The man from the Himalayas

Roads are meant to cross; sometimes knowingly and other times unknowingly. You can't just know a person by face or by his/her reactions, you get to know them by their words, how they see their life and when you walk with them: At least for some moments. I have been writing about different lives that I encounter when I enter the world of mountains, rivers, myths, and nature. They narrate that part of their lives which neither their faces say nor their eyes speak up. This time my feet landed in one of the most iconic places of the Himalayas and there I met a man in his late 30's. He was not as experienced as my previous characters but his life was full of stories. His story gave me a different insight into a life where it showed me a glimpse that to what extent a man can go for the sake of his family. A simple guy who didn't have all those stylish hair or attractive attires. In the generation of chats, messages, and memes, he walked on a different path of love, faith, and hope.

A man whom I met on the way to one of the mythical caves of Himalayas.

This time I landed at one of the most famous spiritual hotspots of the country. One of the holiest shrines of Hindus, The Amarnath. The beautiful cave is a sight to behold. The Shrine situated at an altitude of 13000 feet, catches sight of nearly 6 lakhs pilgrims in the period of July to August. The challenging mountainous terrain is not a cakewalk at all. But, the devotion and love lead them to this high altitude place to catch a glimpse of the deity. The Shiva Lingam or "Baba Barfani", the name given by local people sees the peak of its height in the month of July and August. In scientific terms, the Linga is made up of stalagmite - A mineral deposit that occurs due to the dripping of water onto the floor of the cave. Pilgrims of all age groups flock there to worship the serpent God who is said to have left all the comforts of his life and traveled to this place with his consort Goddess Parvati. What makes this shrine so special and eye-catching is the travel from Pahalgam to the cave camp. It includes trekking of high steep valleys, the river flowing on one side, and the handsome Himalayas at the back of it making it an eternal view for all travelers. A stretch of 45 km covered in 5 days to reach the shrine and the traveler heart inside me cannot say a no to such trips where nature meets with mythology; and you see a congregation of people walking together at the same level. So, the journey was quite tiring as I reached Delhi first and then traveled by road to Jammu, which took another 11 hours. Now, the enthralling journey began with a sea of tourists lining up at the bus depot, standing in a queue to board the bus to Pahalgam. I took out a packet of biscuits while adjusting myself in the seat and took a view of outside 

small peaks of valleys where I am going to set my feet after reaching Pahalgam.

I dozed off and woke up to the screeching sound of the bus. Peeping out of the window was the scenic beauty of Betaab valley and the iconic Lidder river flowing with the gushing sounds. 

"Jai Bholenath", I heard the words from the person sitting next to me. A guy in his mid 30's with a wheatish and smiling face, smiling at me. "Hello, Jai Bholenath", I said smiling back at him.

"Aap pehli baar Amarnath baba ke darshan ke liye jaa rahe ho ? (Is it you first time that you are coming to Amarnath ?)", the guy asked me. I simply nodded with a yes and again gazed outside to see the flowing Lidder river. 

"Kam umar ke lagte ho, abhi se darshan karne kyun aa gaye ? (You look quite young, came so early in life to have a glimpse of god ?)", he asked. 

"Darshan toh zaroori hai hi, lekin mujhe ye jagah dekhna tha jo itna sundar hai. (Darshan is important, but mainly I wanted to see this beautiful place)", I told him 

"Aur kabhi aao toh pahalgam main rukna, aur Lidderwat trek karke dekhne jaana. Wahan se lidder ki ye nadi aur acchi dikhti hai . (Do come again to Pahalgam and stay here, go to see Lidderwat by trekking. The river Lidder looks more beautiful there)".

His answers made me curious, so I asked him. "Aap guide ho yahan ke ? (Are you a guide)".

He laughed and said, "Arey nahin nahin, main toh bas aise hi keh raha the aapko. (No no, I was just giving you the details just like this)". 

"Aap kaafi kuch jaante ho yatra aur jagah ke baare main ? Mujhe bhi jaanne ko milega bahut kuch aapse. Aapka naam ? (You know a lot about the place and yatra also. Even I will learn a lot from you. By the way what's your name ?)", I asked.

