When I thought I would not
recover from the heartbreak of leaving behind the mountains of Arunachal,
Bhalukpong happened. I almost embraced infidelity when I slowly and surely
started warming up to the Khamang river..the white pebbles on the river bank
creating a tableau of beauty unbound..there is nothing like waking up to the
gurgling sounds of the river…a morning expedition to the river got a little
disrupted with ‘elephant’ threats from the locals..and we returned cleansed to
dig into a sumptuous breakfast at the resort.
The journey then took us to Meghalaya..and
I indulged in adultery as I started forgetting the rustic beauty of Arunachal
and getting smitten by the fame and ‘elan’ of this endowed region. She is the
one blessed by the fairy god mother – pristine hills, umpteen mezmerising
cascades, clean and enchanting villages and of course woman power!
While the entire country is
screaming diversity from the roof top, this is a state where the women run every
shop, every business and are rubbing shoulders with men in every task at hand!
This is a state where you do not need to display your cheap paranoid tourist
tactics – bargaining is passé, looting is unheard and none of the villages and
sights are doctored for tourist interest but are breathing life spaces! Irony
hit me in the face as the trip took us to the ‘cleanest village of Asia’ and we
the Indians are clicking snaps of a clean village rather than hanging our heads
in shame that we learned nothing from Meghalaya!
The Umiam Lake at sunset is a
scenic point difficult to explain..it stood there displaying it’s crimson and
red hues ..an asymmetrical patch of vegetation, water and red hills. The next
morning took us on a trip to unearth the treasures of Meghalaya including a
symbolic touch point at Bangladesh where I stared at the oddity of seeing a
‘Welcome to India’ board.
Riding up hill tops and being
surprised with an assortment of waterfalls – not one like the other, each one
in its grandeur even on a summer noon. The splendorous sights behind us, we
were on an expedition next to walk through the living root bridge – a natural
phenomenon so unreal! And if that wasn’t enough, a twisty turny and crawly
adventure inside the natural Mawsmai caves was another jewel in this region’s
crown. Numerous picturesque villages whirred past…beautiful dames in their
traditional attire going about their business…sights to enjoy and behold!
I was in a mistaken state of
satiation telling myself that there can be nothing more in store when I went on
the last leg of the journey to Chirapunjee or Sohra as the locals know it and
the breathtaking views and pastures and pathways that unfolded on this journey
made me realize how shallow my trip has dug into this state’s treasures. Sohra
in one word is magic and our rustic tit-for-tat for Swiz countryside..I inhaled
the purity of it all and had the impossible desire to store it within me for
future usage – to counter the battles that city life throws at you.
But of course, silly me and my
desires, I sat in the car – letting the wind caress my face, seeing the small
villages dissolve into the twilight, smiling at the tiny tots playing
untarnished by the devils of the city and breathing in Meghalaya one last time
before life and journeys take me afar.
