The Anonymous Feeling/ Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh

Manu called up in the afternoon just when I was about to enter the examination hall at the college where I was working for invigilation duty. He said, ok! Let’s leave today. Its been quite some days and I was longing for a trip which I shared with him, one of those days.

December was to enter its 3rd week and we leave tonight. Initially Manu was reluctant. He had just been back from some ‘trip’ and ‘state’. Left his job already and now when he had some hope to get an assignment, I asked him for this trip. Anyway, he seemed interested too. We reached ISBT and headed for the place from where the bus for Shimla leaves. It was a great rush at the ISBT. I had never been to Shimla before and I was not excited too. The picture i had of Shimla was of crowded hill station that has nothing to offer to somone like me.

NARKANDA (In December)

Rather I needed a quiet place to soothe my noisy ears filled with official talks in a much fabricated environment. I needed a break perhaps that is the reason for this travel. In the meanwhile we got the bus and the second seat on driver’s left. We talked for sometime, then Manu’s hands reached for his earphones and my eyes were filled with sleep soon after. At Pipli bus stopped for a while. We passed Chandigarh after crossing Ambala. And I was again off to sleep. I realized that bus was not moving. At Kalka, driver got down to warm up his old bones for a while at the sight of bonfire. It was around 4 in morning. When the public started shouting; the conductor pushed up the matter and the bus was started after small arguments. It was colder than those nights that I had spent on various trips abroad the bus. And, I was back to sleep once again. What amused me was I do not really used to ‘sleeping’ during the trips be it night or day! We reached Shimla at 6:00 around amidst the fog and wonderfull chill. Soon I got excited… excited than ever!We sipped upon tea at bus station.

Chota SHIMLA (alias Vikas Nagar)

Manu gave a choice – Should be walk down till Longwood or await the bus? Soon we were walking toward our destination. Manu had been many times to Shimla and Himachal overall! I was glad that he was with me to show the things around. I could not have imagined a better guide than despite his being a great friend though very moody by nature. There we were at the Sainik Bhawan, Longwood right at 7 am which we really covered at dead slow speed. God! It was too early to approach and that’s too without booking the rest-house. So we planned to take a walk but where possibly with our bags. And, we met Subedar Sharma Ji inside. He was gentle and polite. He enquired about us, asking our antecedents and Delhi whereabouts, and then agreed to give us room but after 10-11 am. His concern was do we have any identity that could associate us with Indian defence system. He made us tea and then we left for sight seeing around though we didn’t go too far.
There was something about the air, it smelled fresh and tasted good. I had my eyes got fixed on the view – the mighty mountains of Himalayan ranges. We chatted for sometime and returned back to Sainik resthouse. It was still not the time, SharmaJi had asked us to come at but he gave the room. The time was 8:40. Soon after we were out of our room for breakfast that he served with a cook assisting –parantha with tea.
SAINIK BHAWAN, Shimla
We filled up and retired to bed for a quick nap for the sleep. The room was really a delight – all made of wood with free ventilation and big glass windows stretched in length though there could hardly be seen any views from there. After one and half hour, we got up and came out in the sun.

We started off towards Mall Road. It was little more than 12 and the massive tourist flow could be seen roaming on the street for no purpose exactly like We had no purpose other than walking. But I was wrong. The mall offered most cheerful view though cluttering was a little annoying but that was all right with us.

Police Canteen (that was not!!!)

We were getting the feel. Manu offered to have lunch at Police canteen though later we came to know that canteen was private and never belonged to any police or army for that matter. It was a small setup that offered an eating joint. We ordered the food and started nibbling. It was worth a try for me. The lunch was followed by the tea. And, we prepared to leave to make a comeback to our resthouse after a brief walk through the heart of Shimla. It was 6 in evening, when we woke up after a brief rest. In our shoes again, there we started walking to the Mall again for an evening to make memoirs.

Later some times after, Manu got upset with me for the reason untold to me and I thought he wants to be alone for sometime since I knew he was more than moody. We came back without speaking to each other almost from half the way from Mall to the rest-house.

Then, later we both ate our dinner together cooked and served by Sharma Ji himself. It was a full moon night and we prefer to take a brief walk. Next day we got up early and by 8:00 around we boarded the bus for Narkanda which was some 60kms that covered some wonderful village scenery enroute like Fagu and Matiyana.

Opposite View from Mall Road, Simla

We ate at Narkanda at the Himalayan Dhaba costing bill to be nearing Rs. 200 but satisfaction was worth dollars. We marched ahead towards the Hatu temple trek soonafter. It was snow all over the place and all along the road. I liked it in my own way and my eyes and brain got – all white.

We started moving up in the snow, smiling, thinking and what we very often do – repeatedly appraising the scene. The other side of the hill had Sun shining bright and we missed the water bottle so settled for some ice instead which never the substitute. We enjoyed every bit of it atleast this is what seemed.

