Gypsy by Default Soul

Since the childhood I have been amazed of this phenomenon, that how the time taken to reach back home feels always less than the time taken to reach the destination? While I was thinking this the jeep started to move downhill towards Vikasnagar. It was a regular ride with loud music and a local couple talking about their domestic life, with spectacular views of mountains and some waterfall appearing here and there in the cracks of rocks. The view was such that it easily took my attention away from the loud speakers of our jeep and the lady who was talking over phone in an even louder volume.

Everything was going as expected; we planned to reach Dehradun by the afternoon so that we could be at home before the date could change on calendar, and it was going smoothly on time though not too much on road. But nobody should forget the fact that expected is nothing on the road of life and that’s what happened.  A local passenger had to get off as his village had come and we spotted a small “Dhaaba” a local eating joint or restaurant to be precise right there. It didn’t take us long to imagine the feeling what a nice mug of hot tea or coffee would bring while standing at the edge and looking at those huge mountains and the river flowing at their feet.

We also got off the jeep the very next moment to realize our imagination, but the driver didn’t like it, because he would have earned more if we were to go till Vikasnagar. So compensate for that we paid him triple the amount of fair he usually takes to this place from chakrata.

After settling it all we grabbed our bags and started to just walk in silence and that’s the best part of nature its silence is musical, soothing to soul and refreshing to mind. Clicking photos and talking to local cowmen we reached the Dhaaba and ordered tea. Gradually a friendly conversation brewed up and it turned into a friendly gathering before one could even notice. The talks flew from the topics of local customs of the month of “Maagh” in which all the300 or so Jansari villages of the region on 11th of January, sacrifices a goat in every home and preserve its meat for the coming year and also distribute some part of it in their relatives as goodwill, to their business topics of how they started this Dhaaba etc. etc. The mug of tea got finished but the discussion seemed to be going on and on, it took a halt only when decided to have lunch there and placed our order. The staff got busy in preparing it and we got busy in wandering around on the road, in the deodars, and chasing Long-tailed Minivet birds.

Whenever I visit a place away from regular urban culture I often feel it that we still have hope against the global warming, pollution, population and all the other problems that we have created for the nature and yet we call that nature is changing. Anyways while our gypsy by default souls were wandering around we spotted a nice rock at the edge of a cliff in the very next moment we were making our way to it, struggling through narrow trails and shrubs while being vigilant about mischievous Macaques (Monkeys). And the sole purpose of this small uncalled for gesture was to sit there and be a part of what we cannot control but feel only.

“No wonder great saints climbed Himalayas to meditate and unfolded the philosophies of life” this was the only thing I could think when I reached that rock and sat on it, after that moment I was blank for some time as if I was the part of those big mountains, flowing breeze and river, of the songs that someone sung on the hill in front of us and part everything that was happening around. I felt like I was the part of the moment.

We don’t know how much time we spent sitting there silently but the changing shapes of shadows made us decide to trek back to our Dhaaba and have our lunch which was served with a friendly smile and was accompanied by nice talks and discussions. When through we grabbed our bags again and started to walk along the road to the point from where we were to ride a passenger jeep.  And while walking the point of discussion was how amazing it is that we always reach back home in lesser time than what it takes to reach the destination.

"by Prashant Rana"
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