Skip to main content

Lost in the woods

It was a Hot October morning when I set out to my newly discovered hobby, studying the jungle life.

This time the target was the woods near my native place on NH17.

These woods are quiet familiar as when we were kids we would have crossed them several times to reach our picnic spot hidden inside these jungles.

Though there isn't much wildlife left there now, the feel of being inside the woods wasn't less.

As I had been there a few times in past I knew the way...

My confidence was boasted when I found few familiar land marks... And then after the small munching break, I took a left turn...

And I had reached where I shouldn't have... and I was lost in the woods.

The place where I had reached wasn't the one I was expecting to reach. I had reached near a pond which I never knew existed.

And As expected I saw the first wildlife sign - the pugmarks. I was shivering with scare.

And then there was a movement in the nearby and there came a wolf & her newborns.

It was a real scary moment of my life. I was dead sure that now I won’t be going back to my world.

I started thinking about the incomplete tasks, assignments & my dog Rickie.

Same time I recollected Robert Frost's lines -

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep."

For first and only time in my life I started praying God to save my life.

I wondered to myself about the reckless driving practices that I followed sometimes,

About times when I jumped off a cliff to swim the river, about times when I trekked the Himalayas.

And the moment came and passed the wolves drank the water and went away. They didn't even pay any attention to me.

I was surprised. All I could think was probably the prayers were really answered.

I decided to go back the same way I had entered, every way looked just the same.

I was confused what to do next.

I kept walking for some more time; soon I saw some smoke rising in the sky.

It was a good sign indicating human dwelling and I decided to keep the faith and reach there.

And I was right. I had found the way out for the jungle safely.

I sincerely thank God for teaching me the value of life with this simple incidence.

Popular posts from this blog

Riki - The dog and Me -the Human

A promise that will last forever...  It was third week of November 2003. I was recovering from relapsed Malaria and pneumonia and had returned to my parent’s place from Navi Mumbai. My then husband turned up one early evening and surprised me with a gift. The gift was a cute little black Labrador retriever puppy of less than 3 months of age. (November 20, 2003) I always wanted a dog but my parent’s understanding of responsibility had always denied acceptance of a dog. We had fish and birds but a dog was too much. I had dreamt that when I will grow up I will get myself a German shepherd and my ex-husband always had dreamt of having a black lab. So obviously he picked up a black lab. When the puppy came home, my first reaction was, "ohh my baby is here!" Day one On day one, this pup sat near the chair which was like ten times his size, six months later he found that the space beneath this chair can be his hideout when a bath is called upon, and a year lat...

कुंडलिका - सावळ-घाट १९ - २० एप्रिल २०१४

एकदा डोंगरात जायची  चटक लागली  की चढाई -उतराई हि नियमित चालूच राहते. तशी आमची ही चढाई -उतराई चालूच होती, परंतु सगळे धोपट मार्गी ट्रेक्स केल्यामुळे काही  विशेष कामगिरी केल्याचे समाधान मिळत नव्हते. म्हणूनच आम्ही अनोख्या  ट्रेकच्या शोधत होतो. कुशलच्या सुपीक डोक्यातून अनेक कल्पना बाहेर पडत होत्या परन्तु उन्हाळ्याचे निमित्त करून आम्ही त्या परतवून लावत होतो.  अखेर एक दिवस, कुशलने ब्रह्मास्त्र काढले आणि सगळे या लाटेवर स्वार झाले. मुळशी जवळ असलेल्या, कुंडलिका नदीचे मूळ शोधण्याच्या उपक्रमात सामील व्हायला आम्ही सगळे उत्सुक होतो.  तसे या वर्षामधले बहुतेक treks घाई-घाईत झालेले असल्यामुळे हा trek तरी थोडा निवांत असावा असे आम्ही ठरविले.  सर्वात प्रथम या भागाची माहिती काढण्याचे काम सुरु झाले. चढाई - उतराई या  पुस्तकामधून बरीच माहिती मिळाली. कुशलने हा trek आधी ३ वेळा केला असल्यामुळे त्याला बऱ्यापैकी माहिती होती.  हा ट्रेक off -beat  असल्यामुळे आम्ही जास्त लोक नको हे ठरवले, तरी हो - ना करतकरत १६ जणाची  team शनिवारी रात्र...

How I Got Leh'd - Fact File and Trivia Bits

Actual Itinerary:  3rd August - Pune - Delhi early morning flight, Delhi Manali Bus 4th August - Reached Manali in morning and Left for by Himachal Tourism's bus, stay at Keylong (Via Marhi, Rohtang La, Khokhsar, Sissu, Tandi) 5th August - Keylong - Leh via - Jispa, Darcha, ZingZingbar, Baralacha La, Sarchu, Pang, Tanglang La, Rumptse, Upshi, Karu 6th August - Rest, Local site Seeing - Sakthi Monastery - Festival, Chemday Monastery, Hemis Monastery 7th August - Spituk Monastery, Guru Pather Sahib - Gurudwara, Hall of Fame, Shey Palace & Monastery, Thiksey Monastery, Shanti Stupa 8th August - Pangong Lake 9th August - White Water Rafting from Chilling - Nimmo - 28 kms 10th August - Khardung La, Panamik, Sumoor Monastery, Hunder Sand Dunes & Camel Ride (Nubra Valley) 11th August - Diskit Monastery and Back to Leh Via Khardung La 12th August - Tso Moriri and back to Leh ( Mahe Bridge) 13th August - Left for Manali - Stay at Keylong 14th August - Reached manali - L...