Miracles are bound to happen…

After his mother’s demise, the situation turned worse. He was labeled as a curse for his family, a curse to himself, and a curse for everyone. Sometimes, he used to slam the door of his room, sat helpless on the floor with his knees touching the chin and arms wrapped around the legs. He cried loud for being a curse on himself and his family. No one noticed his soaked cheeks, his exasperation that dwelt deep inside the heart, and his room which was flooded every day with his precious tears that carve out from his eyes.

 His agony got suppressed under the loud cry.

Sometimes, he used to walk alone in the dark patch of road, look up in the sky, point towards the star and said,

“Mom!  Come back and save me. Prove them that I’m not a curse.”

A silent cry would come out that only the moon and the stars could understand. But, they also seemed helpless. Every day, he returned back home with nothing to cherish and it seemed his lips had forgotten to smile. His father, after getting drunk, beat him like he used to beat his mother. He didn’t cry as he had at least learnt to suffer this physical pain. The physical scars given by his father were nothing in front of the emotional scars that he suffered every day.  The barbarous behavior of his father meant a blessing for him and he said,

“At least he touches me”

He died every moment, every second, every minute, every hour, every day and every week. Frustration soared every time and he decided to end up his precious life. But, he was not able to take this harsh step. Sometimes, he punched the wall multiple times to spit out his agony, but all the efforts seemed to go in vain. There was no one with whom he could share and let his pain to levitate a bit, there was no one who could listen to him, console him, and most importantly save him. There was only a pillow that understood him as he could hug him and weep.

One fine day, he was sitting alone near the seashore, the waves kissed his feet and a never-ending sea looked like a never ending hope for him. The ships and cruise crawling on it seemed like people searching for the destination. There was a thought in the back of the mind that some ships might be entangled in the storm somewhere, but they would still be fighting with valor. Soon, he saw a girl sitting a few yards away, gazing at the sea with a smile. He was amazed to see the soothing smile after such a long time. He used to laugh also when his mother was here. The tears again trickled down his cheeks and fell into the sea. The sea herself experienced a silent storm erupting inside. He stood up and moved forward, the high intensity waves tried to stop him, but he kept on moving to become a part of her.

“Hey! What are you doing?” A sweet voice came from behind.

He turned back and saw the same beautiful girl wearing a black T-shirt and blue denim jeans.

“Where are you going?” “Do you have any problem?”

A series of questions were thrown on his face. He could only stand with his head bowed. When he raised his head, his eyes were filled with tears. She sat with him and asked him about the problems. Sometimes, strangers come into your life as a blessing and change you with their efforts. They become your helping hand and carve out you from the hardships of life. They come as a miracle and then we are forced to believe that,

“Miracles are bound to happen”.

Her hand carved him out of the darkness and she gave him that much needed light that was missing. Every good adjective found it difficult in front of her. Anything came in his way; she solved it with zeal and instilled positive energy in him. This made him believe that it’s true!

MIRACLES ARE BOUND TO HAPPEN…..

Conspiracy it was & Conspiracy it is….

It was insane on our part, but you know, there was something special about that night, there was some conspiracy on the part of God that made that night prepossessing, made that walk prepossessing.

Do you remember!

The clouds that hovered over the sky when the minute hand and the hour hand intersected at number twelve, the moon that played hide and seek; the drops that fell on the dark stretch of road, the wind that hit hard on the face, and the stray dogs.

The fingers that brushed your hand and the hesitation to hold it, the sweet voice of yours, and your beautiful eyes.

The indomitable silence, the never ending highway, and the muddy water that made me to hold your hand sometimes.

The endless talks, your smile or to be specific; your laugh and your face that gave a soothing effect.

Surely a Conspiracy it was….

I honestly don’t know!

It was the moon or the rain, it was your hand or your eyes, it was the muddy water or the silence, it was your smile or your face, but it was something else, something unusual about that night which made my dilemma to overpower and induced me to ask one question to myself,

“Is this the right time?”

And you know, every cell of mine is searching the watch which could say,

“Go Man! Your time has come. Confess her”

It feels like, every moment is conspiring against me.

Surely a Conspiracy it was and Conspiracy it is…

Are We Sensible?

