"Ding"
"Ding"
It was a usual Monday afternoon in office when I got a ping from Bhuppi, a mate of mine from my alma mater where we all graduated with our Masters degree last year. Now he is working in another Gurgaon based MNC. He was actually babbling something about a trip in his usual not-so-important but yet-so-imperative style that Shivani is planning.Oops forgot to introduce her. She is also from the same college and fortunately working in the same building as of mine.
The trip was for Manali.
Frankly speaking, I was bit reluctant at that time for the trip as there were few strangers with whom we have to spend some not-so-usual days of my life. But finally I said yes to him because I got to know about the presence of some of the known faces of my college. And today, I can acclaim my decision to be unsurpassable because of the simple reason that I got to know about so many people around and to have some new friends.
E-dil tujhe behelau kaise, dadhkan teri badhau kaise,
Bina vadiyan dikhaye tujhe, didar-e-yaar karau kaise....
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Disha took it all :(
And the journey starts on 28th May 2010 from the office building after so called "working hours" even when people keep on staying for hours after 6. I joined Shivani with another trip mate named Anirudh. At a very first sight Mr. A seems to be a very decent,less talkative guy who doesn't like much of people around him. This was the first time when I doubt my decision of going with six strangers to a trip for having fun. Though we shook hands and exchanged some not-so-formal lip-stretching to show our gratitude for joining, but still I wasn't feeling much comfortable and was witnessing the same from him towards me. It was evident that his inner-self is compelling him to ask someone special to come with him, but probably the bad thing was Mr. A could not gather the courage to do that. He found this job more abstruse than designing a complex piece of software for the US customer. Ok... enough of imagination about Mr. A, he may be thinking the same about me or something more outlandish.
As the company transport bus moved ahead. I got to meet more of the people I had to live four days of my life with. So, most happening of them all,Vineet, got into the bus with all the Glucon-D energy. He was all full of jokes and some leg-pulling material (though some of them were PJs) but it matched my standard, after all we all love to crack PJs and I am known for the so famous PPJ (The Poor Pathetic Joke).
One of them was Amaan, who was very loud at the jokes cracked all around.
I could only get to know that Hemant is also with us at a very later stage of our journey in that bus.
Though the trip-people had grabbed the last most seat of the bus,Imran sir was sitting somewhere else in the bus. And other very important guy of our trip was the so called TL Sir. He cracked some fabulous jokes through out the journey but either they were out of context or the timing was such that people have to think twice before laughing.
I also got to see two more known faces,Ankita & Shilpi from my college who were joining with us that helped assuage that stranger-trip-mates-phobia of mine.
So the next aim of ours is to reach Patel Chowk where we have to see Bhuppi and Vikram and the Tempo Traveller.
Gleefully, we reached at Patel Chowk.
Vineet thinking cripplingly murmured "Kuch missing hai yaar, kya chod diya humne trip ke liye ???"
"Manager ke alawa sab kuch to hum yahan le aaye hain,SE,SSE,TL, ab to bas vohi bachta hai....kahe to usse bhi phone karu" - Amaan replied in a very light manner.
The blighted Vineet left only his footprints while running and some words saying "Raat bhar baith kar jo songs aur movies ka collection banaya tha vo sab to Disha ke bag mein chal gaya ^&@&&$%^#$%". Amaan also chased him with the suggestion that they can catch her with an auto.
So here's the missing Disha part,once again she is also from the same college but was not joining the trip because of the reason according to her as -"Mera mann nahi hai yaar... varna mein jaroor chalti". Unfortunately, Vineet put his collection in her bag while boarding the bus.
But as the saying is "Jaane vaale kabhi hath mein nahi aate" (Don't ask me who said this.... beacuse abhi design kiya hai).
At this point I was urging myself for the opinion "How better could be a beginning..."
As the company transport bus moved ahead. I got to meet more of the people I had to live four days of my life with. So, most happening of them all,Vineet, got into the bus with all the Glucon-D energy. He was all full of jokes and some leg-pulling material (though some of them were PJs) but it matched my standard, after all we all love to crack PJs and I am known for the so famous PPJ (The Poor Pathetic Joke).
