Whispers and Words of M R Maiti

*** Continued from Another Mountain Waiting (Rupin Pass Trek - Part 3) Remain awake till 2 AM - Easy! Wake up at 2 AM - Not so much! Wake up at 2 AM inside a tent hitched at a height of 13,275 ft, freshen up in the dark using just your headlamp, have breakfast, then pack your water and lunch for the day, gear up from head to toe to withstand the freezing cold, and lastly ensure the tent is clear and every belonging of yours is inside your backpack. Sure, why not! "I told you yesterday, anyone who is not ready by 4 AM will have to find his own way to the summit," Navesh bhai's voice was loud and clear as I tightened my shoelaces outside my tent. Nobody asked me, but I considered tying my shoelaces right the most important thing on the trek. I often wondered if I fell that day because my left shoe wasn't as tight as it should have been. The group had reached the gathering spot. They had already started the counting. Once they reached the end, I heard Nitin say, "Wh...

*** Continued from Just The Beginning (Rupin Pass Trek - Part 2) As the first rays of the early morning sun brightened Saruwas Thatch campsite into multiple hues, I showed MJ the spot I had in mind for a picture. With the sun on your face and the entire camp in the background, you had to sit atop an elevated rock, cross-legged, both arms extended and resting on your knees, the thumb and forefinger touching to make a tiny circle. Personally, I called it my Shiva pose. I only took that picture in select places, whenever I found a location and moment that felt right. Last time, it was at Tapovan campsite, at the base of Mt. Shivling. Before that, at Singalila Top, while looking at the Everest family and the sleeping Buddha. I struck the same pose at Chandrashila summit, as well. And, not to forget, atop the water tank of my house. I sat there in the same pose and looked at Hiranya Parvat, the first mountain I ever knew, the first mountain I ever climbed. My picture was done in two or thre...

*** Continued from The Silver Lining (Rupin Pass Trek - Part 1) When I woke up in Jakha, I was happier than the day before. Maybe because RCB had won the IPL final previous night. Maybe because my prayers were finally answered. It was still cloudy but rain seemed unlikely. Still, we wore our ponchos and rain jackets, just to be safe. And even though my knee didn't hurt anymore, I put on my knee brace anyway. Something positive inside me had woken up and it wasn't going to let me ruin the rest of the trek. "Mayank," I called out once we were back on the trail. Today, we were staying in tents, and Mayank seemed like a genuine, sincere, polite and humble person to have as a tent mate. He followed every instruction to the letter and was always punctual. In short, he was the opposite of me. "Are you sure?" he asked politely, after I made him the offer. "Don't you want someone in your age group?" "Age is just a number, my friend. The mountains ...

It has been two months since I came back from Rupin Pass Trek. The memories and feelings are in abundance. They catch up with me sometimes during a long meeting or during a random hangout with friends. And for a moment, I zone out and a smile spreads across my face. When somebody around me notices it and asks the reason, I just shake my head like an idiot. All that is fine, but during the past two months, I have been haunted by a question, something a fellow trekker, Rajib, said to me during the return journey. "Manish, you are a gem at heart. You are a silver lining for many. Keep smiling, brother...One last question, you don't need to answer it though: तुम इतना जो मुस्कुरा रहे हो | क्या ग़म है जिस को छुपा रहे हो ?" Normally, I would automatically respond with a witty or funny comeback. But I was speechless. Rajib had caught me off guard. It was as if a CCTV recording of a bank robbery showed my face in Ultra HD. There was no evidence to prove otherwise. All that remain...