..when all you can do is just go on

 


We were in Rishikesh and had chosen to walk to Dev Prayag following a unconventional path through some hills and forests. This picture was taken somewhere between Phool Chatti and Kota village. Kota village is located on a hill top and Phool Chatti is on the banks of Ganga river. It was the peak of summer and right before the rains. So temperatures were soaring and we were super dehydrated. We were running on 50 ml of water and God knows how much more distance to cover to Kota Village. My partner was in no state to walk any further. He was feeling nauseous and feverish. My body was completely sore and lower back was tingling with pain.  

We wanted to quit at this point but neither of us had the courage to blurt it out. Because quitting would mean going back in the heat and we knew we didnt have enough water. Also it took us 4 hours to get there. There were claw marks on the tree in the picture which suggested that leopards made rounds in that area. So resting it out in that place till the next day was not an option.  The leopards probably wouldn't be happy to see us. 

After sitting at this point for about an hour, we just stood up and decided to walk further ahead. After walking for another 2 hours like zombies, we reached Kota. The sight of the village was like heaven to us. The villagers were also quite welcoming. They offered us food, water and a place to sleep. After a night's rest we walked down from Kota to Sirsu and  continued our journey to Dev Prayag.

Time for some contemplation now.... 
Everyday you go through this very same dilema (even if u r not half way up a mountain, thinking what to do next)!!!

Should I just quit and give up or should I go back???

Going back may mean dying of dehydration. 
Quitting and giving up, you will have to deal with leopards.

So what do you do????

You just plough ahead... 
whether it makes sense or not
whether you have energy or not
whether there is light at the end of the tunnel or not.. 

You just keep going till you reach your Kota village and live on to say this story. 

And just like that... a new hero within you is born.

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