Wandering Wonders 2: New Connections WITHOUT Network

Last I stopped, when I gave you some details about my embark on the train journey. Soon, we reached the destination and with every kilometer left behind, there was an excitement to see my friends waiting there.

Soon as we reached, I saw her but she hadn’t yet. But just within moments there was this screaming girl with a widest smile on her face, crossing the road like a neglect heading to hug me. Before even paying the rickshaw fellow who had got us here, I was hugging here only to be stared at by others. Yayyyyyieeee!! We reached, we met and we were about to conquer the next few days with some best memories. Well said!

It is such a delight to meet new people, unravel their behaviors, tune ours own with them, share some laughs and soon get along like house on fire. I’ve stopped getting conscious about ‘first impressions,’ they are too pretentious. After the formal introductions, I knew we would only get to know better after a few sips down.

A long tiring travel has to be compulsorily supplemented by some amazing food. So we freshened up we later went on to hog some of the best chicken delicacies. Local sightseeing was the only agenda for day 1. Roaming in the markets in a cold area to buy nothing because ‘Mumbai Be So Hot You Know Guyaaiz!’ Rather enjoy the cute people who always smile and it is not flirting. ;)

With not much left to do with dark and cold paying a sooner visit, we didn’t know where to go. Until a giant wheel peek-a-boo’d of an ongoing fair. The childish side was up for the rides and soon we were swinging , rolling, up and down, side by side screaming out! And then being stuck at the top of a giant wheel in the freezing cold because ‘bhaiyya rukna padega, diesel khatam hogaya hai thoda.’ DAFUQ, hello cold!

Who’s getting older? Your Father!

Next day was for some exploring around (Even if it means finding a cake shop in some random market). The Mindrolling Monastery and Tapkeshwar Temple, both places of peace for a group of loud mouths. But the scene of prayer flags in the air, smiling faces all around, ladies making Tibetan dishes roadside with kids accompanying them, not an everyday sight. Also none of us belonged to the ‘God is Everything’ belief squad but the only way to see the deity is by crawling through the caves. Amidst the mountains, crawling below them and feeling delightful as a child again. You cannot ditch a place just because it is religious and you’re the ‘remembering God only before the exam’ kind.

Maybe the night didn’t turn out as expected. To have a ruthless hotelier making plans to chuck you out as you decided to stay a day more. So then finding around other rooms keeping in mind the money crunch, being stared at for being a girl accompanied by the boys, all that came in! Jugaaad is the way to be, so be it then. 

More definitively it was actually a time to bond with the newly met people, who had turned friends and now we message everyday ‘Missing You’s’. The best part in all this is when your cell-phone has no network. And when you don’t even realize that you’ve not received any calls or damning whatsapp messages. At least, I did not bother. I was truly living in my moments and making calls once a day to my parents to say I am fine. 

 

Happy Connections

  When you make friends from different    cities, cultures and backgrounds there is so  much to share. There are jokes to be made  on a target and laugh on. Fall off the bed  while rolling if you may! (Yes, I did) With a  little alcohol down your system, there are  the real memories being written down.  Sitting in the hotel porch in the freezing  cold, gulping down the rum, there is certain  warmth in the conversations and the  company.

 Days began with buttered Parathas for  breakfast, chicken for lunch and dinner,  momos for snacks, ummmm water for  water, no really!

While my phone beeps at ‘battery 5%’ I care no more. For I do not need a 100% charged for selfies. Among the new people and bonding, I discover who my ‘self is.’I was making new connections without a network!

No Keep Calm, Keep Mindrolling!