Why do the people attracted to these mountains look for?
Answers
Last weekend, I went on a solo trip to Kareri Lake. It is a 13-km-long trek which starts from Kareri village in Dharamshala. This trek, though, considered as an easy to moderate trek, was very weary maybe because of the countless steps to the top. But the beauty of Kareri lake when you reach the top invigorates you and this beauty cannot be comprehended unless you witness it yourself.
I was told that it gets really cold at night and hence I was prepared. Or at least that’s what I thought. Despite wearing 4 layers of clothes, I was still shaking like a leaf. The chilly wind kept percolating through all those layers of clothes stealing my body heat, making my teeth chatter. Unable to sleep in my tent, I went to the cookhouse where my guide and the cook were heating food for themselves. They were doing it in candlelight since there is no electricity at the top. As soon as they saw me standing outside the cookhouse shivering, they invited me inside and asked me to sit close to the gas stove. They then offered me old monk, an offer I couldn't resist. And then the pawri started.
They started singing local songs, frequently stopping in between, to translate the songs for me. I joined them in the songs I knew. I could see the shy introverted kid in me getting burned in the heat of that candle flame. I was overjoyed. And overwhelmed. I could feel the happiness surrounding me. In those moments, I felt free. Free of people, free of emotions, free of relationships, free of connections. Free of everything. Free of everyone. It was liberating. It was truly liberating.
And once again, I was reminded of how despite such harsh conditions, there are people who don't complain, there are people who find a reason to be happy. And their reason doesn’t come in a battery-powered device. When you meet such people, it not only makes you happy but also fills you with gratitude for what you have.
Oh, mountains!