“I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality and fraternity” ~ B.R. Ambedkar

The above quote by the Father of Indian Constitution summed up everything in one line. Read it multiple times and try to understand what he is saying? He said a heart wrenching line for all the people who are still entangled in the shackles of religious conflicts. Every religion teaches the same thing that he quoted. But one question that comes to my mind a million times.

Are We Sensible?

Do we try to understand what the holy books teach? Either it is Bhagwat Geeta, Quran, The Bible or Guru Granth Sahib. They all teach us the same thing and they tell us to follow the same religion termed as “Humanity”. 

As Dalai Lama said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”

Love and compassion for everyone is something Humanity teaches. Every day, we malign the name of God by engaging in religious conflicts. The temples, mosques, Gurudwara or the Church are constructed by humans but we humans are the creation of the almighty. If we are shedding blood, then it’s obvious that we don’t value his creation, but we value our creation which is nothing in front of Humanity.

We are even worse than a 5-year-old kid who doesn’t create differences between the people and treat everyone equally. We are not sensible enough to understand the harsh reality that we are destroying Humanity in the name of God. The reason we don’t try to understand.

As Quran states, “Blood for Blood”

Do we even know what it means? We interpreted it wrong that if someone sheds our blood, then we also have to do the same.

It means that if we shed someone’s blood, then God will pay back your sins in the similar way.

So try to understand what holy books and holy places teach us, they don’t teach us to fight; they teach us the language of love, kindness and compassion. So, don’t create differences and follow only one religion that is “Humanity”.

A Walk Of Life- Part 3

In the Hospital.

I could see a syringe penetrated inside my right hand and a tube leading to the glucose bottle that hung on the stand placed near my bed covered with a white sheet. I moved my eyes all over the place in a semi-conscious state, felt a little pain in the head and legs. The collision came in front of my eyes once again and I closed my eyes in fear and howled with pain.

The nurse and doctor rushed inside and calmed me, an injection was inserted inside the tube which alleviated the pain to some extent. I witnessed a guy standing at the entrance of the ward and I didn’t take much time to realize that he is Vaibhav. A skinny guy with big spectacles covering his eyes and a good sense of humor, which could make anyone laugh at any time and in any situation.

“You spoiled my sleep by giving my number to that stern doctor,” he grinned after this statement.

I laughed, then he inquired with a mischievous smile,

“Any hot nurse out here?”

He was with me from the high school days. We shared our happiness, we shared our grief, we shared everything and our bond of friendship is eternal.

He was mischievous from the school days only. On one fine day, during a Mathematics class. He disturbed me by tapping on my head frequently.

“Stop it Man!” I said.

Soon, the teacher spotted us and a slap was printed on his face. I controlled my laughter and soon he was standing in the rear end of the class, his head bowed down but he was still grinning.

Back to Hospital.

“No! There is no hot nurse here. You’re not watching porn,” I said with a mischievous smile.

He sat near my bed and we had long insane conversations, the pain seemed to be losing its way due to his presence.

“Have you informed your parents?” He queried with a serious look.

“No,” I said hesitantly.

I somehow convinced him for not informing my parents about the accident as it’s been a long time I had conversed with my parents. For some reasons, I separated from my parents to fulfill my dream which was not possible living with them.

The sun settled down and our talks continued. He saw the time in his watch which showed 6.00 PM. He stood up to leave.

“Take rest my friend. I’ll come again tomorrow to see you.”

He waved me goodbye and same was replied by me with a smile. Soon, the doctor came and inserted an injection in the tube and dizziness hovered my body.

I wanted to scream but was not able to, my eyes spread wide and I was not able to breathe. A white pillow was forcefully placed on my face covering my nose and mouth which made me to move my limbs with full force. I could see a man trying to stop my breath, face was not clear as it was dark in the room. The bottle placed near my bed fell down because of the forceful movement of my limbs. The noise made him run out of the ward and I screamed with vehemence.

“Stop! You bastard”

The nurse and doctor ran in the room and calmed me.

“Who was there?”

“He ran away just a moment ago,” my eyes filled with fear.

The face was red like a tomato, and doctor tried to calm me every single moment.They made me sleep, but I couldn’t and my mind kept on thinking…

“Who wants to kill me?”

