Grace & Gratitude

It was Saturday, but fortunately was better than the other Saturdays which I spend curling up in my bed from Friday night to Saturday evening.  It was Saturday evening, and I casually texted a guy I met at the workspace about the trek, thinking maybe we could go for it, the next weekend. The guy called back, "When are we leaving? Where shall I come?". And on the other hand, I hadn't even decided which trek... Spontaneous plans are the best. In Bengaluru, in the nearby range, i.e. 60-70 km, two treks are famous, Skandagiri Hills Trek and Nandi Hills Trek. Nandi Hills trek is a short one, 4 km, to and fro. Skandagiri is difficult and is 9 km to and fro. Finally, 8-9 months after coming to Bengaluru, I was about to go on a trek, for real. Three of us.  We boarded the trek bus...from where? Well, does that really matter? And like kids and adults, we had wanted 'the window' seat. One of us gave up. But I and the other guy, didn't. So we took the window seats. In th...

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 be...

It's winter, and I feel the Railway station has shifted to my front yard. It's been almost a year since I have travelled by train, but yeah, this train whistle is strongly reminding me of my all journies.  And growing up watching "Jab we Met", this desire to take trains often gets robust.   I take the train with the high hope that I'll meet my Aditya this time, but I end up surrounded by Aditis, a couple and their kids, or the old aunties. (All thanks to IRCTC algorithm). But that doesn't stop me from taking trains every time, just not because I create sweet memories there but sitting by the window-side is not less than going on a vacation. Watching lush green fields and, if the season allows, yellow mustard fields and waterfalls which look like the white zigzag lines from the train. I have never been to the mustard field, but watching them from the train delights me. It activates my artistic brain, and if it's good enough, then words weave poems that I ne...