The lust of a mountain goat

Contributor: Rachit Sharma

“How far can you go to follow your heart?” a question comfortably placed in my consciousness among some exhilaration, curiosity and a yearning to see my love. The journey came as a refreshing breeze through under the shut door, blowing away the grains of dust born over time.

As I slid into the back seat of the bus, gazing through the window, realized how this scenery of a placid, plain land will emerge into an omnipotent beauty in few hours. The bus dived into the tunnel of the night, pouncing on the road like a little carefree child. Few hours had passed, the eyes tried to unfold the mist of the morning. The night had already snuggled back the plains and the bright blue umbrella came with lofty green hills. Somebody spilled some molten gold on the eastern edge of the sky which in no time seeped so strongly in the air as if there was no night some moments ago and this is the way it will remain so.

Palampur, a little village in the district of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh gently held by immaculate mountains embellished with lustrous rocks and flowing trees. ‘Aavishkaar’ a wonderful learning space that organizes education camp for children opened its gates for us. The warmth and hospitality made us feel at home. The sprawling campus served the perfect space for introspection to each wandering soul. Sandhya ji, founder of ‘Aavishkaar’ illustrated how they are trying to make ‘learning’ the centre of education instead of ‘teaching’. While listening to the story of her journey I found how I am fleeing away from the goal-centric approach of life. I find goals illusionary, would rather have milestones in a journey which has a constant purpose.

All the fellow travelers decided to delve deeper into the nature and let the silence be the medium of communication. All of us got lost around the rocky shore of an intense brook which has painted massive rocks around it. I found solace on a high rock looking over the beautiful dance of the mountain goats. They flowed down from a high hill like a narrow creek with different shades. Their feet touched each rock with an unsaid familiarity; their eyes had the same yearning for the mountains, they knew their way well, still pretended to be guided by the shepherd.

Our silence talked, I discerned how silence being the universal language is ‘spoken’ across biodiversity, transcends the demarcations of men and nature alike. Rumi puts it best “Silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation”. As the dusk fell we huddled back to our beautiful nest, quickly earthed deep into our comfy beds envisioning the walking pilgrimage that we were to take the following day.

Early morning amid the chanting of the nature we plunged into the wilderness and became part of the landscape. Few kilometers away from ‘Palampur’ we embarked the uphill journey, passing though little villages, manicured fields, peeking into lives, kissing away the fresh air. The trek kept challenging us with every step forward. At times the trail will garb layers of leaves other times it will adorn the rolling rocks. Each time giving the eyes nutrition that it seeks and feet the skills it should learn to walk on.

It was decided that we will cook some lunch as soon as we reach a reasonably plain land. After few hours of trekking we settled ourselves near a temple where we cooked rice and lentils. Love, laughter and affection blended utterly well with other ingredients. With appeased hunger the little worm inside the heart throbbed for more thrill.

This time we took a path which was brimming with all shades of beautiful leaves, garnished with red flowers, trees bent down to make gateways. My eyes were struck in amazement as my feet tried not to disrupt the painting. It drizzled on the way; each drop seemed purifying as filtered through the woven net of the trees. It seemed nature had put a great deal of effort to make this one trail the most picturesque.

There came an immensely enormous valley with massive rocks scattered around. It took me sometime to realize the presence of what I saw. When you love something you long for its touch, you want to embrace it, you wish to be a part of it, you yearn to become what you love. The desire remained.

A brook flowing in the middle of the valley was seeping through the agglomeration of the rocks with an engineered and detailed path. We accommodated ourselves into this huge crack between two humungous rocks that has taken a shape of a cave. Some twigs, fire, water and wilderness, everything to alleviate your body and soul. The night was going to be long; the fire should stay ignited in case some bears or wolves decide to check up on the intruders. From the warmth of the sleeping bag the cave looked like a studio apartment with a zillion dollars view.

A shrill, cold breeze woke me up in the morning. The glory of the vastness of the region was at its best. While sitting on a tender rock eating rice and gram I realized how this very moment is a moment of lifetime. The whole valley was lighten up with the arrival of the sun, the music of the brook was in rhythm with my thoughts. I went closer to it, tried deciphering the tune. A day before we were talking about the might of nature which can serve you with the miraculous luxuries of the world but when wishes can decimate you into stark nothingness.

Picture credits: Yash Shivhare

“What if right from the point of origin I fly directly into the sea without meeting the land?” asks the brook. “I am still embracing my rightful destination but am I serving my purpose of inception? Am I quenching the life of the earth? It is my journey that you see, that you celebrate, few of you worship. Once I meet the sea I am neither recognized nor remembered.”

I nodded sheepishly.

Time had come to pack the bags. The way back was easier and quicker. The earthquake tremors moved me and the rock that I was sitting on. Hungry and thirsty but there was an utter delight as the soul was nearly assuaged.

How far will you go to follow your heart?

The moment you put ‘how many’, ‘how much’, ‘how far’ you lose the purpose. You put it into a softer cage and expect it to be free. Let the limits set by the heart; let it wander as the brook does. If free and moving your journey will enrich others as well, is what I learnt.