ate a quick breakfast outside Palghar station and got in the bus to Vaghote village. The ride to this village was curvy. The transition of the landscape from plain village farms to hilly farmland was smooth. I couldn’t close my eyes for a second as I didn’t wish to miss any scenic view.

When we reached and finally began to walk, my excitement level had already crossed all borders. I was walking, talking, singing, waiting to listen to the streams, trying my best to listen to the birds. Trying my best to live each second in the wild to my fullest.

As expected, there was a certain crowd as it was a Sunday. Luckily, while we began, there were only two groups. There are proper white arrows marked from the bottom till the top. These arrows are on eye level for someone my height (5feet) and hence difficult to find, but that’s the only way to reach the top without losing your way.

The best part of in monsoon trek are the streams. On the way to the top, we crossed two streams, one small and one big. The sound of both silently guides you to the top. I could never have enough of the sound of the stream, mixed with bird calls, a few insects, wind claps of trees, it felt like a perfect melody to reach the top.

When we did reach the top, I realized how we failed as a group. Only seven out of twelve had reached. We waited for around an hour and headed to the temple and then to fill water. By then, the rest of the group also reached. Together, we headed to the top of the fort.

“The top of a mountain is the top, no journey can ever beat that,” a fellow trek mate said while walking to the top.

When I saw the view from the top, I felt his words. My entire journey with the stream, the birds, and the jungle felt worth it. The first few seconds at the top felt like a mighty embrace from the mountains. I couldn’t move my eyes of the sight but then Sachin began to climb even more ahead, I obviously joined him.

A few of us climbed up the pinnacle sort of structure. I was made to click pictures and I did with a smile because the view was worth it. After all of them had the pictures clicked, they asked me, do you wish to be clicked? I didn’t have an answer.

No, I hadn’t come up to the top for a picture. I had come here to embrace the structure, embrace the mountains, embrace the feeling of reaching the top, to embrace the entire journey to the top, to thank these structures for existing, for making me feel at home each time I climb one… I hugged all the stone structures before I headed down, I hope my hug conveyed my love to them.

While getting down, we functioned better as a group and all twelve reached the base together. However, one smart fellow did run ahead and reached before us all. The base of the fort has the Pajara Dam, which we had eyed on our way up.

A small child dwells in each group member I trek with, and loosens up at times as such. Almost all of us were in the water, splashing, swimming, having fun. No one thought of any sort of consequences and just lived in the moment.

It was truly beautiful to see the sparkly smiles of the entire group. The tiredness of the past few hours of climbing up and down, group’s mishaps all got washed away in the water. The group had a new refreshed energy as it headed out.

No one had eaten well post the breakfast and two good mates went and got some chips and cold drinks for all. All superpowers please bless the existence of such souls. All crunched and drank a little and then the BEST to Palghar arrived.

The refreshed energy went out of the window, a breeze of good sleep came in and almost all had a good hour nap back to Palghar station. Again, to gather all twelve at one place was a task, some needed to use the loo, some needed tickets and some were hungry, and people like me were just panicking about missing the train!

All did get in. Yet again there was Samosas for all. I would have practically cried out of joy when I saw the Samosas because I was extremely hungry. But soon, my focus shifted to my dear trek mate Sneha. She was the one I began this journey with, trekked the entire fort almost, the weather in her eyes was changing and I couldn’t take it.

I sensed that if she shared what’s happening, she would burst out crying and that’s exactly what she said. She came to a trek after months, I don’t know when again would we meet, I told her so. I asked her, she can share it now, or perhaps never.

We spoke almost the entire way till Dadar. I managed to get her weather better. We shared chapters of our lives which we usually keep to ourselves. It felt good to have ended this beautiful trek on the note of connecting to this one soul. The one soul who had kept trekking and all of us at bay for months.

The other part of the journey from Dadar back home was a blur. All I know is I reached home and I slept with a content smile. A smile that marked the Kohoj kind of joy. Only a nature lover or Sahyadri baby can feel how peaceful that sleep is after a trek.

Everybody has a chapter that they don’t read to anyone. My equation with my dad is that chapter of my life. A few people close to me know it in bits and pieces. I haven’t ever read it completely to anyone.

But it wasn’t always bitter. Sixteen years ago the equation was different when we had been on a family trip to Aurangabad. We had visited Daulatabad Fort, Ajantha-Ellora Caves and many other spots around these places.

Daulatabad is an intellectual marvel, while Ellora and Ajantha Caves are like time machines. These caves will drive you back in time with an aura of amazement. Yet I feel, I can never have the right descriptive words to express the grandeur of Aurangabad. Also, thanks to the memory of sixteen years ago, Aurangabad will always be one of my favourite place to be.

