River Rafting at Rishikesh

I was just scrolling through my phone gallery, and I came across the pictures from Rishikesh. The holy Rishikesh. In February 2020, just a few days before lockdown, we planned a sudden trip to Rishikesh. How it was planned, or how long it was, doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is the only adventure we had there, the river rafting. This was the second-best thing that happened in 2020. The first is that I got my first SDE internship.

My first river rafting. My relationship with the deep water isn't really good. And above that, I don't even know how to swim. But I wasn't scared of it. Adventures never scared me; the only thing I would like to go on even on the last day of my life. Though the definitions of adventures differ for everyone, mine is different like everyone else.

So, I saw the Ganges for the first time, unlike what is described in the science textbooks. It reflected the bluish-green colour, surrounded by majestic mountains. Wow! couldn't believe that I was there, and the first question was, "Well, how did I come so late to this beautiful place?" 

Our instructor told us how to row the raft when to move it forward and then backwards, and that's all I can remember for now.  And what to do when the raft topples? Wait...topple? Would it really topple? The instructor said, "Can't say." And I held my breath for a second and soon released as there was no other plan for the next 30 minutes but of rafting in the icy cold Ganges. My friend, who was well experienced with rafting and I were on the same raft. Winters make me sick, and here I was in the chilly days of February rafting in the ice-cold Ganges.

We beat all the waves, and thankfully our raft didn't topple. We even rescued the people from the toppled raft. And when the water was less deep, our instructor asked us to jump from the raft. I was the last to jump. But, when I jumped, I realised how joyful the whole experience was. For the very first time after a year, I felt stress-free. My anxiety was gone. The head was suddenly so light that I never thought I'd ever experience it. 

Jumping from the cliff, rafting with my all energy and experiencing every wind captivated my soul.  And I asked my friend, "Why didn't you bring me here after my heartbreak?"

Because, for the very first time, it was just me, the Ganges and the beautiful Rishikesh inside my heart and head after a long time. So, now I knew how to deal with the persistent sadness, perhaps. But life wasn't really the dark after that, there was colour, light and the life herself there. When I came back, my mind was light, a lot of space was made for me in my life, the genuine merriment in my laugh was back and that is how things should be. 

Ain't we all go to the Ganges to dissolve the ashes of the dead ones?

That is precisely what I did.