Life is Calling

“ Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself “ -- George Bernard Shaw Most of us have heard about this commercial punchline “ Life is calling , where are you !!! “ I always ask my compatriots, friends one question and the Q is “ have u faced your very own “ Life is calling, where are you “ moment !!! ..well … I have faced and i am going to give list down treatise memoir of my experience now. By the time I was appearing for the Joint entrance examination post Class 12th, my mind was brewing an amazing cocktail . It had engineering, and medicine as the base ingredients. Thee then exotic flavors like Law , Pharmacy & Accounts were infused to enchant new age prosperity. Lured by thrills they offer, I myself added toppings like Armed Forces, Merchant Navy etc. It was like I was in the center of the Rie De Janerio carnival parade hypnotized in my very own ‘The Matrix’ zone. My Neo came in the form of a sudden invite from one of our family friends for a quick retreat in the Himalayas near the Indo-Bhutan border at Sikkim. I still remember I had hit the road only to have some blast on the top of the world but destiny had different plans for me. A mystical land with surreal weather conditions welcomed us as we started our onward journey from Gangtok. The serpentine roads narrowed with each passing kilometer. The roads were precariously wound around an undulating row of mountains that looked like inverted ice-cream cones, topped with London Dairies vanilla ice cream. These stoic gigantic natural walls pierced through a sea of translucent cotton candy clouds and at 10,000 feet above sea level the place might as well have been the land of fairies and elves where mythical beings and human souls co-existed. It was certainly a picture perfect view despite the daunting & treacherous journey that led to it. The road used to thrust all your phobias right into your face. I still recall getting off my seat and squatting on the floor of the jeep while crossing one mountain pass just to avoid looking out of the window. It was hard to watch the tires of the moving jeep a few inches away from the bottomless valley without imaging a fall and going up in a gigantic ball of fire. To my eighteen year self, getting there seemed like Harry Potter's journey to Hogwarts. Our trip ran through numerous picturesque valleys slowly climbing up to the literally breathtaking passes at 13,000 feet above sea level. As we reached the destination, we overlooked lush green mountains and meandering rivers & found ourselves in an outstanding place to unwind in nature's lap. It was only a matter of split seconds, the visibly lush green forest was now all white and cotton-y. That's the thing about the hills they say, the weather changes in a fraction of a second. And here I was at a place 13000 feet above sea level, to witness nature's marvel unfold right in front of me while I sipped on my hot chocolate. Not that I hadn't witnessed the phenomenon before but there was something more enchanting about this, something I couldn't quite put a finger on as on date today. All the cloud candy floss looked to me like all the choices I have in my career buffet spread …. Whining over them I could understand my crossroad crisis . Tucked quietly away from the rest of the world, in the green environs of the mighty Himalayas I started harvesting my mind. They say “ Mind is a wonderful servant but terrible master “ …. I can vouch that too …. Initial hours when I started ploughing my mind I was more confused, frustrated and anguished. I literally had lost any inclination to explore the wonders of nature with my family & friends. The next two days were spent lazily hassling around watching the dance of the clouds across meadows amid pleasant chill breeze. I had spent the time in an adjacent Buddhist monastery listening to the hymns and the sounds of the Tibetan drums & bells while other members of the trip were busy exploring the flora and fauna of the surrounding. Every time, I thought, I got the breakthrough, instantly another emotional wave splashed the sandcastle I had engineered, pushing me back to square one. I was totally self-consumed. I was intoxicated in that serene, enshrined atmosphere. As darkness loomed in the evening, I used to spend hours in solitude witnessing the spectacle of twilight in the sky sitting on the windowpane while listening to the orchestra of insects. One day I dozed off on the armchair. By the time I regained my senses to hit the bed, a sudden peep on the window revealed slight amber hues over the horizon issuing the invitation of a brand-new day. I decided to apply brakes in my dream odyssey, put on my leather jackets and shoes and came out to breathe the fresh oxygen in the ‘Brahma Muhurtham’. I started a wanderlust track out in the hue of dark and light. I can listen to shrill sounds of the drums coming out of monasteries as well as witness intermittent moving tiny flashes on the national highway. After a stroll, I could smell wild floral hues & hear the burbles of the flowing waters from the adjoining creeks. I continued for some more time. I still could not get it how it happened but & as the sun rays beamed gradually, the smog that clouded my mind since the day I stepped in here also evaporated. I could finally decide what I want to pursue in life, the specialization I would like to dive into. The saying goes “Nothing succeeds like success” …as clarity emerged within myself it looks like destiny delivered an immediate gift to me. I could witness the majestic Mount Kanchenjunga peak with its full glory unfolding in front of me … still i get goose bump when i recollect those seconds ..the first spark of sunlight sparked a Pinkish-orange glamor on the snow clad peak & then transforming to golden and yellow with time ultimately bringing up usual snowy majestic senorita with a tinge of blue …. It's a lifetime experience which was granted to me by destiny. Bestowed with umpteen glorious views of the Kanchenjunga peak and surrounded by the eastern Himalayan ranges, monasteries and temples, our camp shines as a serene destination to unwind and rejuvenate to many but to me it was my own place of Nirvana, my Bodhgaya. At the abode of the Himalayas, nature ignited the spark plug of my life engine which I drove to become what I am today…. Our age-old spiritual scriptures have mentioned that nature always throws us hints and clues of life and it's up to us to intercept those cryptic messages, decipher them and implement the directives. Watching the awesome wonders of the marvelous planet we call our home, I started my life on my own terms and filled myself up with a new zeal and enthusiasm. Browning a quote from the great poet, Robert Frost, “With miles to be before we sleep “ I appeal to all of you to face your very own “ Life is Calling” moment and unravel your own destiny which is true to yourself ….