---The End---

For Part-4 (Stay tuned)



For Part 1: http://rahulchhabra.blogspot.in/2016/09/a-walk-of-life-part-1_24.html

For Part 2: http://rahulchhabra.blogspot.in/2016/09/a-walk-of-life-part-2_24.html

Parashar Lake Trek

Some Mysteries Are Meant To Be Seen.

Somewhere in Between….

The barren lands, the rocks that paved the way, the brilliant blue sky with some white clouds hovering over majestic mountains, the never ending walk of the fellow trekkers, the hope of reaching the destination, and the cold wind of last day of the year slapped our face at regular intervals. The temperature dropped down as we ascended up in the search of a mysterious destination; we kept moving up as a result of stimulation given by the Mother Nature. The mystery that stand at an altitude of almost 2730 meters (approx. 8950 ft.); the word “Mystery” gave the fillip to move forward every time. The chilling winters after autumn snatched away the greenery, but the brown color also looked prepossessing. We kept on ascending and we reached; mystery could be witnessed in front of our eyes. The feeling of achievement hovered our heads and we jumped with jubilation.

The Start….

The vehicle moved on the curvy roads surrounded by mountains, the chanting of songs by us, the stupid games that made us laugh out loud, to which mountains also seemed to throw a smile on us. The group of 15 people in a single vehicle gave some exhilarating effect from the very beginning of the journey. It started from Chandigarh and came to an end at Mandi with few halts on the way. The hotel rooms were booked which made all of us to take some rest as the trek to the mysterious lake was scheduled for the next day. We all got up at 6.00 am and the cab was waiting for us to take us to the Bandi village from where the Trek will start. Thanks! To Trek Trails for providing the cab. We had a delicious breakfast at a distance of 10 km from the hotel. Thanks! Again to Trek Trails for such a stupendous arrangement of food. Bandi village is a small village with an entirely different culture that can be experienced if you want. When we reached there, we were briefed about the distance and the difficulty level of the trek. The 7 km trek to the mysterious lake dedicated to Saint Parashar was considered an easy one. When the word “Easy” came out from the mouth of our Trek Guide, all got inspired and I could sense a half battle won.

The trek started and the steep hills with steps welcomed us in the initial half. It was so weary that the sweat found the way from everywhere to flow and it drenched the clothes. The walk of 3.5 kilometers looked never ending but inspiration came from a 44 year old lady who was there with us. She constantly pumped us all and thwarted us to sit and take rest. As sitting at regular intervals induces cramps. So she said,
“Stand and take a halt. Don’t sit”

After a 3.5 km weary stretch, we had our lunch and a photo shoot covering the trail of mountains that surround us. We took a halt for a while and started moving ahead. The next 3.5 km had no steps as told by our guide. We started again on a high note and ascended further. The small green patches could be seen but the ways were mostly brown; brown rocks, brown mountains, and brown grass. The beauty lies in every color. It just need our true perception to see it. When the sun rays fell on the brown patch of land, it shined and vibrated positive energy which made it look enchanting. We passed through many quaint villages which looked so soothing because many of us were experiencing this scenery for the first time. The huts there cloned the scenery that we used to draw in the childhood. The gratification on the faces of village people made us learn something. In spite of not having any proper basic necessities, they remain happy. These all things could be experienced only when we trek and the after effects of these will surely make you self-effacing with the outer world. The scenic beauty mesmerized everyone as if we were witnessing a dream. After a walk of 3.5 km, we could see the boundary with fences and the mystery was confined within that boundary. The mysterious Parashar Lake; floating island on it which changes its direction according to the seasons and depth which is still unknown. These two mysteries made this lake prepossessing from a long time. The sun was setting down and the moment was worth capturing and my eyes experienced a soothing effect. The heart could sense that moment; the moment we all wanted to be eternal. At a height of almost 2730 meters (approx. 8950 ft.); we stood there hypnotized by setting sun and the lake seemed saying,
“Have a look at me also. I’m here”

There is a temple dedicated to Saint Parashar near the lake which is also beautifully built and it could be a perfect destination for those who loves to know about historical architecture.

Soon, the night overpowered the day showing off the beauty in its own way. The moon and its light showering unconditional love on us, the sky with a myriad of stars showed us the never ending galaxies, a small hint of clouds trying to cover the moon and a guitarist on the earth gave the pristine look to it. The songs were sung by all the trekkers sitting all around the bonfire. The soup and popcorn at such high altitude by Trek Trails made it more amazing.

