The Kargil Travels

‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. I was tested with this proverbial phrase in the most unlikely place which was Rohtang Pass. The Pass has the infamous reputation of being extremely dangerous due to its awful weather and numerous deaths of people trying to cross it. For me, the ordeal began about 35 kms from Rohtang Top. I was concentrating on the challenging road and my mind was thinking of how I was living the experience of a lifetime. I was on my way from Delhi to Drass along with 29 others to pay my humble respects to the martyrs of Kargil war on the 14th anniversary of Vijay Diwas. And I wanted adventure, lots of it. But I realized that my adventure had quickly turned to misadventure when my bag tied to the bike’s carrier was missing. It contained my purse and mobile phone, in short my life line to the other riders and to my city life. Rohtang had tested me in a way I didn’t comprehend. The shock of being in the middle of nowhere and not being able to do anything nor contact anyone was numbing. I couldn’t go back as the bike had limited fuel. As I sat, gaped and thrashed down any impractical solutions, one of the riders rode towards me. I think I gave him the biggest smile I could manage at that time. He was carrying my misplaced bag. Enroute we encountered 3 landslides and torrential rains but we continued with undiminished zeal. An unexpected pleasant news was when we were about to leave for Pangong Lake, the person at the hotel reception told me that there were chances of snowfall on the way. Since I had never seen snowfall before, I was excited though my co bikers thought that this possibility during this time of the year in late July was next to impossible. To my delight and surprise, as we were approaching Chang La Pass, there was mild snowfall. I danced and clicked pictures at such high altitude where any physical exertion is strictly not recommended. That was an experience to cherish. But it all paled when we actually reached Kargil war memorial, the destination of our 12 day journey. The feeling of patriotism and gratitude that I felt for the martyrs and the pride at being an Indian is something that not only made the entire journey worthwhile but also inspirational for life. Publish Link: http://tagdiva.com/2013/08/29/1171/