Life gives you choices to make and it's on us how we take those choices. It shows you some of the other ways through glimpses of nature which inspires our inner soul and drives us crazy to do something different. For me, hills and mountains are the craziest things in nature. They show how to be stubborn as well as strong; to be humble as well as caring. I love to travel alone as it brings back the best in me. It shows me the real me where I can trace back my life for real meaning. But, this time it was a bit different. A bit more lovely and sweet as I met one such kind of a person. She showed me the reality which we all disagree million times.
She was just, a simple mountain girl.
My destination for this time was Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. A valley located between the lands of Tibet and India. Small cold desert mountains all over the place with monasteries spread in the small region. Dry white cold desert spread vastly and that makes the valley more pretty and beautiful. I loved the view as I saw those mountains which will be my home for the next few days. The culture was so different from the city lives. Calm people happy with the small earnings, children living a decent lifestyle and society not judging you by your face and clothes. I landed in one of the hotel rooms after a 4-hour journey from Kulu; totally exhausted and needed something to grab and eat. But, I wanted to eat something weird, something tasty and not these hotels' cuisines. I peeped out of the window to take a view of the local area and I saw a girl sitting in a stall and selling hot soup and Maggi.
Putting on my black jacket and a pair of new shoes that I saved for the trip, I hopped down the stairs towards her stall. A girl in mid 20's, she was pretty, beautiful and a girl whose eyes could talk. Amidst, the busy street she was calmly reading a book. Drowned in the words of the books, she didn't even notice that I was standing as a customer staring at her. She was typically a mountain girl (dressed like native people), with a red scarf on her head. With her eyes into the books, she smiled and asked, "Order please !!". "Two hot Maggi and one very very hot cup of soup. It's too cold here.", I told rubbing my hands. She was busy reading a book and preparing the order and paid no attention to my words. I even stopped disturbing her.
After some time, she handed me a bowl of hot soup, which was delicious. I kept on sipping it slowly and she kept looking at me. As her eyes were constant, I asked " what ??". She finally spoke, "It's already late evening, I need to close the stall. So, kindly sip the soup a bit fast and take your Maggi." I didn't say anything and just kept on eating and sipping fast. As she closed her stall, I asked her, "Is there any local guide anywhere, I need to go around the monasteries and hills ?" "Meet me tomorrow morning here, I will help you out", she said with her back towards me and walked away.
Was she weird or rude? Or was this her regular behavior to everyone who came to her stall ? Shrugging my shoulders, I came back to the hotel looking at the starry light decorations all around the market. I enjoyed the night view from the balcony, sitting there looking at the stars and vaguely shaped monasteries far ahead in the mountains. But, that girl's face kept shuffling in my mind. Neither she was the most pretty girl I have seen nor her words have made me crazy, but there was something that kept me thinking about her.
I woke up to the morning bells of the monasteries and to the local market noises. Peeping out of the window, I could smell the sweet air and turning my head to the right, I could see that sweet girl opening the stall again. I hurried myself, got ready and rushed down the stairs to the Maggi stall which has become my favorite food joint last night only. " Good Morning !!", I greeted her as soon as I reached near her stall. She looked up, smiled and asked "The same menu as of yesterday's night or would you like some hot momos in the morning breakfast ?". I agreed for the momos ditching the thought of maggi for which I had made up my mind. She looked pretty calm and fine today which led me to ask her, " Hi, I am Sameer and what about you ?". She looked up and smiled, " I am Dohna, I run this small stall and also work as a guide too." I asked her can she accompany me for all the 5 days and guide me in seeing the beautiful places, for which she was a bit hesitant but at last she said a yes.
We started our journey by exploring all the monasteries. First starting from the "Key" monastery and then visiting others like Tabo, Lhalung and Gandhola. How peaceful it is when you enter into that dome of peace and rejuvenate yourself by seeing in and around the sanctum. Dohna kept on explaining me the importance of the culture and heritage of those spiritual sites and how these monasteries protect the people of Spiti. How these sites have been one of the best creation of mankind and how Lord Buddha is always with them. But, continuously I could see one thing in her face, that she was not happy. She was explaining me those mugged up lines which guides repeat each and everyday to their customers. Those exaggerated parts which even God himself would deny.
The day ended around 6 pm and while coming back, I asked her "So Dohna, what you love to do ?". She turned her face towards me and told, "We people don't have love or interest, we do those things from where we can feed our family. Our aspirations are cremated ...buried and we just work so that someone else at home can smile everyday". As the tyres screeched, I came back into my sense as her words puzzled my thoughts. I went back to my room and retired to bed but the words of Dohna kept oscillating in my mind.
Three days passed and Dohna had shown me all those beautiful monasteries, serene lakes of Chandra Taal and Surya taal. We did trekking onto these places with the snowy mountains walking by our side. She was an expert in trekking those uneven points and I used to take a lot of time to match up her pace. We sat near the lake of Surya taal looking at those beautiful natural creations. God has been very kind to Spiti and it can be seen from the calmness which prevailed all around. But, there was a storm going on inside her.
