Awakening of Feelings
In the serenity of the mountains.
I jumped out of my bed with the feeling of energy and excitement rush through my body. It gave me the very much-needed warmth during the chilling cold winter at the foothills of the great Himalayas.
I had arrived last night, and this was my first time in the Himalayas. I was yet to see to what extent the descriptions I had heard and read matched with the actual place.
My eyes were numb from the cold, with my hands and legs shivering, which I did not notice due to the exhilaration giving way to a thrilling feeling in my mind. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the cottage- turning my head from left to right with a great yawn. My eyes fell on the clock, it was still 6 in the morning, and I had to go to a business meeting at 9 o’clock.
I had plenty of time left, and since I was so excited, I decided to go for a morning walk in the park nearby. I came to know about the park last night during dinner when I had overheard a conversation about it.
I got ready, covering my body with layers of clothing till I became twice of myself. It does become pretty cold in the Himalayas, especially during the peak season, which was the time when I had gone there.
I rushed out of my cottage after drinking a warm cup of tea. As soon as I closed the cottage door, a numbing wind blew past my face. It was cold but felt pleasant and refreshing.
I continued going uphill from my cottage. The park was about five kilometres away- was what I had heard last night. The freezing wind blowing past carried the smell of ‘Rajnigandhas’ with it, which were flowers that had the sweetest smell and would bloom only under the glistening night sky. They were about closing their petals into a bud by the early morning.
The smell was an inviting one, so I decided to follow it and anyways, it was coming from the direction in which I was going. I went against the direction of the wind, taking deep breaths to follow the pleasant smell. After a short walk, I reached where the ‘Rajnigandhas’ resided. It looked beautiful, like a white sheet- with a tinge of yellow- which covered the mountain, keeping it warm in the frigid weather.
I was in awe.
While I walked ahead, I grew tired, which made me think that I had definitely walked much more than five kilometres and should have reached the park before.
The delightful experience had made me forget to check the directions to the park. I took out my phone, but it was of no avail as there was no network in that area.
I wanted to reach the park, so I walked ahead with the thought that the park might be just past this hill, and turning back after coming so far was not an option I considered. Passing through a thick white curtain of mist while walking and the cold dew drops on my hand as I brushed it against a bush brought me into a state of tranquillity and serenity, a much-needed feeling, which I had almost forgotten as I got more and more involved in life.
Walking forward, I noticed a local and rushed to him, hoping that he would know where the park was. He told me to my surprise that I was standing in the park! He informed me that this was a natural reserve park that spreads out for acres of land. It turned out that I had misheard the conversation yesterday about the park.
I looked at my watch, and it was 7:30, which told me it was time to head back. I went back to my cottage, removed the layers of clothing and sat in front of the heater, turning it on to its full power.
I eased into comfort and thought about the dormant feelings, which had awoken in me due to this mesmerizing experience. These were those feelings of happiness, peace, and satisfaction that almost had been lost for some time now- as they faded away slowly but surely, without me giving any notice upon them.
I smiled as I knew that now I belonged to the Himalayas, and there was no returning from the place, which gave me this amount of happiness.