One of them was Amaan, who was very loud at the jokes cracked all around.
I could only get to know that Hemant is also with us at a very later stage of our journey in that bus.
Though the trip-people had grabbed the last most seat of the bus,Imran sir was sitting somewhere else in the bus. And other very important guy of our trip was the so called TL Sir. He cracked some fabulous jokes through out the journey but either they were out of context or the timing was such that people have to think twice before laughing.
I also got to see two more known faces,Ankita & Shilpi from my college who were joining with us that helped assuage that stranger-trip-mates-phobia of mine.
So the next aim of ours is to reach Patel Chowk where we have to see Bhuppi and Vikram and the Tempo Traveller.
Gleefully, we reached at Patel Chowk.
Vineet thinking cripplingly murmured "Kuch missing hai yaar, kya chod diya humne trip ke liye ???"
"Manager ke alawa sab kuch to hum yahan le aaye hain,SE,SSE,TL, ab to bas vohi bachta hai....kahe to usse bhi phone karu" - Amaan replied in a very light manner.
The blighted Vineet left only his footprints while running and some words saying "Raat bhar baith kar jo songs aur movies ka collection banaya tha vo sab to Disha ke bag mein chal gaya ^&@&&$%^#$%". Amaan also chased him with the suggestion that they can catch her with an auto.
So here's the missing Disha part,once again she is also from the same college but was not joining the trip because of the reason according to her as -"Mera mann nahi hai yaar... varna mein jaroor chalti". Unfortunately, Vineet put his collection in her bag while boarding the bus.
But as the saying is "Jaane vaale kabhi hath mein nahi aate" (Don't ask me who said this.... beacuse abhi design kiya hai).
At this point I was urging myself for the opinion "How better could be a beginning..."
Kill-the-time at Patel Chowk
We were standing at the bus stand named Patel Chowk where usually no rush is there even at the rush hours. Even the Iron-made stand was astonished to see 9-10 people waiting there at a single go.
Vineet is still standing with a grief of losing his collection as if he got divorced even before honeymoon. Oh God give him the courage to fight alone !!!
So, these two last persons are coming from the other end of the road to join us for the expedition that has already started. The popular Bhuppi (don't ask me what he is popular for) and Vikram (the guy who need tutorial "how to tease a girl at road side"). Both are from my alma mater.
Now starts the count-down. According to Mr. TL, the booked tempo traveller has to reach there at 7.00PM. But it already 6.30, and he hasn't even started from his place.This was the time for people to give some very unobvious suggestion to kill time. One was lets move to India Gate "we will have Kalla Khatta". Thank God being patriotic he didn't ask for Vagah Border.
Mr. TL tried calling the driver many times but every time he was kinda outta sight while calling, though he was claiming he thrashed him on phone but situation seemed vice-versa :D
And finally after a so-noisy pause of around hundred minutes the tempo traveller came.
Only at this point I got the assurance that YES we are leaving atleast to somewhere.
Vineet is still standing with a grief of losing his collection as if he got divorced even before honeymoon. Oh God give him the courage to fight alone !!!
So, these two last persons are coming from the other end of the road to join us for the expedition that has already started. The popular Bhuppi (don't ask me what he is popular for) and Vikram (the guy who need tutorial "how to tease a girl at road side"). Both are from my alma mater.
Now starts the count-down. According to Mr. TL, the booked tempo traveller has to reach there at 7.00PM. But it already 6.30, and he hasn't even started from his place.This was the time for people to give some very unobvious suggestion to kill time. One was lets move to India Gate "we will have Kalla Khatta". Thank God being patriotic he didn't ask for Vagah Border.
Mr. TL tried calling the driver many times but every time he was kinda outta sight while calling, though he was claiming he thrashed him on phone but situation seemed vice-versa :D
And finally after a so-noisy pause of around hundred minutes the tempo traveller came.
Only at this point I got the assurance that YES we are leaving atleast to somewhere.
