I had waited the entire summer to receive a message of reception from a holiday home in Mt.Abu, but they never cared until the bitter end. It was like they were calling me to collect the reward of a lottery ticket that I had burned, but who am I to disapprove. The train was due in an hour and that was ample enough for me to throw whatever came in the near eyesight. The last time I checked my watch, it was drunk as usual; it showed either 2 AM/PM and upheld it’s ritual of being right twice a day, which was more rigorous and righteous than any saint. Gasping I reached a train before my train and somehow I couldn’t manage the urge to control my pee, so I rushed to the lavatory & heard the screaming horn of that moving train, as my luck loved to have it. In a parallel universe I might have made the leap look absolutely heroic. The breezy wind stirred across at the doorways carrying all the elements of wooziness, but at such moments especially when I traveled alone my dull senses awakened to a greater height . On my arrival to the Abu road I spotted a group of 6 friends, and for a brief moment I wished the impracticable, if my fellas came with me; but the thing is to leave at such a short notice is atrocious & I had too much of it in me. Anyway, they took a personal taxi & voyaged to the top of the mountain. I had different ideas so I set out on a venture to find out more about this place & things not to be missed upon. An hour before dawn when it was the darkest I stumbled upon my answer, my light – the tea vendor; somehow I trusted them more than any media/internet for receiving factual information about the area. Never underestimate the power & knowledge of a tea vendor, as demonstration just take the example of Indian Prime Minister. My stay was in a holiday home with the spectacular sight of alluring vanilla clouds surrounded flawlessly to mountains, and to its sight  I knew right then & then that those people who woke to witness this panorama were contented. In life happy things are free, plus tax & limited validity of course, but being contended is satisfying. After feeling so completely rejuvenated I opened my room, threw my belongings & slumbered. In my raft of imagination drift I tried to build my personal heaven with clouds, shapes &  all the luminous things and I couldn’t control my smile because my heart knew that I won’t surpass the natural magnificence.

At I don’t know O’clock I unlocked my handbag only to realize that I had forgotten my toothbrush, paste & almost every obligatory thing except clothes. So I strolled down to the streets in search of a provision store but I halted on crossing an alcohol shop, not wasting even a stride of my legs I moved to procure dozen of beer cans & container. Approaching my room I realized that I had forgotten the purpose of journey, well so what people forget their purpose of life and as such I emptied the maiden bottle of the journey. I took my handbag & shoved couple of cans, and rushed towards an automobile rental shop. My eyes descended to the moderate ‘Hero Passion’ bike instead of a ‘Royal Enfield’ or ‘Avenger’, for me there was nothing more coquettish than modesty. She was the one ~

PLACES:

1. Gaumukh Temple ~ According to localities the temple is 750 steps downward, which I skipped upon under 15 minutes. On the way there are lots of monkeys & fruits as motivators, but the temple as final destination is sickeningly substandard artistically. A small stream of divine water flows from the mouth of marble cow, and as such I was thirsty I smooched & swallowed some cold water in exchange of my half tin beer. If gods exist they must be thanking me. Underneath Gaumukh there’s Vashishtha Ashram, which again was derivative at the sight of a younger brother sprinting & showering water from his penis to direct at his elder brother, who apparently stole the preceding one’s bicycle.

The climb was strenuous enough to push me back to my temporary dwelling & abandon the sunset point. If dawn was good, dusk must have been better.  

2. Nakki Lake ~ Why the name? Apparently as myth has, it was dug by gods through their nails (‘nakh’). Enclosed upon by mountain, colorful market, gardens & an air of tranquility, this place according to me is the heart of the city. I tagged along with a Chandigarh family of 3 for paddle boating & had fun in meeting novel people too.

Later on I would take pleasure in stuffing the area’s much loved sweet ‘Rabdi’ and follow it up with beer as my desert.