"Mera naam Mohan hai. Kya hai na mere maa baap yahan rehte hain. Aap fikar mat karo, main aapko sab bata doonga aur saath hi saath aap unn dono se bhi mil lena. (My name is Mohan. I know so much because my parents stay here. Don't worry, I will help you with everything and along with that you meet my parents too)"

I liked his company as he was a soft-spoken guy and knew each and everything about the trip which we were going to start. After a brief journey of 3 hours, we reached the beautiful town of Pahalgam. The authorities were guiding us for the further official process to be done and taking us to the camps. Our halt for the night was in this town and free langars were provided by NGO groups there headed by the Muslims of the town. They had set up small stalls of different food items and greeted everyone with a formal "Namaste". They would guide all pilgrims with the tent facilities and food timings of when it will be served. I felt so blessed and happy seeing such nice gestures from one community to the other. 

We took two cots side by side in a tent which was close to the flowing river. At night, we sat outside and used to talk about the place and culture. He used to say me how the conflicts of borders used to affect these beautiful places and how people used to suffer. While he said all this there was a pain in his eyes. He felt each word what he said. He was deeply connected with the place and people. I asked him, "Mohan Ji, Aapke maa baap kahan rehte hain? (Mohan Ji, where do your parents stay ?)".

"Woh sheshnag ke paas rehte hain, wapas aate waqt darshan se milkar jayenge. (They stay near Sheshnag. We will meet after completing our darshan)", he said. 

The next day we started a small bus journey to Chandwari, 16 kms from Pahalgam and those scenic beauties continued on one side. As we reached Chandwari, we were advised about the travel and all the rules and regulations that needed to be followed. We had a short meal and all the staff and workers there smiled at Mohan as they saw him. I thought that just because he is a local person, so everyone knows him here. We started to walk along the hilly roads and he told me that we will now be trekking up to a hill named Pissu Top and soon we started to ascend and reach a mesmerizing hilltop. He told me the significance of the place that how Lord Shiva helped the Devas to kill the mighty Asuras here, and if myths are to be believed then this mountain is the heap of the bodies of the killed Asuras. For a moment of time, my feet trembled and seeing this he laughed at me patting my back. We started to move again and our night halt was at Sheshnag from where we would be continuing the following day. I asked him, "Agar aaj Sheshnag jaa rahe hain, toh aap apne maa bap se mil kyun nhi lete ? (If we are going to Sheshnag today, why don't you meet your parents ?)". Hearing my words, he took a deep breath and said, "Woh aaj nahin milenge. (They will not meet today)". Saying this he walked ahead and told me to hurry up. I couldn't get what did he mean from those lines. We reached Chandwari in the evening tired and exhausted. There were small kids who were yelling and crying with leg pain and my friend Mohan stood rock solid at one place. We ate at the langar and went into our designated tents. As per our daily routine from past some days, Mohan would tell me all the details about the place starting from its significance, people, food and culture. But, today he was silent. So, I went and asked him, "Toh Mohan Ji, aaj aap nahin iss jagah ke baare main ? (So, Mohan Ji, would you not tell me anything about this place ?)". He looked at me smiling forcefully and told, "Nahin aaj nahin. Ye jagah ke baare main nhi pata mujhe itna. Aap so jaao. (No, not today. I don't know much about the place. You sleep)". He left for a walk and I didn't understand what wrong has happened. 

The next day he was normal and was talking freely as usual and even I didn't ask anything about the previous night. We left from Sheshnag and went towards Panchtrarni, a place which was filled with springs and falls. The place was very tricky and hard to cross due to slippery roads and everyone walked with caution. The journey went on for one more day and finally, we reached the Cave camp after a day from where the Amarnath cave was completely visible. People flocked in millions there and all were singing and dancing as they entered the divine shrine to see the Lord. The atmosphere was electrifying and everyone was on their toes to pray to the almighty. Bells and instruments playing all around. People shouting at the top of their voices, calling their own deity. But, Mohan was calm. He didn't pray, just kept looking at the shrine for a long time. Something was not right with the guy, but as always he was smiling. We rested at the camps for a day and roamed around the area to see the huge mountains and lakes. It was time to descend and get back to Jammu via Pahalgam, and so the journey started again and all started walking past the valleys and lakes. Mohan kept saying all-important words about the places and explaining about the significance. But. I was waiting for Sheshnag to come. There was something at that place that troubled him. 