Church at The Mall, Shimla
Sometimes life is suddenly bright with thousand suns keeping you up and warm. And, I put down my bag and jacket along the road side to rest a while in the magnificent sun. The same sun that in Delhi I have often criticized for shining too hard and too near to skin.

Hatu temple was some 5-6kms uphill trek in Narkanda only. We almost had finished 4 kms of the trek and the time was nearing 5 p.m.

We decided not to go up further and plan our comeback afterall the accommodation had to be arranged though we had the talk with the PWD guesthouse caretaker in the afternoon itself for the night and had our one bag there only. So we moved down. The weather started getting bad or atleast looked so and it started raining a bit. It was more than chilling, the wind piercing down the bones hard as we ordered for a chowmein and momos plate at a small eating joint which had the fantastic view with the bonfire.

NARKANDA Bus Stand (and the Bus that dropped us here)
And, I remembered the Pink Floyd song “its good to warm my bone beside the fire”!

Me, resting along the roadside in the SUN

Manu "The Moody"

Forgiveness, forgiveness even if you don't love me... Anymore

(I kept singing this Don Henley Song which Manu had loaded on his phone)

The interesting SLOPE that we covered to trek to HATU (we never reached temple though)

Manu said, “Should we stay here or move to some place down for some warm comfort” which I surely nodded to at once and we prepared to move to Kumarsain for our night halt which was down the slope some 22kms on Rampur road. The time was 6:30 p.m.
Evening At NARKANDA

We have been walking since morning, pretty tired, and longing for bed. It was a quite a day but chill and thrill never existed together for long and we took the bus to our new destination which had no scope for chill atleast and we would not be surprised also if no thrills were to be found now. No seat in the bus, but standing as an option existed with us. Good news was, we reached Kumarsain, at 8 p.m and bad news that still 1 km awaits us to be walked to get to the place of the night halt. We approached the PWD as usual but nobody responded. Next we approached Forest rest-house but room was not available. We again went to PWD, but still nobody’s there.

Almost all shops were closed and all lights were off except the small local electricity supply office in a single room with four guys smoking, discussing political stances of elections that was about sweeping off the Congress or BJP or their allies whatever from the state. We saw the light and we were there in another minute asking for PWD chap. Well, they made us seated in that small room that had the heater by the side, and continued their political discussion with passion. After some 15 minutes, we looked at each other in surprise that these guys have no attention towards us so we interrupted in between and asked again for the PWD assistance for the night. Out of the four, one was the caretaker.

NARKANDA (View towards Shimla and also seen is Himalayan Dhaba to your right hand behind the car)

We got the room, the dinner was also arranged and we took out our all-wet shoes and socks that we have been wearing for past 4-5 hours. I took out the quarter of rum (alcohol) that I had purchased to combat the chill and tiredness of the day earlier at Narkanda before taking the bus. We both were though non-drinkers but the idea of rum was worthwhile and we had one-one and off to eat. We retired soon after to our bed after I had put the heater on to dry up our socks and clothes and discussing next day’s plan.

The PWD guesthouse was fabulous and seemed to be made recently.

KUMARSAIN

We set on the track again after paying Rs. 350 bucks for the night to the caretaker who never gave the receipt against it and we were neither concerned about that.

PWD Rest House at Kumarsain

Around 9 am we reached the place where we were dropped by the bus last night, and after half an hour got another bus to comeback at Narkanda again. The idea was to go to Sarahan, on Hindustan-Tibet road.
We reached Narkanda again and found the road to Sarahan was jammed with snow all over for making any sort of transportation possible to the place. We decided to spend rest of the day walking on the same road. It was again all snow, all over and I could feel my shoes and socks getting wet already. We went up a bit and decided to warm ourselves in the streaming sun. Next we unloaded bagpacks and sit silent sipping upon the remaining rum mixed up in the water bottle. God! It was smelling hard and tasted bad and yet no impact on our senses so we figured out it was a fake…

Seen here two roads, road with bus goes to Kumarsain, then Rampur (some 47 kms)and the Upper one goes to Sarahan.
At 3 pm, we started off back to Fagu. And, another troubled time started. No room at Matiyana PWD, another bad luck at Fagu PWD – all rooms were occupied, and then at 8 pm we settled for a room which was not a delight to be in but then we were more than tired and me even mild sick too. Next day we came back to Shimla again, same place, the same rest-house and the very much same room but while coming back I had all the memories of Narkanda with me. It was certainly the place to be at when you have a reason to be in a state of equilibrium.

Now as I sit silent to memorize the words, to describe my last set of feeling while leaving Narkanda, I tried hard but could not find any of the words in store, and even if I make claims to have found few, they might not make you understand my feelings for the place... because you are not ME!

© himanshu
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