A X'mas to Remember (2011)

             Fortunately it was a Sunday. Sunday sounds salubrious to us as it was the only weekend we get. On that day some of us go extremely crazy and adventurous. Where? How? When? are the questions never find answers on Sundays.  24th of December 2011, people in cities must be celebrating that night with candles and X'mas cakes. Despite being a jungle-lite I was planning for the usual stuff  (go to city, light a candle) till my cell-phone rang. I picked up and said "Hello". It was Harshal, one of my friends, six foot tall, fair and hefty.

Harshal: Hello Lokesh. What plans for tomorrow??

Me: Hii Harshal... Nothing dude. Perhaps to Raigarh to Church. 

Harshal: Can we go somewhere? It has been a longtime since we trekked. 

Me: Longtime?? I have been going on treks man. Covered many mountains here as well. 

Harshal: Not about you dude. Remember!!! A year ago you used to take us to hills. That was awesome. 

Me: Oh!! never been to jungle since then? 

Harshal: You take your hostel mates. Seenu has been explaining your expeditions. 

Me: Oh!! fine dude. This time you be the leader. Lead me to hills. 

Harshal: All I can do is stay tonight in your hostel and wake up early provided you wake me up. Same with Seenu here. (Chukles) 

Me: Sure. 5'0 clock tomorrow. Be ready. 

Harshal: Gotcha!! Thanks. I couldn't resist the suspense where to? 

Me: Ask seenu to get a bike. Where? you will see. Honestly, t I got no idea. 

Harshal: You are crazy dude. See you tomorrow. bye.. 

  My alarm rang exactly at 5AM on 25th of December 2011 waking me up from my dreams in a regular tune "One way One way" song in Gamyam (Telugu) movie. Just the lowest temperature for that day was occurring    nearly 5-6 degree Celsius. Everyone got ready for the adventure by 5:30 AM.  Suddenly Harshal started gaping at me.

Harshal: Don't you feel cold?

Me: I am freezing buddy. My first rule is "Never Wear Warm Clothes".

Harshal: You gonna freeze to death.

Me: I go till the brim of it :)

Sreenu: Let him get rotten in hell. Don't Bother.

Me: (A gentle Guffaw)

I was on a bike riding at 60 kmph while cold breeze was numbing almost all over my body. My hands nearly went dead couldn't hang on with the handle of the bike anymore. I thought I would lose  control. I could feel the blood coming out of my finger nails. I felt the warm blood rushing in my veins to compensate the cold wind. Both of my friends followed me without asking much questions this time. Perhaps realized the fact that asking me is as vain as asking the cold wind to warm up them.  We passed half the way. I could no longer hold the bike. My fingers almost bled. Though the pain was humiliating I never knew that would occur when you get exposed. I stepped hard on the break pulling over my bike. I was wavering my hands to and fro in simple harmonic motion with maximum possible frequency recollecting an episode from Man Vs Wild. I started thinking why haven't I felt this before though I jog wearing no warm clothes. I guess because my hands wavers producing heat while jogging which is now standstill. My friends come down to me with care and affection parking their bike just beside that of mine. 

"My hands especially palms went dead man. I can't ride  now" I screamed with pain. 

"Seems like not enough for you dude" Said Sreenu while both laughed. 

"No Problem dude. I will ride if you tell me where to go" said Harshal holding my bike's handle. 

"Last weekend a village happened to pass by while I was following birds till their nests. That village is called 'FittingPara'. It is nearby. So we keep our bikes at someone's home there. There are awesome hills nearby which we will walk to them and climb. Now just move on" I explained the plan. 

Three of us reached FittingPara. Parked our bikes at a home as decided and started advancing towards amazing hills, gleaming with the rays of sun romancing with fog. Tramping through paddy fields and bushes warmed me up spurring my senses from being passive. 

Though we didn't expect the monotony to prevail in our expedition, it occurred. A jaunt became a quest for the path that would lead to foot of the hill.  Another village just passed by in our path named Dhegaun. Village was quite pleasant, teeming with pleasing people. Villagers showed us the path that would lead to the hill we were aiming at. 

                                       

 

I premise, an attractive peak in India must have a temple to make it commercial. Perhaps some villager could have dreamed a god, ordering him to construct a temple, the peak we were planning to reach also had an unfinished temple. That temple became our target for that day. We waded through shrubs, climbed steep slopes, finally reached our destination. 

We exulted with a sense of of success, roared in elation, had limited breakfast with chiki and biscuits which Harshal carried. We started playing around with my new camera clicking all possible postures in panoramic views.  As clock ticked 11:00 AM we commenced our descend. Slowly and steadily we reached the foot . With no intention to leave the place we were marching with turtle steps towards Fittingpara (where we parked our bikes). We saw a throng of villagers were having some fun playing with catapults and sticks. "Even today we got villagers for company dude" I said. "I think they are waiting for us" Seenu replied. "What?? silly" Harshal laughed. 

One of the villagers (perhaps the leader) came forward shouting at us "Welcome you fools. We are here to welcome you to our village". "Awesome" I thought. "Are you kidding?? Tell me what the heck are you guys doing here?" I said laughing. "You think I am joking? We are waiting for you guys. In fact whole village with police patrol and jeep. Jail sweet jail is awaiting you as well." he screamed with little anger on his face.  "Situation seems serious dude." I said with others. "Serious?? you guys think this is funny? How could you guys come alone to this place without permission from villagers. We all suspected a naxal threat. Just be quite and follow us. You guys have to pay the price." he said as a few villagers surrounded us with weapons.

 

Villagers lead us to Dhegaun where we found some people peeping out of their homes, some standing along the path anticipating the presence of terrorists. Apparently, whole village was awake that day quite early and they were panicked. Our unofficial guards carried us to a jeep, with a red siren on its top to hand over us to the official guards; Cops. That moment I understood how rumors propagate. Cops carried us to the police station, followed by a formal interrogation session. Finally the most widespread way out from police worked; Bribery.

"Have you ever been to police station before?" I aksed Harshal.

"No man. You??" He replied.

"Neither do I. I will remember this day.  Do you?" I laughed.

"We all do. We are celebrity figures :P" replied Seenu smiling after recovering from the panic.

As cops didn't not provide us anymore lift once they got their prize in their hands we walked all the way to the home where we kept bikes, thereby left for our homes with little excitement blended with amusement and of course, apprehension for some.