I applied for my Saturday’s leave for this trip two Mondays back as I dearly needed a break. A break from living the chapter with my dad and also a break from walking through my work life like a doubtful drunkard. All I wanted was to just be me, be happy. That’s exactly what the superpowers made me feel over the two days – joyous.

Our Friday night bus journey to Aurangabad began an hour late. I bonded over music with one of my dear trek mates and didn’t realize when the dark turned to dawn. Early morning we visited the famous Grishneshwar Temple and the scenic well in its vicinity. After which we headed to Ellora Caves.

The precision of work at the Kailashnath Temple of Ellora Caves is unbelievable. We walked through the Temple and then walked up for the top view. I took a corner and sat there mesmerising over the great artists of the time.

We visited Bhadra Maruti Temple next. It was a typical temple with the chaos of devotees all around. (The idol at this temple is unique, do Google that) But what caught my ears was an old man singing a hymn and playing an instrument. I went and sat beside him till all my trek mates finished the temple visit.

I closed my eyes and let his melody take me places. All this while walking through Ellora, I wanted to sit for a while and sink in the art of the place. I tried to do so when we reached the top of the Caves but couldn’t.

In the few minutes of the old man’s play, I had reached a state of sanity. I took a tour to the whole Caves and thought in awe about the artists back then. After he stopped playing, I got up and felt fully charged as we walked to Aurangzeb’s Tomb.

This place was the least touristy place we had been since morning and hence calmer. The walk around the tomb felt like a walk in the past trying to question and know what kind of person was Aurangzeb. What kind of ruler was he, what kind of life did he live.

With all these unanswered questions in my mind, we headed to Daulatbad Fort. I was panicking since morning what if we miss this fort for watching everything else. When we finally reached the fort, I sighed with joy.

I tried to recall all that I read and watched about the fort. As I walked in with my group, each word of praise I had read about this fort began to come to life. I took a trek route up found by a friend so as to avoid the stairs to the top. That’s how we are as a gang, even when there is no trek, we find one in wherever we go.

We explored the fort and reached down to the Bharat Mata Temple. I lied down and recalled the last time I had been here. I and dad had walked through the entire fort. The memory is vague but the emotion of it still strong in my mind. Holding his hand and listening to him praise the architecture of the fort is my only favourite memory with him.

After a good nap at the Temple, we drove to Bibi ka Maqbara. The climate changed by the time we reached. It got darker around as if it will rain. The memory reel playing in my mind made me feel as if I would pour out too.

I was walking with my cousin Sanish, and understanding the structure, its history etc. We saw the main structure and while heading back to the entrance it began to rain. I helped him keep his camera and other belongings.

Then I made him run to the main entrance. Before it began to rain heavily we safely reached the main gate and could see Maqbara right in front of us drenching in rain. I gave all my belongings to Sanish and stepped out to drench with the Maqbara. It was just me and the structure getting wet for a while before a few children stepped out for fun too.

I noticed a family of three siblings with their mothers having a blast. They were playing fugdi. The eldest one wasn’t able to play it fast with her two very young siblings. I walked to her and said, can we play fugdi.

That was just the beginning of it all. We played it super-fast like the way fugdi is supposed to be played. Then I joined in the siblings for a race, followed by splashing every puddle game among other new monsoon games we invented.

By now it had rained enough for water to be collected in the space around the fountains. I noticed and jumped in. The youngest sibling – Abdullah hopped in. Later, the two siblings and their mothers also stepped in and all of us splashed water on each other until we finally felt tired.

All of us except Abdullah sat for a while, our legs in the little pool of water, eyes on the Maqbara getting wet. We had the brightest smiles on our faces, perhaps brighter than the lightning we could see, the sound of our hearts pumping joy was higher than the thundering we could hear.

After almost an hour our Maqbara Monsoon session we finally walked to the main gate. The family took aside and tried to dry themselves while I met Sanish and sat down for a while shivering. We sat for a while looking at the Maqbara, the monsoon, the lighting, hearing the thundering and living the beauty of the moment we were blessed with.

And then again, Abdullah ran towards the pool of water near the fountains. His mother tried to stop him but he didn’t listen. I was shivering but I told Sanish I can’t let him play alone and I ran too. He taught me two new games, and we splashed water on each other one last time before his mother finally came.

I bid goodbye to my new found family and walked out of the Maqbara. We stopped by to eat some Samosa and chai when the same family walked in. I realized I hadn’t taken a picture with them. But I also figured I didn’t have a phone on me. I asked a friend to lend his phone and took a picture with them.

I promised to not share the picture anywhere and hence won’t be adding it here on my blog. The lights aren’t proper, Abdullah isn’t seen well in the picture, I have hidden Abdullah’s mother, and in many other ways, the picture is imperfect. Yet perfect for me to frame and keep it on the table of my favourite travel memories.