Oh Gosh.... Whrz the Shamiyana
All throughout the wait at Patel Chowk, Mr. TL kept on saying this tempo has the Shamiyana inside it.You will feel like in a Mahal. But when it opened the door, no one could find the Shamiyanas. Either Mr. TL fooled us or the transporter fooled Mr. TL. The second one has a higher probability.
Now was the time to load the bags on the roof top of our wagon.After a while I followed people entering the wagon. Imran sir made the first voice saying its not that bad, infact a good one.I seconded his opinion as the interior was fabulous with curtains, carpet, good AC, and above all a projected LCD. Now no one, I guess, is missing the Shamiyana.
In BTW, I missed to described the driver who was to drive us all throughout these four days and seeing him at first sight, I also got the reason while Mr. TL was moving out of our sight while conversing with him on phone. He was a true tapori with a massive built covered with his usual stinky driver dress.His eyes were symbolically threatening us not to do any nuisance. That look of his was a terrible pain.
Now was the time to load the bags on the roof top of our wagon.After a while I followed people entering the wagon. Imran sir made the first voice saying its not that bad, infact a good one.I seconded his opinion as the interior was fabulous with curtains, carpet, good AC, and above all a projected LCD. Now no one, I guess, is missing the Shamiyana.
Sabar ka phal meetha hota hai
In BTW, I missed to described the driver who was to drive us all throughout these four days and seeing him at first sight, I also got the reason while Mr. TL was moving out of our sight while conversing with him on phone. He was a true tapori with a massive built covered with his usual stinky driver dress.His eyes were symbolically threatening us not to do any nuisance. That look of his was a terrible pain.
We got it- Chaman .... The seraphic meaning
And the journey starts with a big Jaikara and we all started to ply to our destination.People started making themselves comfortable inside the house-on-wheels that we hired for next 302400 seconds.
Getting onto the seat a thought buzzed my mind that why the hell we need a break or a weekend getaway. Is it required to put fragrance to our relations ??? Or to re-energize our spirits.May be it is required to balance the professional life with our personal life. Or to make us realize that we are born not just to earn and die with dollars but to spend them as well.
"Aaah.....Oh no" this unanticipated scream washed my mind of those why-the-trip thoughts. It was Ankita who became a victim of a honey-bee. Though she was no more( I am talking about Honey-Bee) but still was the topic of research in the vehicle. People were asking for her color,size and current state to start giving their suggetions. Now starts the series of giving those popular Dadima-ke-nuskhe session. Nearly everyone in the vehicle including driver and the helper started preaching Anki to get rid of the pain that Anki wan't going through. Initially she was not at all in pain but just a little of irritation but listening of theories from other mates specially Mr. TL who gave her a long lecture on the "color of the bee and its effects" makes her feel in pain for which she needs a remedy.
Paper-ash and every other iron-made products availble in the vehicle were tried for the same.
Then I got to know about this person in the van named Hemant,who turned out to be a Medical Supervisor throughout the journey.He has solution for every damn problem whether its there or not . :P
If you not feeling comfortable to sleep he has those sleep-pills and if you are felling sleepy he has those re-energizing pills that can make you feel rich in energy that you can't sleep the whole night.
In the mid-way we had our dinner at a very happening restaurant on the highway. Driver asked for some bucks and after giving the money I got familiarized with this guy named Amaan, who was handed over the responsibility of handling all the expenses. He was carrying a modern bhi-khata in his techy phone.Though it didn't seem to be a good idea but the outcome is really praise-worthy.
Crossing all the way with talks and leg-pullings earth turned its face to nourish us with some sunshine and another day begins. The journey was supposed to be of 12-14 hrs but even at 10 o'clock in the Saturday morning we were not getting signs to get off the bus any early.
Finally at 1 in the afternoon we reached Manali as the vehicle was parked in the parking by the tapori, I mean the driver. Now comes the times to realize the amazing fact that we hadn't booked the hotel for our stay. YIPPIE..... While starting search for the roof on our top we decided to prolong our stay there for about 12 hours. And here comes in the picture the Hero and the Villain as driver refused to stay even for one more extra hour and we were talking about 12 !!!
