"Sky is the limit" , my yellow tee said. I was fussing about the
same old "I-have-nothing-appropriate-to-wear" issues on my picnic eve
because wardrobe malfunction was the last thing I wanted to face during a trek.
One wrong accessory and one teeny tiny uncomfortable glitch had the potential
to ruin everything. So tieing my shoelaces, and rubbing my arms and feet with
surplus amount of moisturiser( winter at its peak) I set out for the bus.
The early morning chill wind rapped at my face, sending few strands of my
hair whirling about my head as I opened the bus window. I was relishing the
morning energy. Few rays of light were just about to bloom from the bright
orange sun, gleaming like a jewel studded in the sky . My mind craved for
something peaceful, evincing the atmosphere when a shrill noise came flooding
in. I clutched at my ears and looked behind to find that the guys had turned
the speakers on. Most of them were dancing to some desi beats, screaming something
intelligible in colloquial marathi. Shoot! There goes my "piece" of
mind.. The piece where soft tunes (like greensleeves) wander across my mind. But
a smile soon reappeared on my face as our bus halted at asherigad, our
destination for the day where a deliciously healthy grassland embraced a lake
brimming with water. I got down and stretched myself, posing to few snapshots,
clicking some myself. We were divided into groups and then we set out for
climbing the rocky stones. "See that peak that looks like the top of a
well licked ice cream" said someone. "That's where we're gonna
reach"..
After an hour or so, we came to a
narrow plain again which clearly indicated that the first level was over. A
lush green valley resided below it. There was a small ladder welded to rocks
placed a few steps ahead which lead to a narrow rocky staircase. We stood
gaping at the gorgeously cut terrain which was actually very treacherous. One
rough slip and there you go rolling down, finally landing in heaven or hell,
wherever you are destined to go. With a pair of helping hands, we climbed up.
Some felt dizzy, some were happy and some were overexcited. Well level 2 was
just a ramble. We finally set our foot on the peak, which showed the other side
of the hill, the curvy NH-8 (national highway eight) running below.
Dipping our legs into a cool water lake after a tiresome and thrilling
adventure was damn soothing. It untangled sore muscles and relieved the pain.
While our eyes feasted upon the rich lotus floating in a pond, we feasted upon
the lunch pack we opened. Okay, one thing I learnt! Avoid the company of
thirsty guys! Trust me they involuntarily turn into bunch of chimps. Their
actions make tarzan look like a gentleman in a tux. I mean, I literally had to
play tug of war with my waterbottle when one of my friends got into a brawl
with me trying to snatch it. NO amount of yelling “I am not gonna lend you a
single drop until you faint or begin to die!” actually helped. I know it’s
kinda ruthless of me. But hey, that jerk ended up spilling all my water over
himself, wasting the few drops that were left. And sometimes, you just need to
stop being a martyr.
Coming down was tricky. Our legs seemed involved in their own trance.. Most
of us were ill-equipped with improper grips on our shoes. So, the notorious
see-saw rocks posed a valid threat. So, after falling on my butt three times,
losing the way and getting two juicy and bloody thorn cuts on my leg, I reached
the village below the hill with my pals. Our throats were parched and our
hearts were pounding with desperation. We were washed by relief when our thirst
was finally quenched after the drinking the bore-well water villagers gave us.
Some of my friends had also consumed the lake water unknowingly. Well, the
lake’s floor was lined with algae, I forgot to mention. But thirst can do
wonders.. Most of us who wouldn’t even dream of consuming anything other than
mineral or filtered water actually drank bore-well water. It glided down our
throats like rich honey.
After reaching the foot of the hill, we began waiting for the second batch
to arrive which comprised of our teachers and my friend who was limping
already. The other side of the lake revealed a rocky path with ankle deep streams
that led to a cheery waterfall ahead. It was not a huge one.. It was sortof a
miniature form of a waterfall with water gushing down merrily over few steps.
All of us stood on the steps and posed for the pics. Most of our trendy poses
had a wild and classy air about them. Like we were on the title screen of the
soap opera “LOST”. (which is an amazing show btw)
The sun was setting in and so was my enthusiasm. Lovely memories unfolded
within me. Memories of the day as if everything happened ages ago. Memories of
my friends teasing each other, memories of yelling at the hilltop, the
laughter, recognizing the caring hands that pulled me up, the words filled with
concern, the panic on seeing someone lose balance, the relief that surged in
the mind, on knowing that the day finally recoiled into the happy experience I
would never feel like forgetting… Indeed, sky was the limit, and we all had
crossed it that day…