After the picture was taken, I bid them goodbye and went to complete my samosa and chai. To my surprise, they again called me. This time the family made me sit down, not for a photo, not for monsoon fun but to talk.

I shared about where I work, about my blog, about my travel plans etc. They shared about how one of the mothers’ is an advocate while the other is a housewife. I told them that I would be writing about today’s experience on my blog. Together they echoed we would love to read it.

I begged a card and a pen and got the number of the Advocate, I shared mine with her. In my mind, I was like I hope I write good enough a post this week to be able to share it with them. With all this in my mind, I bid a final goodbye to Abdullah and family and walked to our bus.

“I am so happy!!!” is all I kept exclaiming the entire time in the bus. So many asked why and I couldn’t blabber a proper answer as the joy of everything in the past hour was too good to be true. When we figured where we’ll stay the night and reached our room, I finally shared my Maqbara Monsoon saga with all.

While I was eating, I witnessed some group arguments which we call “discussion” in our trek gang language. The high pitch tone of which took me back sixteen years. It reminded me of how dad had behaved, after a good day around Aurangabad monuments how he had ruined everything with his tone of speaking, insulting before we all slept the sadness out.

I ate and slept. I have no clue what happened at night, but the after scenes in the morning joined some dots for me. The tension was evident. I didn’t wish the day to carry on with the same mood, I wished to change the mood, but I didn’t know how.

I sat on the front seat beside the driver. The climate was calm, there was a slight breeze, and it felt like it would rain again. We were on our way to Ajantha Caves now and it was going to be a good two-hour journey.

The scenic view made me play some slow soothing melody. It set the tone for some to doze off in the bus while some others watched out of the window and sang along with me.

We stopped for a quick breakfast. Nobody told me exactly what had happened last night, but the breakfast table spoke a lot. I observed things which made me feel that it isn’t all right and I just have to break this tone the group was setting in.

I sat ahead again with the driver and this time I changed my playlist. I told everyone I need a video of all of them dancing on the next song I play. I played Malhari and they all let loose. I made sure each one on the bus did at least a little jig and shook off all the low.

I took a few videos of my favourite songs. Then I played Lollypop Lagelu and made one of my dear trek mate dance on it. Oh my, how hilarious was it, dancing with him and, trying hard to match up to his dancing skills!

On such high spirits, we reached Ajantha Caves. We were walking towards the bus stop that would take us to the base of the caves. Before which I spotted a swing and ran towards it. I love swings. I can’t ever have enough of it. Yet after a while, I gave it for someone else to play.

Then a friend asked me to hop on to the small merry round. I didn’t want to, but he wanted to play it with me. We played on it and someone sped it up too. I was about to hop out of it when another friend hopped on to play it with me.

After so many rounds my head twirled but my heart smiled. It was a delight to see the child in each one of us live out so loud.

We finally took the bus and reached the base of the caves. I had shown the only picture I have with dad to my gang. I had requested everyone to tell me if they spot the same frame in any of the caves as I wished to recreate that image.

I and Sanish walked from cave to cave together, learning, understanding and trying to grab in as much information we could. We were walking out of one of the caves when one of my friends called me in.

We checked it with my photo and that was it, we found the exact same frame from my photo of sixteen years ago. I called Sanish and it was time to recreate the image. The only challenge was, we weren’t allowed to go in, there were barriers put to stop people from going in.

Somehow, I and Sanish sneaked in and clicked the picture. We stepped out, checked the image, the lights weren’t proper so we stepped in again for a final try. Sanish got it, I had managed to recreate the image thanks to the friends who spotted the frame and for my cousin for clicking it.

Neither did Sanish nor did anyone else from the group asked me why I wished to recreate this image. I am glad and grateful about it to everyone for not asking as I wouldn’t have a proper reply.

The sixteen-year-old photo is the only image of me and dad together, I don’t have any other photo clicked with only him from my childhood. And I know I won’t be clicking any now or in future and hence the photo is special.

The idea to recreate the picture without him in my mind was to mark my journey as a person. To mark the journey I and dad both have had in the past sixteen years. How much we learned of each other and how separate our growth has been.

We explored the Caves, ate a quick lunch and left. We had a long journey back home and I dozed off for the most of it as I had to be in the office early morning. This trip had given me more than what I could have asked for.

One of my best monsoon travel memory with a random family I met, letting go of my barriers with the group and dancing it all out. But the best is accepting my journey with my dad.

I can never truly tell anyone ever why the bitterness and perhaps I don’t want to either as I don’t believe in spreading the low. Like I made everyone dance the low out, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll end this post on a positive note.

I am an avid reader of places I go to and even otherwise, a habit I inculcated from my dad. I have a writer and travel seed in me both sowed in me by my dad. Life has got bitter now and moulded us both in a way we can’t change. Yet, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the core of my being, thank you, dad.