Actually, that’s how our trip began from office on 9th of May. All excited & looking forward for an overnight trip to Hans Adventure Resorts at Kohlad. Planning for this trip had been going on since when with several hiccups, so we hoped that it turns out to be good.
Around 2PM is what we all left the office by bus to reach the destination, when it comes to bus journey, Antakshari & Dumsheras are always there on the unwritten agenda. A journey of 3:30 min from Mumbai got us to Hans Resorts. The resort welcomed us with a sight of a beautiful peacock roaming just outside its front gate. The resort had those army hostel type shacks, & a beautifull cottage with a lovely terrace. Till night most of the time was spent in settling down and occupying rooms and fighting with some aunties over where boys can sleep and cant.
Game Session, the blind folded one is me...
After a simple village dinner, we all headed for a game session with chapri songs, of course my collection being played in the background. I was surprised to see several others who liked the kind of songs I love playing when its masti time. You always find like minded people around…Nikita you were too good with the song “Kali teri choti hai”.
haaddd...Teena with her Guitar...you play well re
We all then headed towards the terrace with Teena carrying her Guitar. Well when guitar is in hand, stars shining over your head & a whispering forest around you, one expects soothing songs to flow, well it dint begin that way, the start was with a rowdy song played “Sutta Na Mila”…hehehe…
It then got to the flow that was expected. A huge group of 25 people just got calm and enjoyed the music and singing, may be the thoughts of past relationships, future one’s and how career is gonna go kept roaming in each one’s mind. Whether everyone agrees on no, I am sure all these thoughts kept coming to each one’s mind. The group then got shorter and sweeter and was left only to 7 of us, we then made sure we stay away from the hussle and bussle and just enjoyed each others presence with sweet compositions. Teena you play the guitar well btw.
The sweet & simple group on terrace enjoying nature and the music
Everything was going fine and was kept to simple and basic enjoying stuff, just when a chatter box came up to spoil the fun.
We then made a move towards the pool, just to sit down and talk; it was 2PM by then.
Hitting the pool at 2 in night...
Just as I was about to say lets go in the pool, Siddharth asks me the same, I mean at 2 in the night going for swimming was something I wanted to experience it and not miss an opportunity like this. I mean where you find in a city like Mumbai several stars above you, a silent night, presence of colleagues yet dear friends and a pool waiting to accept your jump in it. I just dint want to miss the experience of swimming at 2 in night with all these story type built up around.
By 3 we finally decide to come out of the pool & go to sleep in our shacks. Never ever has a sleep given me such relaxation & peace. The silence was such that I could hear even the breath of my friends in my shack.
The next morning was supposed to be even more exciting, when all the adventure activities were planned out. As expected after the morning breakfast we all headed towards the river side where the adventure activities were suppose to be held. The journey towards this place was exciting as we had to walk for about 2 km after a 2 min bus ride. Superb fun re…
Here we got ourselves divided and the activities began.
Crossing a dig out with a rope tied from one end to another just as one would see a mowgli in a Jungle Book from one tree to the another was worth doing and even more fun seeing others do it. Then came crawling from a tunnel, jumping over a wall and the best one crawling on your stomach with steel fences above you.
What followed is one thing I shall never ever forget. We had to do river crossing. Calm waters, a rope tied to two ends and we just with a support of life jacket had to cross it. Nikita again accompanied and we both began to cross. Just as we finished the crossing, I left the rope and found myself easily floating on the river because of the life jacket. That’s it then there was no looking back, I kept roaming in those waters with just a jacket on. Nikita obviously had to follow…The experience of floating over the waters with eyes closed and head towards the sky made me felt as if I am quite close to God, I mean I could actually feel his presence around. Several of them shouted please come out of the river, but we simply refuse to, I just did not want to. The guides finally had to remove the ropes, in order to scare us, so that we come out. Coming out of those waters, I promised myself to experience the same once again at some point of time.
Finally everyone of my office was relieved to see us back, they all were waiting as to when we will come back and when can they head back to the resort. The bus had left by the time, so we actually had to walk back towards the resort in the hard shining sun. I personally enjoyed since, I love challenging my body with such things, but not all appreciated it, it was fun to walk in those farm lands and lonely roads.
Sitting on that hot road for a picture with you Praveen, I shall be forced not to forget about it.
We finally reached the resort and headed for lunch. The lunch served talks with Vivek Bhargava, my boss over his adventure activities, humility, our experiences of life & of course contextual advertising, Sir I actually saw the passion of yours when you could talk about it for so long even after walking in that soaring heat.
A short discussion sitting by the cottage side with friends and others followed next, those timely pauses in between the talks made us realize and listen to the sound of silence that came from those trees around, whistling winds and the several mangoes hanging in those acres.
We finally headed towards the pool one last time; tug of war in those waters, throwing each one in air is something which shall always make me regret I wish I could have been a kid all my life.
With evening on its way the fun also started fading, as we all headed towards the bus and return back to Mumbai where our desktops, office air condition, local trains and horns were ready to welcome us all over again. Hey before I end this I need to mention the songs that we sang in the bus…with me being the soft target of being teased with all sorts of song dedication. Danny, Bhakti, Praveen & especially you Nikita shall always remember you all for this though you’ll teased a hell out of me, but I quite enjoyed the humor that it carried, you guys rocked re.
Honestly it was one trip after which I literally said “that was not enough”. It was one experience for me for several reasons, it helped me realize what friends meant, especially some close ones and yes I knew they are always around for me but they should not be taken for granted. It would have just been THE PERFECT trip for me haaadddddddddddd…glad its all settled now…
