"Bihar's Capital, My Next Chapter"

GAYA-PATNA

We woke up in the morning and started the day at a slower pace. After getting ready, we had breakfast at the resort and took a peaceful stroll around the property. We clicked a few pictures and just enjoyed the silence-a rare and welcomed pause.

By 11 AM, we left for Patna. It was another five-hour journey, and as I mentioned in my previous blogs-when I'm in a car doing nothing, I sleep. My brain just shuts off. And that's exactly what happened-I slept through the entire ride.

Once we reached Patna, we checked into the hotel and had lunch. After that, we all took some much-needed rest. Honestly, this felt like the most boring day of the trip. But weirdly enough, I was grateful for it. After the constant arguments and mental noise during our time in Gaya, I needed a day that felt uneventful.

In the evening, we decided to take a walk through the city. My granddad was done with sightseeing, so it was just me and my parents. We walked down the main streets and explored some local shops. Nothing really stood out-mostly simple clothing stores with nothing that screamed wow.

Then I noticed an ISKCON temple nearby on the map. We decided to take a TOTO to get there-and let me tell you, TOTO rides are underrated. They're fun, breezy, and let you soak in the real streets of a city amidst all the traffic. Highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in a place like Patna.

When we reached the ISKCON temple, something shifted.I've always loved ISKCON temples-they're clean, beautifully maintained, and the idols are stunning. So stunning, in fact, that I often find myself getting lost in their beauty-and in that moment, I found myself again.

For the first time on this trip, my thoughts stopped. There was stillness in my mind, and that's all I'd been craving. Family beside me. Lord Krishna in front of me. That peace-that quiet contentment-that was everything.

As we sat after darshan, memories of the Mahabharata started to come back. Krishna's role, the wisdom, the dilemmas. Every time I revisit that epic, I discover new perspectives-and that's the beauty of it.It's not just a story.It's a mirror.

After the temple visit, we took another TOTO back to the hotel. We had our dinner, and just like that, signed off for the day -not with excitement or grand events, but with a quiet kind of joy.

PATNA-BENGALURU

This was the final day of my trip, and I was excited to go home.Our flight was scheduled around noon, so we woke up, had breakfast, and left for the airport. We loaded our luggage into the car and bid farewell to our driver-someone who had been a part of our journey for days.

Once we checked in, we waited at the airport lounge.And as always, the moment I boarded the flight, something clicked.There's just something about flying- it makes me feel like I'm above everything, even my problems. When I look out from my window seat, the world below seems small, distant, quiet.It's a strange sense of victory. A feeling like, "I'm flying above it all. I've made it through. I'm still going."

It was a 3-hour flight back to Bengaluru, and as we touched down, I felt a rush of excitement-I couldn't wait to go home and see Puttu, my little cat.He's like this magnet to my happiness. A grounding force. Sometimes I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him. But every time I see him again, tail flicking and eyes blinking slowly, I feel home.

We booked a cab and finally reached home.

This journey-it was wonderful, no doubt.But more than the places I visited, it's what I carried back that mattered.

And I truly believe...

A piece of my heart stayed in Kaashi.And maybe that's why I never really feel completely home after a trip.

Every time I travel, I feel that the person who returns isn't the same as the one who left.Because pieces of me are now scattered across temples, ghats, monasteries, and streets.And in exchange, I bring back wisdom, memories, and a version of myself that's a little more aware, a little more alive.

This is the end of this journey.But maybe, like all true journeys, it's really just the beginning of another.