Connect - Disconnect

"एकांतात प्रश्न पडतात आणि प्रवासात उत्तर सापडतात" - Unknown

Last month we were on a road trip to Devbhoomi Himachal Pradesh.This was special as for almost 4 years we had not taken any long trip. As soon as we landed at Chandigarh , a man in his fifties ,properly dressed in crisp ironed uniform and with sweet smile came to pick up at the airport door.This was gonna be our longest road trip in years and good driver and good cab was what I was seriously praying for.

The car as expected was spick and span.From the very first moment the driver named Ganesh made sure we feel comfortable.We started the trip with Almighty's prayer and then for the next 8 days didn't realise how the time passed.

The roads in Himachal Pradesh are tricky,winding up the hills,narrow with several twists and turns.But Ganeshji knew every nook and corner.He selected best stops for us considering our palate and food preferences. Clean ,hygienic and safe places.He had been on road for 25 years and we got a wonderful guide for our tour.History and geography of that region, he shared with so much accuracy.Not only that, he made sure that we didn't miss any beautiful landscape .He took responsibility on himself to make the trip memorable one. We had planned to go till Solang valley .But there was no snow there.He himself planned and took us beyond Atal tunnel to have us lifetime memorable experience. Drive inside the 9.5 km tunnel and sight of pristine Chandrabhaga river outside shall always be memorable.Being native he was well aware of rules and regulations and never ever he skipped or allowed us.He made sure we had fun but prioritized our safety always. We could touch and play in Virgin snow for hours.

We talked about nature, history, culture , traditions ,festivals, his family and I realised that the people in mountain are so clear about their healthy life choices.They know how to balance health, happiness and growth.The life lessons which he shared reinstated the fact that spirituality is not something to be learnt from books but life experiences and thought process makes one spiritual. His clarity made me think about some of my choices in life, my preferences and I really felt so happy to gather some life lessons in the mighty mountains.

On the last day of trip, I felt little emotional.We always had take self driven long trips or short trips with cab.This time having a member constantly was different experience.We were able to relax,enjoy and soak in the fun thanks to this person.Greeting us every morning with warm wish and ending day on happy note had been a ritual.When we said goodbye and expressed gratitude he was cool and looked forward to next traveler in his car.He seemed happy that he had done his work well and immediately took on the next moment,planning for the trip with new traveler.

At that moment an important fundamental struck me.Karmyogis do their job well and never dwell in past for a second.They are on their toes. So much to learn.I have struggled a lot disconnecting from people and experiences. And here it seemed simple like Switch on , Switch off.

When you are connected give your best but when time or circumstances come disconnect without feeling bad or sorry. Always wish for the best and move on.Cherish the good memories and let go off.Don'tkeep lingering there. It makes no change for the people or for our future.

Questions come to our mind when we are alone and we tend to find answers during travel is what the marathi quote above means and I have experienced this truly.