Two of a kind (Part 1/3)

Chapter 1

It was early evening by the time Sara reached Pelling, a small hill town in west Sikkim, India. She had planned to stay here for a day before travelling further west. “To travel is to live” she would say when people asked her motivation behind packing a backpack every second month and leaving on a mission to see the world one place at a time.

Pelling, situated on the foothills of Kanchenjunga mountain range is a relatively unknown suburb with the local Buddhist monastery being the only major tourist attraction but for Sara it was the perfect stopover. Unable to wait for the next morning, she decided to visit the monastery right away.

The Pelling monastery was a crumbling structure precariously placed on a small mountain.  There were places where not more than 3 people could go together as a safety precaution. At one such partially forbidden place in the monastery at the edge of a cliff, she lied down under the orange blue sky looking at the view of the mountains and the greenery while the sun started to set in the background - one of the many exquisite paintings’ nature had been kind to paint in and around the town. Monastery bells ringing in the background added to the soothing vibe and Sara almost didn't realize when sleep got the better of her. 

Next thing she remembered was waking up to a freak yet calm voice. There stood Raghav with 2 cups of piping hot black tea in his hand. Raghav, on a month-long excavation to conquer the Kanchenjunga mountains, was staying in the monastery for a week to get accustomed to the climate before starting on his trek. “Chai?” he asked her in an innocent tone half-knowing the answer as he handed her a cup and sat next to her overlooking the valley. How could she say no!

They sipped their chai in peace for the next few minutes. “So, what made you get me this cup of tea? I was dying for one.” Sara asked.

“Everything always works out because everything is a part of the one and only unity. The unity told me you needed chai. So, I got you one” He answered seriously but soon broke into a faint smile. “Sorry, too much of being around monks does that to you.” He said and they both shared a hearty chuckle. 

Chapter 2 & 3 to follow soon (hopefully!).

Photo clicked at Langza, Spiti. June-19.

P.S. - Merry Christmas everyone. 🤗 Almost can't wait for this year and covid to get over. Had so many travel plans in 2020 but someone thought it was a good idea to eat a bat :/ and damn, here we are!

Been in Bhopal for the better part of last 9 months now. It's a bitter sweet feeling. While I miss all the random gatherings & chill sessions with friends, been around parents for so long after a decade :) 

Can't wait for the day when I get vaccinated and stop using these dumb masks. Hopefully, sooner than later. Hopefully, we leave behind these covid woes in 2020 and have a fantastic 2021!

Song of the day - Floated by: Peter cat recording company. 

watch here

Thanks VK for introducing me to this gem. The whole Frank Sinatra, Bill Withers vibe in this song is so amazing. Do keep a watch on the video as well. The wedding footage is from lead singer Surya's own wedding and is so well done. 

Humor of the day -  

So so relatable. Follow poorlydrawnlines here.

Signing off. 

Cheers, 

Me.