A Traveler's Memoir

Unfortunately, Jim Corbett needed a 45-day prior online booking and cost 1500 per person. I skipped it and rode towards Haridwar. Reaching up North into the hustle again, for once I missed home. In the evening around 4PM, while I cruised through the normal traffic, a Muslim family on a bike overtook me, slowed down and came closer asking if I was from Bangalore? I said, "yes, nearby." We continue to talk on the road, riding side by side for a while and he bid goodbye and rode ahead. He slowed down again and invited me for tea at his house. His name was Rashid, a barber working at a salon in Bangalore. He was riding with his wife and a 10-month-old baby, he was home on vacation. I agreed and followed him to his house and he ran outside again to grab some more snacks for the unknown guest. They served me water, tea, biscuits, carrot halva, samosa and egg pakora. Took me out for a smoke, bought me an extra cigarette, rode further and introduced me to his cousin, assured me of h

Chander Verma is a father of 3, a local resident of Munsyari. Having done various jobs in the past and now running the Mayank Homestay by himself, on lease at 3.5 lakh a year. The day I reached, I told him that he was paying way too much but he already made an agreement for 3 years. He did magic with his hands when it came to cooking though. No bad habits, would smoke a cigarette rarely if someone offers, humble and a neat gentleman. Lovely kids and a beautiful family, living life on what they could afford. He knew his expenses would gradually increase so I asked him to think wisely before he did anything. I had long conversations with him, numerous times during my stay. When I called him to discuss my bill he was kind enough to offer the room at 500 and dinner at 150, even suggested that I extend my stay till the roads ahead were open. I wasn't moving around much but had to be paying rent for my stay and took only 1 meal. Dinner. Survived the rest of the day with biscuits and tea

The next morning I visited the temple again before I rode back. I was having tea when a person suggested to me to visit Munsyari. The map showed 128 kilometres and he said it could be snowing there now. I took that direction and as I rode higher, it started getting colder and I wore almost every single cloth I had, one over the other, layers of new and the old thermals, a woollen sweater, a 100 rupee pullover from Shillong, my jacket and the decade-old rain Jacket. Waist down I had 2 thermals and jeans, woollen socks from decathlon and not to forget the 200 rupees sneaker. As I rode ahead, the landscape and cold only got better and better and by evening while I was just about 30 kilometres away from Munsyari I started seeing snow. For once, I felt worth being born. For a moment I recollected my Status on Social media just before starting this ride, when I said riding to the land of snow and sand on the Platina, My Friend Sukesh had commented asking, riding till snow? I live to my word

My finances came in every time I was broke, since the beginning. Then Abhi, Karthik, Sai, Chandra, Naresh, My cousins, will give all names and figures later because I don't want to differentiate people by the figures. They all gave me what they could without me asking. That’s the most beautiful part and that's something I wanted to treasure. All I had as a backup was some stocks worth 18000, Every time when I went almost broke and decide to sell the shares, there was someone who would help me. I do have a business but my expenses there also needed to be managed. I pay 15000 as an EMI for the loan to my sister, have a 1 lakh loan to my grandmother which my mother used for the farm, 1,75,000 to another aunt. Three workers come in every day to work. The man is paid 450 and 2 ladies 250 each per day, a LIC policy that wasn't a necessity of 3000. My whole life was tied to money! Chandan our worker's son helped mom in driving around for feed and other things. He's been a