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Bookish raft in Ganga
Day 2 Breakfast Mitesh looks cute in Bhavita’s pink sweater. We have his toothpaste. This is probably what Dumbledore was […]
Day 2
Breakfast
Mitesh looks cute in Bhavita’s pink sweater. We have his toothpaste. This is probably what Dumbledore was aiming for, inter-house unity. We were all exchanging stuff. Limited packing due to space issue in our Innova’s & cab’s.
The resort was gaav at end pe. Sach me. It was inside a forest of sal wood. Long long trees, I say long because I see them with eyes ears nose and really greath strength, I don’t see them as less living than us humans.
But stepping into the cottage felt like, home, at last. I could just sit by the glass wall of the room, remove the curtain and watch, the maidaan at the bottom of the valley to the right. The winding road, the trees, the बाड़ of the resort to keep wild animals out.
Peace is not smooth. It shakes you up before it grants you the right to feel it. It makes you cry for no reason. It forces you to see reason. Where will you hide from peace?
What do I paint?
Painting = Therapy Session
Room no. 102/103? the last room.
Wood floor, silent music, so many colors and sheets, dirty glasses of water or glasses with dirty water, perceptions, grapes, chocolate rolls.
Earrings, bookmarks & small perfumes, envelopes and calligraphy pens. People exchanging gifts.
12:30 pm
Bheed
Warriors of PDBC grabbed the long rectangle table for lunch because hum pehle resort aaye the, table humari hui.
Chirag had asked everyone to pack a black tshirt.

A man with two heart attacks and a peacemaker, I remember him telling about his journey once on the return journey from Ghanerao. Greater the pain, calmer the smile.
Chirag was scared. But he was determined. Because River Rafting was on Yogesh Ji’s bucket list. He left no stone unturned to find the best rafting organisers.
Nija had water phobia. She had a fracture two years ago; her knee still hurts. She initially denied, resisted going into the water. But, like hell were we going to let her miss the feel of Ganga, miss its blessing, whatever religion you are born with, nature doesn’t care about human problems, it only cares like a mother, like maiyya.
Bhavita has back issues, and other females have female problems and then, the water will be cold. It’s the era of global warming and a cold 2024’s March.
Choti wale bhaiya said, “nahi pani abhi thanda nahi hai.” He doesn’t understand. We come from Ahmedabad. We are used to burning, we are not used to freezing.
I was constantly announcing like the ones at the airport, join the boarding queue (or the flight will leave), = stop photographing start walking before nightfall.
In the boat, Chirag had instructed me & Mitesh to be on the left and right of Yogesh Ji like sentinels.
I pushed Bharath & him almost out of the boat saving him from their dripping water. So much so that he didn’t feel the need to change at all post rafting.
The chant was: PD BC PD BC
The raft near us was chanting the same.
They said PD. We said BC.
And then came the moment, a book club doing what no book club has done before, reading while rafting.
Imagine the scene now: Two over-enthusiastic boys, floating in the calm waters, Ruchi nearby, sunset behind us, a girl standing in the raft, reading this passage:

I was shivering. I passed the book to Bhavita who read and then passed the book to Nija to read the end passage of the chapter called ‘Water’.
My energy was soaked by Ganga, or it drained out the mud in my mind, leaving behind, a mirror of truths, what I need to do for myself, what others were doing to me, what I was doing to others, everything.
Unfortunately, not everything is meant to be written down, somethings are best forgotten.
We missed the aarti. We had tea. Never have Pahadi food or drink suddenly before travelling. Puking and always carry a car air freshener to keep your senses soothed.
It was a bittersweet day and my third trip in Rishikesh.
I think, God lives here somewhere.
– Priya
Written 10:25 pm in Ahmedabad, 11.03.2024
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