The 'Highway' Moment!

There I stood in the middle of nowhere, helplessly looking at the stream ahead not knowing where to cross it. My watch showed 10 am, i.e., exactly 1 hour since I started climbing down from my camp. The view was quite refreshing with three sides being occupied by steep hills filled with pine trees mainly and the one open side giving the picturesque view of snow-capped mountain range, the Chandrakhani. The camp I left in the morning was about 5000 ft high from the small yet beautiful town of Kullu in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

The stream down the hill which later joins River Beas gave me the ultimate advantage of being solo in a solo trip. The sole sound of water hitting the beautiful round-shaped rocks with the chirping music of birds in the background literally made me forget about my backpack which carried all my worldly ‘worries’. I closed my eyes to meditate but the nature had already taken over. After experiencing complete peace for the first time in my life, the song “Kahan Hoon Main?” meaning “where am I?” from the film ‘Highway’ naturally came to my lips and refused to leave. “What If Veera had a male version”, I pondered reliving my ‘Highway’ moment.

After covering around 4 kms, it was the mountain dogs’ turn to add a chapter of adventure in that most happening day of my trip. The useful trekking pole did the trick of waving at the 3 ferocious dogs keeping them away from causing any danger. It was after a frightening 20 seconds I came to know that the dogs were part of a flock of sheep taken to graze in the valley.

I covered 6 kms to finally reach the entrance of the Malana Power Project where I was told that it takes another 9 kms to reach a place called Jari in order to get a bus back to Kullu. The noon had passed and the only thing I had in my mind was to reach somewhere safe by dusk. The adventure came in the form of a truck which had a bunch of twigs tied to its back. I saw angelic wings on the driver. He was my savior for the day. After Imtiaz Ali, it was Ashutosh Gowariker this time. A “Yun Hi Chala” ride in all respects!

When I got into Manali bus in the evening, the view from the window seat was enough to take me to another solo adventure. But I had to sleep first to dream of all the things I missed out in the Himalayas. Or do I have to wake up from my dream?