It was something different we did on 31st night; an unusual 31st night in the mountains with no alcohol. The mountains gave us entirely disparate intoxication which was addictive in a positive way. The guitar continued and one guy started reverse counting from 10. At a stroke of 0, we all screamed with zeal
“Happy New Year”

The cake was served by Trek Trails as a surprise which gave the finishing effect to an astounding day. The dance around the bonfire continued for some time and then all slept in their camps with a smile.

The Return…

The wake up call and the tea was served to all the trekkers. The mornings have its different beauty in the mountains and the temperature was quite pleasing after a harsh drop in the temperature at night. The clear day showed us panoramic 180 degree view of Dhauladhar, Pirpanjal and Kinnaur ranges. The scintillating view forced my tongue to say, “WOW”

The yoga sessions near the lake and chanting of “OM” that echoed the mountains with positive vibes penetrating inside the body which reinvigorated us and our soul felt reawakened. The mouth-watering breakfast after the session made our spirits high. We started the downhill trek, which was a different route which made this whole trek a circular one. The return trail passed through dense forests and we danced with our heart out when we took a halt somewhere. The indomitable silence of the forests and the peace that poured its heart out. The heart smiled which overpowered the weariness to large extent.

After trekking down for 6 km, we found a river where we had our lunch and the sound of crystal clear water brushing the hard rocks made the ears to experience musical harmony. The downhill trek ended at Baggi village where we were welcomed by a snake show. The King Cobra slowly came out of the box and moved its body like the flame of a candle. The cabs were ready and we were dropped at the Mandi bus stand. A pleasing 2 day circular trek ended and we felt content after a perfect start to the year 2017.

 To witness the alluring beauty of a mysterious Parashar lake, you all should go to this trek for at least once in your lifetime.

A Canvas of a Dream....

A canvas of a dream, he painted in his mind. Lost in the thoughts of achieving it from a very tender age, he did things that he longed for and drives him with ecstasy, he did things that his heart spoke out, and he did things which rejuvenated his soul from deep inside. Lively he was but time never remains the same.

The canvas he painted got shattered into pieces, pieces that dwelt pain in his heart, pieces that couldn’t be fixed, pieces that puzzled him and made his dilemma to overpower his mind. What he did now made him lost in a negative way, smile got scrunched under the burden of many important things that might be important for the world but not for him, that might be important for his parents but not for him, that might everyone dreams for but not him. He remained silent, he smiled but no one knew the pain that resided deep inside his heart. When he saw through his inner eyes and traveled to his heart, he found nothing, he just found the jovial him, trapped behind the bars with shackles overpowering his dreams and helpless he wished to be free again like a bird with no worries. He fought hard but couldn’t muster that amount of strength to open the bars. He sat alone, cried hard, tears got lost somewhere in the pillow like an illusion, frustrated he was, conversed with himself in front of a mirror, trying to find a companion who could listen to him, understand him and show him the way to get lost again in the thoughts that made him happy.

The scars are still there, intensity being the same, but he is strong now, he smiles and try to keep everyone happy. He motivates everyone to paint a canvas of their dreams and don’t let any negative energy to break it into pieces. Don’t know but he might be trying to find himself in others, trying to bring those shattered pieces together, trying to overpower the dilemma, trying to free the real he trapped behind the bars, trying to be fine, trying to do what makes him happy, trying…., trying…. and trying to find that last try which could dwell peace deep inside his heart.

A thought by : Amit Anurag.

Collated By: Rahul Chhabra

A Soldier Who Lost....

“The Kargil war has commenced,” A newspaper headline said.

The line forced the forehead of many families to form wrinkles.  There was panic among the citizens and tension prevailed in the whole country.  Family of soldiers was the worst affected by the news.  Each and every citizen prayed for the soldiers who were facing a grim battle against the enemy. The fear swept across the country among the family of soldiers who were the most anxious about the war. The war snatched away their sleep, they smiled in front of everyone, but no one knew the thoughts that whirled deep in their heads. They waited for the phone call every day, but it never came. Those few days looked like a million years to them. Every time a picture of the battle came in front of their eyes, which shook their bodies and numbness overpowered their heads. On one hand, the families were facing a serious battle and on the other hand their loved ones were fighting for the country.