Hero Entry -- "Why the hell you will not stay "??? You promised us to reach there in 12 hours and took 18... WTF !!!Lemme talk to the transporter. we'll not go before Monday evening and 'll neither let you go" - Angry man roared.
So this angry man was Imran Sir. Who after uttering these words left for the hotel search leaving the driver behind to puke every single abuse he ever heard of,but the good thing was he was not abusing Imran or any of us but to some one else (maybe his transporter).
Finally Vineet came with a big grin on his face exploding the happiness which revelaed the fact that they finally got it !!!. "Chaman" - this was the only word he could yelled out of his delight. He was not abusing any of us with this word but was telling the name of that hotel that they found. "Ok Chaman the seraphic meaning not the Delhi meaning" -someone from us replied.
Hotel was actually Chaman (not in Delhi meaning) totally covered with leaves of some plant everywhere. We finally settled with our luggage in the rooms undecided where to move further.
Getting onto the seat a thought buzzed my mind that why the hell we need a break or a weekend getaway. Is it required to put fragrance to our relations ??? Or to re-energize our spirits.May be it is required to balance the professional life with our personal life. Or to make us realize that we are born not just to earn and die with dollars but to spend them as well.
"Aaah.....Oh no" this unanticipated scream washed my mind of those why-the-trip thoughts. It was Ankita who became a victim of a honey-bee. Though she was no more( I am talking about Honey-Bee) but still was the topic of research in the vehicle. People were asking for her color,size and current state to start giving their suggetions. Now starts the series of giving those popular Dadima-ke-nuskhe session. Nearly everyone in the vehicle including driver and the helper started preaching Anki to get rid of the pain that Anki wan't going through. Initially she was not at all in pain but just a little of irritation but listening of theories from other mates specially Mr. TL who gave her a long lecture on the "color of the bee and its effects" makes her feel in pain for which she needs a remedy.
Paper-ash and every other iron-made products availble in the vehicle were tried for the same.
Then I got to know about this person in the van named Hemant,who turned out to be a Medical Supervisor throughout the journey.He has solution for every damn problem whether its there or not . :P
If you not feeling comfortable to sleep he has those sleep-pills and if you are felling sleepy he has those re-energizing pills that can make you feel rich in energy that you can't sleep the whole night.
In the mid-way we had our dinner at a very happening restaurant on the highway. Driver asked for some bucks and after giving the money I got familiarized with this guy named Amaan, who was handed over the responsibility of handling all the expenses. He was carrying a modern bhi-khata in his techy phone.Though it didn't seem to be a good idea but the outcome is really praise-worthy.
Crossing all the way with talks and leg-pullings earth turned its face to nourish us with some sunshine and another day begins. The journey was supposed to be of 12-14 hrs but even at 10 o'clock in the Saturday morning we were not getting signs to get off the bus any early.
Finally at 1 in the afternoon we reached Manali as the vehicle was parked in the parking by the tapori, I mean the driver. Now comes the times to realize the amazing fact that we hadn't booked the hotel for our stay. YIPPIE..... While starting search for the roof on our top we decided to prolong our stay there for about 12 hours. And here comes in the picture the Hero and the Villain as driver refused to stay even for one more extra hour and we were talking about 12 !!!
Hero Entry -- "Why the hell you will not stay "??? You promised us to reach there in 12 hours and took 18... WTF !!!Lemme talk to the transporter. we'll not go before Monday evening and 'll neither let you go" - Angry man roared.
So this angry man was Imran Sir. Who after uttering these words left for the hotel search leaving the driver behind to puke every single abuse he ever heard of,but the good thing was he was not abusing Imran or any of us but to some one else (maybe his transporter).
Finally Vineet came with a big grin on his face exploding the happiness which revelaed the fact that they finally got it !!!. "Chaman" - this was the only word he could yelled out of his delight. He was not abusing any of us with this word but was telling the name of that hotel that they found. "Ok Chaman the seraphic meaning not the Delhi meaning" -someone from us replied.
Hotel was actually Chaman (not in Delhi meaning) totally covered with leaves of some plant everywhere. We finally settled with our luggage in the rooms undecided where to move further.
