Sattal (Uttrakhand) - Travel

Next day, I woke up early as usually at 4 o’clock, but I was in bed then I heard a sweet musical song companied by complete silence; it was a bird outside seemed near to my room, again I heard same music, but this time it was little far, and after some time dissolved in silence. Luckily I heard new song again it was a second bird; it repeated three time and drifted away. Three birds had come to present its performance, and now silence was everywhere. I closed my eyes and dived into this deep silent ocean without thinking to return back.

After some time, I heard sparrows chirping so I opened my eyes. I thought to take morning walk so I changed and left the room. When I was going to open the gate, I heard strange voice. I turned back; it was coming from the two giant trees which were the tallest among all trees. I got closer to the trees and found monkeys there. These trees were their houses.

I was strolling on road; the grass was wet with moisture and chillness in air; fog was creeping on the mountains like clouds had climbed down to play with mountains. After some time I noticed that some mountains were totally covered with white layer of fog like playing hide and seek.

When I was returning back one green mountain was shining with golden color which was very soothing to my eyes. The sun was rising in Bhimtal. This experience inspired to write a poem so it came this way.

A knock at door,
Woke me up,
When opened the door,
Got silence with dark,
Felt gentle touch,
And perfume somewhere,
Heard giggling kids,
Jumping everywhere.

Under spell,
I rushed there,
Found birds laughing,
Trees dancing,
And Lilly, Rose kissing behind there.

Found I dancing,
Stars smiling,
And a cloud ran into me there,
But who singing somewhere.

I climbed up hill,
Met cold wind,
Who calling a fog,
Got frozen on ice-rock,
Now, the world was far,
And the sky close,
Heard stars’ whispers,
Sun waiting no more,

Flower bed there,
Sun standing near,
He smiled at me,
Looked known to me,
Now, sky bluish appeared,
But who kissed me there.

                The tea was waiting for me when I reached in my room. I settled on sofa, and felt a kind of happiness that I missed in Delhi. I heard knock; it was Naresh.

            'What's plan for today,' I asked so I could get mentally ready.

            'We will cover two important spots today,' replied Naresh, 'Sattal and Ghorakhal

             'Sattal is a lake?' I took a sip to tea.
             'It's a lake.'
             'And Ghorakhal.'

   'It's an old temple.'
   'When we leave?'
   'How about 10:00 am.'
    'At 9:15 breakfast, be ready,' said Naresh and left the room.
I saw hanging calendar on wall; it was Tuesday; time seemed sliding out of my hand. I felt something buzzing; oh it was phone in silent mood.  It was Priya, software engineer, going America next month.

‘Ravi where are you,’ Priya asked, ‘I went your home yesterday, and your mom told about your Nainital adventure. You didn’t tell. Anyway when you getting back.

‘I will return this Sunday,’ I replied to stop her flood of questions.
‘Send photographs, and mail your piece of writing’
‘Fine I will’

 I had never told  anyone about this adventure. Actually I was in search of inspiration. This is true, Priya has been a romantic chapter in my life, but I am not happy with her decision going America. I understand it had been her dream that’s why; I had not talked for many days. Anyway better leave it here, I get ready; Naresh could come anytime.

Sitting on sofa and enjoying Curd with Paratha reminded me my mother. I had not called her yesterday; she would always complain about it and would give my younger brother’s examples who always call her. I accept; I don’t call but it doesn’t mean they are not important for me.

I closed the door; Naresh was waiting for me. I took my bag and walked down the stairs.
‘How we going?’ I asked.
‘By bike, it’s the best way of adventure,’ replied Naresh, ‘ And you know tourists can get rented bike.’

Naresh started his jet and it took off from Bhimtal. It reminded me yesterday riding. We were going through the market, but everything was new for me. It was a uphill riding in comparison to yesterday trip. Houses, restaurants were common as I had seen in Nakuchiya route except that hotels were bigger here; it was a national highway that’s why.

‘This path leads to Ghorakhal temple,’ told Naresh, pointing his finger to a uphill path. I traced the path but it disappeared behind trees; like shying, but it was really going to uphill, and mountain tip was almost touching the blue sky.

 After 2 km, we turned left at a fork, and we left the national highway.

‘This road leads to Ghorakhal and Nainital,’ told Naresh pointing to right side road.  We were on Sattal road; I noticed many schools, and a big college written with huge letters on a building Graphic Era on the roadside, and many new houses were under construction.

Now, Schools, College, and houses were behind us, and we had entered into a thick forest. There was no sign of life. If lion came out the bushes and welcomed us, it would not be a surprise. For a moment I was excited, we were riding on an abandoned road. A frequent tapping on a tree trunk griped my attention.

‘Naresh stop a moment,’ I requested. ‘Do you hear frequent tapping somewhere’.
‘Oh yah, it’s a woodpecker,’ replied Naresh like it was normal for him.
‘I want to see.’
‘Let’s follow the tapping’

We parked bike on roadside, and started hunting for woodpecker.  I saw a narrow path leading inside the forest, and the tapping was coming from there so I took that path. After walking a little distance, I saw narrow stream, water crystal clear. I could not resist, so put my hand in water, and felt like ice. For a moment, I was amazed, felt in a fairy tale, the thick woods, the sensation of chillness, and crickets playing their music.

Again I heard tapping around me; I turned my face upward, started hunting with my eyes. And finally, I found the bird, black feather with white spots, and red shade on head; everything was so fascinating  for a second this world got disappeared. Second time I got inspiration for poem.