The sound of constant gun fires and bombs being dropped in the pious mountains of Ladakh from both sides. The air was filled with smoke and the field was filled with bomb shells all over the place. There were few wounded soldiers that lay on the snow capped mountains that stand there. The war turned out to be very laborious because of rough terrain and harsh natural habitat. The dropping temperatures at night added more problems to the situation.
“The firing is heavy,” Sandeep said with a perturbed look.

“But, we have to fight,” Rakesh replied.

As the enemy was sitting on high altitudes which made it easier for them to attack from the top. This made the soldiers to remain alert all the time on the Line of Control. Pin drop silence for some time and then bullets come again flying from the top like some tiny supersonic rockets. This thing became monotonous after a while, but Sandeep kept fighting along with Rakesh. Heavy bombing started from the enemy side which took lives of many soldiers.

Sandeep was sitting with Rakesh behind a large rock so that no gun fires could hit them. They were breathing heavily due to dropping oxygen levels at that height. They were together from the day they joined NCC and cleared the Indian Army exam together. Rakesh was more like a brother for him and his family also knew him. He was a frequent visitor to their home because he misses his parents who met with an accident few years back. They both shared their grief and happiness, they both shared their joy, and they both shared their things, their food, their clothes and everything. They were not friends; they were brothers. They discussed about the imprudent things that they did in the past which made them laugh. As gun fires tend to descend so Rakesh said,
“Can we move forward?”

“I think so,” Sandeep said with a confident look.

They started crawling so that the enemy couldn’t get a glance of them. They were about to reach the top where they could attack and destroy the enemy base camp to register a victory for their battalion. As they ascended nearer, the enemy opened the fire. They revolted back and their cunning techniques made them to reach there. More heavy fire was deployed on them and they fought hard, but from nowhere, a bomb came and exploded at some distance apart. The explosion was so hard that made them deaf for a moment and they fell on the ground with a bang. Soon Sandeep got up and saw Rakesh howling with excruciating pain.

He ran towards him and he could see him with no legs. He was shocked for a moment, stood their numb with his eyes open and a tear came out from one corner of the eye and reached his lips. But Rakesh’s howl brought him out of the numbness and he picked him up on his shoulders and descended down. Soon, he was taken on a stretcher to the medical base camp by the group of soldiers. He became unconscious but Sandeep constantly pumped him up to not close his eyes. The tears kept flowing but he was adamant for saving his brother with whom he shared everything, even his family. Soon they reached the camp and his atrocious condition made doctors to come in action swiftly. They operated him but he lost his legs.

The Kargil war took more than 60 days to get over which resulted in large number of deaths on both sides and endless injuries that soldiers suffered which made them face hard time in the future. But the great thing was that India won. Soon, Rakesh gained consciousness and saw Sandeep sitting beside him.
“Did we win?”

“Yes!” Sandeep said with a satisfactory smile.

There was a glow on his face, it seemed like he forgot all his pain because country’s pride was far more superior; his personal atrocities could be ignored. The soldiers were felicitated for the victory. Newspapers were flooded with Heroes of Kargil and a wave of happiness swept across the whole country. The victory was like a festival for all the citizens and they danced with their heart out.

Rakesh was jovial with the victory but he had deep condolences for the soldiers who lost their body part in the war because he could completely understand their situation.

Soldiers take responsibility to save their country, its people and its pride without any selfishness. They don’t want the same from whole country but at least they expect this selfless behavior from their families. Sandeep was sanguine that his family has that selflessness attitude that they will take care of Rakesh as he has no family to look after him.
So he called home,
“Hello Mom,”

Mother jumped with joy and there were tears in her eyes.
“How are you Son?” mother asked.

“I’m fine,”

“I need a permission, it’s just a formality because I know you won’t deny”

“Yeah! Go on Son”

“Mom! You know Rakesh?”

“Yes”

“He lost his legs in the war. So can I bring him home as he has no family to look after him?”
There was a pin drop silence on the other side and after collecting all her strength.

“No! We can’t take his responsibility and you also shouldn’t”
He was shocked and cried hard. He hugged Rakesh tightly and said,

“I lost today”

Sandeep never went home after that and he devoted his life for Rakesh and all other soldiers like him who have no family to look after them.