A car full of strangers driving towards a destination unknown.
It was even more exciting than it sounds!
This Independence Day, Tripda took us on a road trip to Wagah Border, Amritsar.
Not just us, but also a team from Pakistan to meet at the confluence of two countries.
Never had I done anything out of the routine on this National Holiday.
Until now.
We left Delhi on Friday evening, halting only for dinner at Sukhdev in Murthal.
This marked the start of the 2-day regime of gobbling only Punjabi food. Rich with ghee along with frothy sweet lassi!
Pair some good music with highway roads at night and add like minded people to top it all. The result was nothing short of a party!
We reached the sprawling lanes of Chandigarh at two in the night and lodged ourselves at a pretty nice property of OYO Rooms.
Next morning we woke up to the beautiful place that is Chandigarh. Hogged some quick breakfast and began the journey to the Wagah Border.
The sparkling deep blue Scorpio and Ecosport booked from Revv blasted in unison.
11 people. 2 cars. NH1 highway.
Need I say more?
With green fields sketched in all its lushness on either side of the roads. The eyes wandered far beyond what was before them.
We reached Wagah a little after 4, welcomed by kids hell-bent on painting indian flags on any given part of our skins!
There was an outrageous amount of people waiting to go inside the gates. Wiping the sweat off our brows, we managed to get past a stampede in the making!
Once inside, the patriotism in the air was infectious.
A.R Rahman, Lata Mangeshkar and Shankar Mahadevan all sang in their nostalgic voice, while groups of performers got ready for the parade.
The stadium was overloaded.
300 metres away, we could see the Pakistan Flag hoisted above a huge portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
It was almost amusing to think of them as another country beyond the barbed wire that divided the same land in two pieces.
While we couldn't make it to the stands, our Pakistani counterparts made it on time and managed to see the ceremony.
We saw the parade on the wide screen placed just outside the stadium.
The cheers from inside jolted our senses and gave us a mild rush of adrenalin.
A little later, we exchanged calls with the Pakistani Team.
The entire experience was heart warming to say the least.
After departing from the border we heard our hungry stomachs lament and drove to Amritsar's famous Kesar Da Dhabha.
Built in 1916, the dhaba has a huge kitchen striving to make food in the typical Punjabi ghee-friendly way.
One bite and the entire's day fatigue melted like butter on the hot paranthas.
The table was overflowing with paranthas, kadhai paneer, dal makhani, sweet lassi and phirni.
With a stuffed and happy belly we made our way to our home for the night, Hotel Namaskar.
Since it was our first and last night in Amritsar, we battled exhaustion and left for Golden Temple at eleven.
Hours definitely won't suffice to marvel at the beauty of the Golden Temple. I could've spent the entire night there and still craved for more.
We spent 2 hours, gazing,clicking and roaming inside the temple that was bustling with so many people.
The colourful turbans against the white marble stood out so beautifully.
Seva was going on even at this hour of the night. Some had their heads bowed in prayer, some in rest.
Ours,
Ours were down in humility.
The moment we stepped out it started pouring.
The night was dark, the streets were deserted as we rode back in the local tam-tam.
We left Amritsar for Delhi the next morning.
It's amazing how you can weave so many memories in just 48 hours!
And that is why I love traveling.
Still waiting for an excuse?
Head out. Now.