‘You caught Woodpecker.’ I turned back; it was Naresh. My response was a big smile.
‘Come, let’s move now.’ 

Walking ahead was Naresh, and following behind I was. A current ran on my left hand, and gripped my fingers for a moment I was helpless what was that. Naresh took my hand saw carefully, and then looked around.

‘It’s Nettles. Here people call ‘Bichu’, and it stings’, said Naresh pointing to a plant. ‘Don’t worry. I will be all right.’ That plant had green leaves and needles everywhere.

After riding straight, the road took left turn downward. We were surrounded by Pine and Oak trees.  On right side I got first glimpse of the lake like it was greeting us. It was looking green and sky like a blue umbrella. It was at the foot of the mountains surrounded like a bowl filled with water. There was extreme quietness that I never felt in Nakuchiya or Bhimtal. I didn’t find any house anywhere it was a forest untouched by human intervention.  The lake was stretched on our left side, while a few cars were standing on roadside, and we were riding slowly;.

I stretched my hands, and took a long breath as much as I could. There were stairs downward leading to lake, while stairs’ right side hotels were standing in line. There was a lot of space in front of the hotels, where sitting arrangement was done by hotels, which was covered by people. It would be a nice experience having a lunch under trees and sitting at the edge of the lake surrounded by Height Mountains. It was noon so, ‘better returning time have lunch,’ I thought.

 ‘People are talking quite loudly,’ first I thought but after five minutes realized; there people voice was sounding like speaking in an empty theater. An experiment jumped in my head so I walked up to the edge of the lake, circled hands around mouth, and spoke louder as I could ‘I love you’. A magic happened my voice echoed not one time, not two time, but four times. Everyone stopped talking, all eyes looking at me but sorry, ‘this is me’. I visualized like musicians playing instrument at edge of this lake while audience sitting on boats, and enjoying it in unique amphitheater.

I saw Naresh standing near a narrow bridge which was going across the lake. I walked up to him.
‘Where have you been,’ I asked.
‘Had some old business with one guy,’ answered Naresh with friendly smile, ‘Come I show you something that would you like.’

I followed him across the bridge then he started climbing up the hill. I was falling behind so I ran up to him, and maintain the pace.

‘Where we going,’ I asked after taking long breath.
            ‘There is an Ashram, runs by an NGO, which is a history that I want to show you.’

After five minutes uphill walk, we reached to a flat piece of land where many new and old building were standing. There specially seven small quarters standing in a row looked history to me as Naresh was talking.

‘When our country was under British control; this place was a dense forest and tigers were common here, so this place was heaven for hunting. They used to stay here especially in summer seasons even they called their offices here, post office from Nainital, and in winter they would move back. Post office shifting tradition in summer season was continuing until 2015.’

I looked inside through small windows of those quarters; there was enough room for one person.

‘I want to see this Ashram,’ I requested to Naresh. He smiled, and we started ascending on narrow zigzag path, either side covered with green grass besides trees standing around everywhere; somewhere it looked brown covered with Pines needles. Finally the paths joined with a main road. There on roadside a limestone building was standing, which looked old but well maintained, and more like an office.

Inside no one was there as I was expecting any foreigner face. Back side I saw many people looked local by their appearance, and a tea kettle on fire. I talked to them and found they were from nearest villages. They told me there are seven lakes that’s why it was called Sattal.

It was 2 pm, and we had to visit Ghorakhal, but I wanted so stay that Ashram, so I had to say good bye to those simple friendly people.

 We followed the same path that had brought us in Ashram so we were walking downhill, and then suddenly I felt like my feet tied, my ears followed something, and my eyes found someone. It was the magic of flute that had spelled on me, but who was playing. I left the path, and started searching everywhere, seeking someone reminded me playing hid and seek with Dad. I followed the flue and it took me near cattle grazing there. Then immediately flue music dissolved in silence and only thing that was left, ding-dong of the cattle bells. I walked up to the cattle, now I could hear their grass biting and crewing sound. What all were thinking when saw me with their big eyes.

‘Searching something’ I heard one voice under Pine tree. I looked down there, and saw one boy around 20 years old in pent – shirt, tall, thin face, and light brown uncombed hair.

‘These cattle are yours,’ I asked to start a talk. Before he would answer, I asked, ‘Did you hear flute here. Well, you know who was playing.’

‘I was playing the flute,’ he replied to my last question. ‘It was amazing; would you play it again.’  And I settled down on the green grass facing huge mountains and lake down there was in my sight. He smiled, and took a flute lying on grass, which I hadn’t noticed. My ears recognized the same flute notes; the boy was playing, his both eyes closed like he was not there and someone else was playing. A little stir among trees due to breeze seemed like they were dancing. My wish for amphitheatre had come true.

Now only cows’ bell sound was left, and once again the flute music had faded away in silence.

‘What’s your name,’ I asked.
               ‘Krishna,’ he replied with smile. For a moment, my brain suggested he was Load Krishna who had come there.

Walking down along the path I was totally absorbed, and flute melody was still alive in my ears. I heard people talking all around; it was the same place we had left three hours ago. I was starving so Naresh ordered lunch, which we enjoyed under blue sky near lake and mountains around us.

At 3’o clock we left the unforgettable place which was still in its natural form and headed for Ghorakhal.