"Can I ask you something ?", I asked. She understood what I wanted to ask and replied, " I know you are observing me from couple of days and seeing a weird pattern in my behavior and words. Sameer, neither I am sad nor I am happy. I am satisfied with what I have." She smiled again and told, " I can still see many questions in your eyes .... Come I will answer you those", holding my hand she took me to another small valley nearby to my hotel. This is where all those shopkeepers and small shop owners resided. At the very end of that locality was a small tiny house. Colored in pink and white, the house had a small room and a attached hall. To the right , there was the kitchen and straight ahead was the restroom. Opening the door of the room, I could see a small girl of 6-7 years with red cheeks sitting and reading a rhyme book. "She is my sister Jinpa and I want her not to be like me", I could see a drop of tear making its way down through the cheeks to the chin and a sense of love and responsibility she had for her younger one. "I want her to laugh, I want her to run here and there and do whatever she wants to. I don't want the word of responsibility to weigh her shoullders down".
"My father and mother ran that same stall but when I was 18, they passed away with prolonged illness. First mummy and then in some days papa also. Jinpa was just a year old and from then I am her mother and I am her everything. You know Sameer, why I didn't look at you the very first day when you came to my stall ? Because I was jealous of that smile and happiness that you had on your face. I even want that and I search it everywhere. I pace up to the monasteries , sit beside those lakes, but I don't find it. But, I find that contentment in this tiny smile of her. So, every morning I woke up to her smile and end my day with her. That's my daily dose of happiness. Nothing else matters to me. Still I try to find a positivity in those lakes and monasteries... and I find it somewhere in Lord Buddha too."
I kept on looking at her and grasping her words. We were walking down the lane to the market near to the stall and she was reciting her life in my ears. Who could imagine that a girl in her mid 20's would be so matured and understand the life so beautifully. She played so many roles simultaneously, from being a maggi stall owner, to being a guide for the tourists , to being a mother and elder sister, she managed all of it so smoothly. As it was my last night in Spiti and was going to leave next evening, she invited me to her home for lunch on the next day.
I reached on time and knocked on the door. Jinpa opened the door with a broad smile on her face and I gave her the gift that I had brought for her. Dohna welcomed me and made me sit in a small table with Jinpa on my right. She presented some authentic delicious food like Thukpa- a noodle soup, Papza Mogu- dough balls with sugar, butter, curd and cheese, also a steam bun named Tingmo. I enjoyed the meal and was about to leave when Jinpa gave me a small sheet which has been painted by her. There was nothing special in that but it touched me deeply.
We walked down the street again as she came to drop me till the hotel. I looked at her and said, " Dohna, don't leave this place ever. This beautiful and serene place needs people like you so that we city dwellers can understand what true relation is and how we can make that count. Here, you are very close to The God and most important thing is God himself wants you to stay close to you. I Don't know whether we will meet again or not, but I will miss your Maggi and I will miss you too." She hugged me and said, "Don't miss me, you are not allowed to, But yes do go to different places like these and make the life so so special of each and every Dohna. It's because of people like you who cross our paths once in a while and make us feel that yes, we are also important."
I bid her a goodbye and walked along my path to take my bags come back to those city noises again. But, I will again travel to another place and meet another Dohna and Jinpa who will make me understand again that,
"life is not just what we live, life is worth only if it is lived for others .... be it for a reason or just for a tiny smile on their face."
After some time, she handed me a bowl of hot soup, which was delicious. I kept on sipping it slowly and she kept looking at me. As her eyes were constant, I asked " what ??". She finally spoke, "It's already late evening, I need to close the stall. So, kindly sip the soup a bit fast and take your Maggi." I didn't say anything and just kept on eating and sipping fast. As she closed her stall, I asked her, "Is there any local guide anywhere, I need to go around the monasteries and hills ?" "Meet me tomorrow morning here, I will help you out", she said with her back towards me and walked away.
Was she weird or rude? Or was this her regular behavior to everyone who came to her stall ? Shrugging my shoulders, I came back to the hotel looking at the starry light decorations all around the market. I enjoyed the night view from the balcony, sitting there looking at the stars and vaguely shaped monasteries far ahead in the mountains. But, that girl's face kept shuffling in my mind. Neither she was the most pretty girl I have seen nor her words have made me crazy, but there was something that kept me thinking about her.
I woke up to the morning bells of the monasteries and to the local market noises. Peeping out of the window, I could smell the sweet air and turning my head to the right, I could see that sweet girl opening the stall again. I hurried myself, got ready and rushed down the stairs to the Maggi stall which has become my favorite food joint last night only. " Good Morning !!", I greeted her as soon as I reached near her stall. She looked up, smiled and asked "The same menu as of yesterday's night or would you like some hot momos in the morning breakfast ?". I agreed for the momos ditching the thought of maggi for which I had made up my mind. She looked pretty calm and fine today which led me to ask her, " Hi, I am Sameer and what about you ?". She looked up and smiled, " I am Dohna, I run this small stall and also work as a guide too." I asked her can she accompany me for all the 5 days and guide me in seeing the beautiful places, for which she was a bit hesitant but at last she said a yes.
