"To go. Not to go." After these two phrases went around in a loop for a while, we finally did manage to get the permission to go on a North India tour, or as my college calls it, the Industrial Visit (minus the industry). Shhh...
Some of my friends had to be constantly reminded that it was just a 9 day tour and that we were not shifting to the North forever. All hail the shopping spree that they went on!
[Day 1]: An early morning 6am train was the biggest hurdle in between the tour and us. Waking up that early on a Saturday morning was next to impossible considering the time we reach college for an 8.30 class! But none of us stumbled and all of us managed to sneak into the train well ahead of the scheduled time. Although most of them went to sleep immediately after a hurried breakfast, we gradually gathered momentum by noon. Thanks to the deck of cards, dumb charades and the "rockstar" band for triggering hoots and whistles which made the passengers sitting next to us decently walk out of their places.
[Day 2]: After spending an entire day in train, we finally got down but were not very sure if it was Agra.
"Bhaiya, yeh Agra hai na?"
"Haan, haan." complemented the vendor's awkward look.
And we turned in the opposite direction as if nothing had happened. The Agra-wale welcomed us with typical U.P. rowdy-ism just outside the station and we all went OMG! It was beauty and splendor and marvel after that. Taj Mahal. Everybody stood jaw-dropped. For a few of my friends, it is still the most unbelievable moment of the tour, they say.
Agra Fort was next. The best view of the Taj is from here, I believe. Aurangzeb must have been very kind-hearted to imprison his dad here no? Ok, sorry! By the way, we did manage to get into a conversation with a few foreigners and what they think of us and our country really did make us feel proud.
<One of the Germans we spoke to at Agra Fort>
[Day 3]: Shimla. Long bus journey marking our first sleepless night. As we climbed up, my friends managed to teach me a situation song,"Naan pogiren mele mele, boologam en kaalin kile." The houses in these places reminded me of city blocks that I play on my phone. Colorful and uniform. The horse ride to the kufri top that evening was worth the wait. Having our hearts in our mouths when the horses took us to the edges, trying hard to pamper them so that they don't end up showing their acrobatic skills and being in awe of the dusk beauty in biting cold made our day.
My horse was Sambha. Thank you, Sambha for the racy heart beats and the safe, yet thrilling ride.
[Day 4]: En route to Manali via Kullu. This day witnessed people taking turns to vomit. A song was composed in order to honor the frequent nauseating sensations that most of them experienced. The rest continued to sing and dance. Moments were captured and movements were recorded. The gushing water(at times, serene), the chill breeze, lush green trees, majestic mountains and bushy animals - I still don't believe I saw them all, all at once!
The tea-break saw a poor dog become the victim to the love and affection showered by the dog-lovers of my class. The dog was named Jimmy, Bruno, Bruce, Balu and Barney(I don't remember the other names!).
<Spot the dog. Advance apology!>
[Day 5]: Next stop, Manali. Snow. Snow. Snow. Personally, I enjoyed this day the most. Looking like astronauts, tripping down while climbing, throwing snow on each other, the failed attempt to make a snow man, skiing, falling, sliding down and the photo sessions. Enough said. After-effects included going numb, head aches, nauseating sensations and stomach swirls. According to our hotel receptionist, the best medicine was a glass of rum when I requested for a bucket of hot water. Err, no, thank you!
That night witnessed some crazy singing and dance vibes around the camp fire.
[Day 6]: Next halt, Kullu. Rafting in the ice-cold Beas river. Although the instructions on what to do if the raft overturns were slightly scary, exciting screams overpowered the otherwise silent scenery when the freezing water slapped us hard ensuring none of our body parts were left dry.
The bus journey that followed witnessed the formation of the "set-state" gang. Crazy action dances, chinese whispers, songs compositions and interviews. The gang had an anthem which went like this:
Chan chala chal, chan chala chal, chan chala chal, chal.
<Part of the set-state gang involved in some crazy actions>
We even have a mascot, you know. What a night!
[Day 7]: Destination Delhi. Sambhar, rasam and rice. We all grinned wide. Metro rail, random road side shopping, and pani puris. Seeing your friends bargain in broken Hindi is always fun. Karol Bagh to Rajiv Chowk and back. A big shout out to Pallika Bazaar and Bikaner sweets.
[Day 8]: The next day unfurled with a bit of drama which was fun. India gate, Qutub Minar and the lotus temple. Lotus temple was a personal favorite for its architecture and tranquility. A sudden lull dawned over everybody the moment we took the bus to the station as the tour was coming to an end.
[Day 9]: Well, that was it. All this followed by the journey back home filled with the unveiling of many "secret" stories marked the end of a memorable trip with some really cool mates I made friends with in the last four years. Just as we approached Chennai, the traditional "Oh podu" gathered momentum and all the songs composed during the 9 days were revised.
[Day 9]: Well, that was it. All this followed by the journey back home filled with the unveiling of many "secret" stories marked the end of a memorable trip with some really cool mates I made friends with in the last four years. Just as we approached Chennai, the traditional "Oh podu" gathered momentum and all the songs composed during the 9 days were revised.
A big shout out to our organiser for giving us this memorable trip. He did take many a fall while planning and organising it. Here's a proof of it.
<Sorry for the damage. No revenge, ok organiser?>
To all the passengers on the train who bore with us, especially that 'Anna', Thank You.
To all my friends to whom Hindi meant starting a sentence with 'Bhaiya' and ending it with 'hai', thank you for all the just-for-laugh moments.
To all the people involved in some sort of drama, thank you for the entertainment.
To the cameras that patiently bore all our photographic skills(as we would like to call it) and for capturing all the will-never-come-back-again moments, thank you.
To the body aches and the sun tans, thank you for now I know that I really did enjoy.
To my country for giving me an opportunity to admire your diversity, thank you.
To my classmates for giving me an opportunity to know you more and miss you even more in another month, THANK YOU!
In our language,
"Yeh was a memorable trip hai. Nandri hai!"