What should we call it Sight seeing or Photography Session
We all relaxed in the hotel at a leisure hour,unpacked our luggage and then moved out to have a feel of the city and to have our breakfast-cum-lunch. Manali is a big tourist spot attracting more than thousands of people every season -this was evident from the rush at the lunch hours in the restaurant.
After having our lunch we finally planned to walk through the city exploring other attractions.So the first destination was Hidimba Mata Mandir who was supposedly 500 years old. It was placed at a hill where we all move with our cameras. And whne the cameras are in hand who cares about the 5000 years old monument. We clicked every now and then, at almost every stone, with every angle possible.Thanks to Mr. A (the first person I meet in this group), Ya you got it correct, the one who want someone to be there with him on this trip. But Hard Luck!!!
We visited some series of temples that evening, can't recall which all, even can't remember how many!!! Coz were busy getting clicked with bushes, yaks, shades, stones apple trees, localities, and every other damn thing expect toilets(Bhuppi had a pic even with it).
The sheer at this place can't be defined in words but can either be witnessed or clicked in a cam. We choose the other one.
We returned back to hotel and had our dinner. We also got to know about the morning plan that we have to leave at 5.30 in Morning for Rohtang Pass. How the hell is possible for a Software Engg. to get up early on a Sunday Morning. This is insane. This is the only time you can say (in dreams) to your manager "Sir either give me a hike and promotion or I'll leave for another options I have. Choice is yours" and even he replies "Plz don't do this I'll do whatever you will ask me to do....Come late, leave early, get a hike and promotion but don't talk about leaving the job. Project will crash without you indubitably".
Before going to bed we all gathered in the most popular or "badnaam" room of Mr. TL.
We discussed certain things while checking the capacity of the bed by getting ourselves relaxed into that single victim bed.Though it didn't jolted.
So the lights got dim of room no. 302 of Chaman after realising that we anyhow have to leave for Rohtang Pass in the morning.So have to get up at around 4 in the morning.
After having our lunch we finally planned to walk through the city exploring other attractions.So the first destination was Hidimba Mata Mandir who was supposedly 500 years old. It was placed at a hill where we all move with our cameras. And whne the cameras are in hand who cares about the 5000 years old monument. We clicked every now and then, at almost every stone, with every angle possible.Thanks to Mr. A (the first person I meet in this group), Ya you got it correct, the one who want someone to be there with him on this trip. But Hard Luck!!!
We visited some series of temples that evening, can't recall which all, even can't remember how many!!! Coz were busy getting clicked with bushes, yaks, shades, stones apple trees, localities, and every other damn thing expect toilets(Bhuppi had a pic even with it).
The sheer at this place can't be defined in words but can either be witnessed or clicked in a cam. We choose the other one.
We returned back to hotel and had our dinner. We also got to know about the morning plan that we have to leave at 5.30 in Morning for Rohtang Pass. How the hell is possible for a Software Engg. to get up early on a Sunday Morning. This is insane. This is the only time you can say (in dreams) to your manager "Sir either give me a hike and promotion or I'll leave for another options I have. Choice is yours" and even he replies "Plz don't do this I'll do whatever you will ask me to do....Come late, leave early, get a hike and promotion but don't talk about leaving the job. Project will crash without you indubitably".
Before going to bed we all gathered in the most popular or "badnaam" room of Mr. TL.
We discussed certain things while checking the capacity of the bed by getting ourselves relaxed into that single victim bed.Though it didn't jolted.
So the lights got dim of room no. 302 of Chaman after realising that we anyhow have to leave for Rohtang Pass in the morning.So have to get up at around 4 in the morning.
The ***SunshinE***.... that lasts till date on our faces
And the another day comes up a little early it seems with a big bang on the door of our pitiful room by Amaan who was all dressed up in his light color shirt and a sweater and was ready to board the bus for the destination,it seems.
"Oh Gosh !!! We are late.... Its already 5, and even didn't have a bath" - I hollered a warning. Saying this I entered the bathroom with my things to get dressed up first(at least in this room).
