Travel Teaches: The Promise of Life

Life, as we all know in our own ways, is a strange thing – both the presence and absence of it. As I was basking in the joy of the ‘presence’ of it doing what I love most, traveling, I was hit with the ‘absence’ bit – I lost my father. That was life showing a new face, the face of suddenness, that surrounds you with the imperceptible veil of an awkward absence that leaves some in grief, some in a state of denial. It is when the veil drops that the reality hits, either you drown in the sorrow, or you accept, accept that the show must go on, that you still have a life to live, to give it its full due as long as it is there, to help it celebrate, to make the most of the remaining days. That’s when you start looking upto some inspiration.
Where do I look for mine? Who’s that one soul whose mere thoughts would bring a fresh breeze of life-fullness in me? I started running through my memories and without much effort, I found the face I was looking for.

My Happy Lady from the small village of Hargam, Nubra.

Just remembering her, her first glance, her way of dealing with the language barrier, her way of dealing with a situation she was not prepared for, all with a smile that had no lies in it, that had the power to make anybody looking at it smile even wider, the smile that instantly makes you believe that the world is really still not devoid of happiness yet – just that brought me all the inspiration I needed to sail forward. When I thought about how she deals with the extreme conditions there during the winters, when I thought about how almost single-handedly she manages the house with her family being away for several days at times with absolutely no way she could reach them or talk to them, and all that with a smile, I knew what kept her going – the promise of life itself.

At a moment when I am fighting my own demons I know this promise will keep me going, help me fight through all odds, challenge life right on it’s face and come out victorious. As my father always said
“You can make or break your moments, moments that will be lost forever in the next second, live your moments well, live your life well, keep no regrets, hold no grudge, love more than your heart can hold and give your all to things you truly believe in and to people who “

Because he taught me to fly

Rest in Joy, Baba, I know you are around, always, forever 🙂