We reached Sheshnag after 2 days and as promised I went along with him to meet his parents. He took me through the small unplanned colonies and we reached a small thatched hut. "Ye ghar mere pitaji ne khareeda tha, aao main aapko unse milwata hoon. (This small house was bought by my father. Come, I will introduce you to them)". He took me to the backyard and I saw two memory stones with their names engraved on it. I was dumbfounded seeing this and as I looked at him, he signaled me to sit in a wooden cot that was lying there. He himself told everything.

"In 2001, I was in my college in Delhi when Pitaji was adamant about going to Amarnath yatra with Maa. They forced me but I didn't come with them. Also, due to network issues, I had no contact with them. Last call was from Pitaji saying that they have reached Pahalgam and are heading to Sheshnag. They will be calling me after returning to Pahalgam which might take some time. But, it didn't happen. The next call I got was from the police headquarters of Jammu. They called to inform me that Maa and Pitaji had died in the terrorist attacks that happened in Sheshnag. The terrorist had thrown grenades into the camps of tents and fired mercilessly who came out. I was blank that what should I do now. I took the bus to Jammu and as I reached the headquarters, the only remains that I could saw were wrapped in a transparent packet. It had the wallet of Pitaji which had "Jai Bholenath" inscribed on it and a torn chappal of Maa. They always wanted to go to Baba Amarnath but couldn't do that. They even bought this small hut for having a calm life post-retirement. So, every year I take part in the yatra to fulfill his dream and spend some time year. Now, you know why I didn't talk to you that night when we reached Sheshnag ?". I don't know what to say to that person. He had lost everything and my good words will not change anything. Just to relive the dream of his parents, he takes part in this difficult journey every year, that day I came to know that to what extent a man can go just for the sake of his family. 

I went up to him and putting my hand on his shoulder, I said, "Mohan Ji, you know that you are making your parents so much proud each and every day? You are living with them in each and every moment, once you set your feet here. You are a true son that all parents want. keep making them proud always and I know you will." He stood up and give me a hug. "Do come again and meet me here. Sometimes I am very much alone without maa and Pitaji. Also, the story of Sheshnag is remaining, right? Come with me." He took me to the small places of the town and also to the hilly areas from where the other mountains can be seen in the shape of a snake. He also explained that Lord Shiva left his serpent here before going into the cave leaving all his comforts. Hence the name, Sheshnag. 

We came down to the tents and he took his luggage and started to walk.

"Kahan jaa rahe ho aap? (Where are you going?)", I asked.

"Maa aur Pitaji ke paas. Uss ghar main. Kuch din rehkar phir jaunga. Aap sahi se chale jana. (Closer to Maa and Pitaji. To that house, I will stay there for someday. You go back safely)."

He handed me a card that had an address of a hardware store. "Ye mera dukaan hai. Aap aana delhi main milne yahan. (This is my shop. Come and meet me here in Delhi)."

I took the card and bid him goodbye. I was happy and content that I met him and learned so much from him. It was not just a journey to these beautiful mountains but I learned the meaning of family and how to be a family man.

I descended from there alone and reached Jammu after a couple of days. It was time to bid goodbye to the place and return to my crowded city again to mix among those unknown faces and live the life on routine. I will again pick my bag and travel to another place soon to meet another Mohan who will give me some life examples and teach me some insights into it. 

The journey to Amarnath with those mountains and rivers was long and along with that, I got to know one important aspect in my life which we miss several times. 

"Family- Yes, it's important because you don't know when you will lose someone you love."