“Some trips are not planned. They simply happen… and become memories.”
There are journeys that begin with bookings, itineraries, and schedules.
And then there are journeys like this one — born out of one random thought:
“Chalo wapas chalte hain Kumbhalgarh Fort.”
No grand planning.
No certainty.
Just a feeling.
And somehow, that feeling turned into one of the warmest retreats we’ve had together.
The Beginning: Chaos Before Calm
Like every beautiful thing, this retreat also began with a little chaos.
Who’s coming?
Who’s cancelling?
Will everyone vibe together?
Will this actually work?
Some conversations had faded with time.
Some people hadn’t met in months.
And somewhere during the tempo ride, there was a quiet thought floating in the air:
“Yeh trip thoda difficult rehne wala hai…”
But journeys have their own magic.
Seven hours later, somewhere between music, chai stops, terrible jokes, mountains, playlists, and random conversations — the entire energy shifted.
The awkwardness disappeared.
The retreat slowly stopped feeling like an event.
It started feeling like a story.
A little bit of Dil Chahta Hai.
A little bit of old-school road-trip chaos.
And a lot of unexpected comfort.
Arrival = Pool Mode ON 🏐
The moment we reached Fateh Safari Retreat, there was only one mission:
POOL.
Within minutes, people were changing, volleyballs appeared, discs started flying, floaters were stolen, and chaos officially began.
The biggest surprise?
Before anyone else could even enter the pool — Chandni was already inside.
And then began what can only be described as:
“Ready To Fight” mode.
Teams were formed.
Rules were ignored.
Priya somehow became team leader and also full-time troublemaker.
There was splashing.
Fake fouls.
Questionable volleyball ethics.
And enough laughter to echo through the hills.
We may or may not have lost the match.
But honestly, nobody remembers the score.
What everyone remembers are the faces.
The kind that happen only when adults briefly become children again.
Meals That Felt Like Family
One thing about PDBC retreats:
Meals are never just meals.
Lunch happened slowly.
Nobody was in a hurry.
No formalities.
No phones dominating the table.
Just people sitting together after swimming, exhausted and hungry, sharing stories over dal-chawal, desserts, chai, and conversations.
Somewhere between apple pie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate brownie debates, the group started becoming softer with each other.
Mukhwas became a discussion topic.
Ajwain and sanitizer became “prasad.”
People forgot who ordered what.
Someone defended daal chawal like it was gourmet cuisine.
And somehow…
those tiny conversations became memories.
The Quiet Evening of Books
After all the noise came silence.
And that silence was beautiful.
As evening arrived, everyone slowly disappeared into corners with books in their hands.
Some sat near the valley.
Some near the pool.
Some under trees.
Some simply slept peacefully.
The wind moved gently through the hills while pages turned slowly.
No pressure to talk.
No pressure to perform.
Just the comfort of reading beside people who understand why books matter.
That may be the most beautiful thing about book retreats:
You can sit quietly for hours…
and still feel deeply connected.
Conversations That Stayed
As night grew darker, conversations became deeper.
People spoke about books, yes —
but also about themselves.
College stories.
Life transitions.
Dreams.
Failures.
Loneliness.
Healing.
Childhood memories.
At some point, books stopped being “topics.”
They became bridges.
And slowly, strangers started feeling like people who had known each other for years.
Stargazing & Stillness ✨
Late at night, some of us walked behind the rooms toward the open dark hills.
No loud music.
No city lights.
No distractions.
Just mountains.
Cold air.
And a sky overflowing with stars.
People lay silently on the ground looking upward.
For a few moments, nobody wanted photos.
Nobody wanted to post anything online.
Everyone simply wanted to stay there.
The silence itself felt therapeutic.
As if the mountains were quietly reminding us how small our worries really are.
The Delightful Dozen
Somewhere during the retreat, a name appeared for the group:
“The Delightful Dozen.”
And honestly, it fit perfectly.
Because this retreat was never about luxury or perfection.
It was about twelve people carrying different lives, different struggles, different stories — and still managing to create a space filled with warmth, laughter, safety, books, and kindness.
What This Retreat Really Was
It wasn’t just a getaway.
It was:
- tired people resting properly,
- readers becoming listeners,
- strangers becoming friends,
- conversations becoming memories,
- and silence becoming comfort.
The air was thin.
The stories were thick.
And the company was everything.
Wildflowers in our hair.
Coffee in our hands.
Books spread across tables.
Mountains listening quietly to our conversations.
Some trips entertain you.
Some trips change your internal weather a little.
This one did.
Until The Next Retreat…
When the retreat ended, nobody wanted to say goodbye properly.
Because maybe good retreats never truly end.
A part of them quietly stays inside us:
in songs, in books, in late-night thoughts, in mountain winds, in random cravings for apple pie, in unfinished conversations.
And perhaps that’s why retreats matter.
Not because we escape life.
But because sometimes, for a brief moment,
we remember how beautifully human life can feel.
—
Pocket Diary Book Club
Retreat 06 • Fateh Safari Retreat • Kumbhalgarh 📚✨
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