Though it seems a big job but taking a bathe is not actually a time consuming job,specially when you are in hurry. One just need to turn on the shower and put off some mugs of water out of bucket.... that's it and you are done.
At around 5.45 AM in the morning we all were ready to start our March for today towards a more closer look of Himalaya range.
Getting into the new vehicle booked for us we realized that it has a capacity of only 11 people but we were 12. Now either we have to play musical chair or someone has to be adjusted( People like me are best choice for the second option ).
"Haste haste kat jaaye raste" - this is the tag line for that journey as we enjoyed with all kinda jokes and songs and other sight seeing. the 4.5hrs journey finished in just some clicks.
Can't move forward without mentioning that lady Dhaba-onwner. She was a charm, a symbol of modesty, a person worth remembering. She glittered our way with her own always-happy nature.
In typical Bollywood movie, a hero has to fight with at least two villain in the entire 3 hr story, so it happened to our Hero as well. Here is how -
When er were about to reach to the peak destination, we encountered jam (Delhi vaale jahan bhi chale jayein jam laga dete hain). And the driver was not able to move the cart even a bit,so he suggested us not to go much up but to enjoy there only. He proposed the same many times.At last, Imran Sir got up and blustered on him "Do hell with your suggestion and we'll do whatever we'll fell like." After exchanging a few hot sentences both of them were calm for the further move. Imran sir came with an idea of hiring horses for reaching the hill-top.And after a while we were there.
And starts the series of enjoyable actions that we performed there - be it sliding over the snow from the peak to the plain, trying our hands for skiing, be it snow fighting,visiting Vyas Ji Temple, having Maggie,trying to a snowman or Yak,horse riding, we enjoyed every moment oblivious of the fact that the Sunshine that was quite lucrative at that instant was leaving some irremovable footprints on our face.
The footprints which are still visible.
After enjoying there for hours we finally made our way back to hotel as the only thing that we want at that time was a good sleep with or without dinner.
"Oh Gosh !!! We are late.... Its already 5, and even didn't have a bath" - I hollered a warning. Saying this I entered the bathroom with my things to get dressed up first(at least in this room).
Though it seems a big job but taking a bathe is not actually a time consuming job,specially when you are in hurry. One just need to turn on the shower and put off some mugs of water out of bucket.... that's it and you are done.
At around 5.45 AM in the morning we all were ready to start our March for today towards a more closer look of Himalaya range.
Getting into the new vehicle booked for us we realized that it has a capacity of only 11 people but we were 12. Now either we have to play musical chair or someone has to be adjusted( People like me are best choice for the second option ).
"Haste haste kat jaaye raste" - this is the tag line for that journey as we enjoyed with all kinda jokes and songs and other sight seeing. the 4.5hrs journey finished in just some clicks.
Can't move forward without mentioning that lady Dhaba-onwner. She was a charm, a symbol of modesty, a person worth remembering. She glittered our way with her own always-happy nature.
In typical Bollywood movie, a hero has to fight with at least two villain in the entire 3 hr story, so it happened to our Hero as well. Here is how -
When er were about to reach to the peak destination, we encountered jam (Delhi vaale jahan bhi chale jayein jam laga dete hain). And the driver was not able to move the cart even a bit,so he suggested us not to go much up but to enjoy there only. He proposed the same many times.At last, Imran Sir got up and blustered on him "Do hell with your suggestion and we'll do whatever we'll fell like." After exchanging a few hot sentences both of them were calm for the further move. Imran sir came with an idea of hiring horses for reaching the hill-top.And after a while we were there.
And starts the series of enjoyable actions that we performed there - be it sliding over the snow from the peak to the plain, trying our hands for skiing, be it snow fighting,visiting Vyas Ji Temple, having Maggie,trying to a snowman or Yak,horse riding, we enjoyed every moment oblivious of the fact that the Sunshine that was quite lucrative at that instant was leaving some irremovable footprints on our face.
The footprints which are still visible.
After enjoying there for hours we finally made our way back to hotel as the only thing that we want at that time was a good sleep with or without dinner.
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