We started our journey by exploring all the monasteries. First starting from the "Key" monastery and then visiting others like Tabo, Lhalung and Gandhola. How peaceful it is when you enter into that dome of peace and rejuvenate yourself by seeing in and around the sanctum. Dohna kept on explaining me the importance of the culture and heritage of those spiritual sites and how these monasteries protect the people of Spiti. How these sites have been one of the best creation of mankind and how Lord Buddha is always with them. But, continuously I could see one thing in her face, that she was not happy. She was explaining me those mugged up lines which guides repeat each and everyday to their customers. Those exaggerated parts which even God himself would deny.
The day ended around 6 pm and while coming back, I asked her "So Dohna, what you love to do ?". She turned her face towards me and told, "We people don't have love or interest, we do those things from where we can feed our family. Our aspirations are cremated ...buried and we just work so that someone else at home can smile everyday". As the tyres screeched, I came back into my sense as her words puzzled my thoughts. I went back to my room and retired to bed but the words of Dohna kept oscillating in my mind.
Three days passed and Dohna had shown me all those beautiful monasteries, serene lakes of Chandra Taal and Surya taal. We did trekking onto these places with the snowy mountains walking by our side. She was an expert in trekking those uneven points and I used to take a lot of time to match up her pace. We sat near the lake of Surya taal looking at those beautiful natural creations. God has been very kind to Spiti and it can be seen from the calmness which prevailed all around. But, there was a storm going on inside her.
"Can I ask you something ?", I asked. She understood what I wanted to ask and replied, " I know you are observing me from couple of days and seeing a weird pattern in my behavior and words. Sameer, neither I am sad nor I am happy. I am satisfied with what I have." She smiled again and told, " I can still see many questions in your eyes .... Come I will answer you those", holding my hand she took me to another small valley nearby to my hotel. This is where all those shopkeepers and small shop owners resided. At the very end of that locality was a small tiny house. Colored in pink and white, the house had a small room and a attached hall. To the right , there was the kitchen and straight ahead was the restroom. Opening the door of the room, I could see a small girl of 6-7 years with red cheeks sitting and reading a rhyme book. "She is my sister Jinpa and I want her not to be like me", I could see a drop of tear making its way down through the cheeks to the chin and a sense of love and responsibility she had for her younger one. "I want her to laugh, I want her to run here and there and do whatever she wants to. I don't want the word of responsibility to weigh her shoullders down".
"My father and mother ran that same stall but when I was 18, they passed away with prolonged illness. First mummy and then in some days papa also. Jinpa was just a year old and from then I am her mother and I am her everything. You know Sameer, why I didn't look at you the very first day when you came to my stall ? Because I was jealous of that smile and happiness that you had on your face. I even want that and I search it everywhere. I pace up to the monasteries , sit beside those lakes, but I don't find it. But, I find that contentment in this tiny smile of her. So, every morning I woke up to her smile and end my day with her. That's my daily dose of happiness. Nothing else matters to me. Still I try to find a positivity in those lakes and monasteries... and I find it somewhere in Lord Buddha too."
I kept on looking at her and grasping her words. We were walking down the lane to the market near to the stall and she was reciting her life in my ears. Who could imagine that a girl in her mid 20's would be so matured and understand the life so beautifully. She played so many roles simultaneously, from being a maggi stall owner, to being a guide for the tourists , to being a mother and elder sister, she managed all of it so smoothly. As it was my last night in Spiti and was going to leave next evening, she invited me to her home for lunch on the next day.
I reached on time and knocked on the door. Jinpa opened the door with a broad smile on her face and I gave her the gift that I had brought for her. Dohna welcomed me and made me sit in a small table with Jinpa on my right. She presented some authentic delicious food like Thukpa- a noodle soup, Papza Mogu- dough balls with sugar, butter, curd and cheese, also a steam bun named Tingmo. I enjoyed the meal and was about to leave when Jinpa gave me a small sheet which has been painted by her. There was nothing special in that but it touched me deeply.
We walked down the street again as she came to drop me till the hotel. I looked at her and said, " Dohna, don't leave this place ever. This beautiful and serene place needs people like you so that we city dwellers can understand what true relation is and how we can make that count. Here, you are very close to The God and most important thing is God himself wants you to stay close to you. I Don't know whether we will meet again or not, but I will miss your Maggi and I will miss you too." She hugged me and said, "Don't miss me, you are not allowed to, But yes do go to different places like these and make the life so so special of each and every Dohna. It's because of people like you who cross our paths once in a while and make us feel that yes, we are also important."
I bid her a goodbye and walked along my path to take my bags come back to those city noises again. But, I will again travel to another place and meet another Dohna and Jinpa who will make me understand again that,
"life is not just what we live, life is worth only if it is lived for others .... be it for a reason or just for a tiny smile on their face."
So nice.very touched.
ReplyDeleteIt's so beautiful and natural..... can't explain ����
ReplyDeleteWonderful Bruh ❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteVery nice.. Heart touching ❤
ReplyDeleteBeautiful narration..reminded me of Kedarnath movie..sara Ali n Susant Singh.
ReplyDeleteIt felt as if am reading a movie script..long way to go Babun..best wishes
👌👌
ReplyDeleteGreat
ReplyDelete