#i slept till almost 9.30

[ajarofpickledtears]

why does Stuff (tm) take up so much energy

[lgbtuan]

I hate when you start having a routine again bc your body gets used to sleeping x number of hours and then in the weekend it's like :))))) why im i awake at 8.15 :))))))

[baekzhang]

january 19th | misdial

byun baekhyun. reader-insert. voicemail series. 3k words. fluff/angst. au

—it all started with one misdial, and a second, and a third, and...

misdial masterlist + guide | general masterlist 

[2017/01/19] 2.22 p.m.: “The doctors said that you haven’t made any progress and I broke down in tears. Baekhyun was crying, too. Satansoo— I mean Kyungsoo was there, too. He told us that you’ll be fine. He bought flowers for you; I thought it was very cute. I hope you’ll be better soon.”

[2017/01/19] 08.15 a.m.: new message from ‘Byun Baekhyun’

» slept well? « did till you woke me up

[seen: 08.17 a.m.]

» ahhh, i’m sorry!! 😰 » i thought you were already up 😅😅 « mhmmmm sure « well, i stayed awake for long « couldn’t sleep. What about you? You’re up awfully early 

[seen: 08.21 a.m.]

» couldn’t sleep for shit » i also have to go to the hospital in a bit so yeah « to see..him?

[seen: 08.23 a.m.]

» yeah...to see chanyeol » the doctors gave me a call yesterday evening » they told me to go see them in the early morning, so i’ll be there at around 9.30 « why you tho?

[seen: 08.26 a.m.]

» well » i’m his guardian since idk » about 3 years « ohh « i didn’t know that...what happened to his parents?

[seen: 08.30 a.m.] 

» (◼️◼️◼️) « you don’t have to tell me! « it’s probably a too personal matter « i’m sorry

[seen: 08.33 a.m.]

» no, it’s alright » his father died three years ago because of lung cancer » he was...let’s say he smoked a lot, so it was bound to happen » his mother uhhh. Chanyeol hasn’t talked to her in a while. Maybe for about five years now. It’s complicated and idk everything either, but she doesn’t live in Seoul « where does she live?

[delivered: 08.40 a.m.]

« i’m sorry, i shouldn’t be asking these questions

[seen: 08.45 a.m.]

» his mother and his father divorced when he was 15 years old. She moved to the US in the same year and re-married the following year. Chanyeol last saw her at his graduation. Their relationship is complicated, especially because his dad started smoking more after the divorce, so he blames her for his death and didn’t talk to her anymore. Idk if she even cares, she has a new family, another son, so yeah...i am his guardian. Well, me and Kyungsoo

« i see...oh you’re on your way to the hospital now, right? « is it alright if i come later, too?

[seen: 08.55 a.m.]

» i’m on my way to yours, if you want you come with me  » and kyungsoo too ughh « baekhyun « thank you 

[delivered: 08.56 a.m.]

Truthfully, the past week was awful, horrible; and you knew that you deserved all these feelings. Self-pity wasn’t an option even though you’d have loved to embrace it. Someone might think that crying stops when there are no tears left in your eyes. Well, the tears stopped, but not because you lacked water in any sort. The tears stop when you realise that they won’t solve anything. You cried for maybe an entire day, and Chanyeol didn’t wake up. And then your tears stopped flowing and numbness set in. Numbness, guilt and void. 

Quickly, you got dressed. You had showered early in the morning when you couldn’t sleep, so you had that covered already. However, the shower wasn’t as refreshing as it was supposed to be. When you went to your wardrobe and picked a simple outfit—for which you didn’t care too much other than it had to look somewhat acceptable—you almost brought yourself to gasp. 

Large bags under your puffy eyes, dry lips that almost seemed to crack, slight wrinkles and surely the lack of sleep drained you enough to actually grow one white hair: you were a damn mess and the worst about it was that your initial shock recovered soon and changed into the monotony of disregard; you just didn’t care and refused to notice how long your nails had grown, how much weight you lost that you fitted perfectly into a three year old pair of jeans and the greyness of your skin. They just weren’t on your mind and had no purpose there for this moment—the moment, which had been lasting for several days now.

Shortly after you got dressed, the door bell rang and your head slowly jerked in the direction and you approached the door, leaving behind heavy steps. You lived in an apartment complex, third floor, so you gave it your best to wander down the stairs as quickly as possible—the elevator would surely take too long to come, especially at such hour where everyone goes to work and it stops at every damn floor! Admittedly, you weren’t sure why, but your heart rate elevated a slight bit, and you couldn’t tell its source. Fear? Excitement? Surprise? Or was it Baekhyun? 

By the time his name entered your options, you saw him right at the stairs standing there with a saggy posture that might result in a hunchback hump if he continued to strain his spine like that. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his trousers—just a casual pair of denim—and he kept looking at his feet. You couldn’t his face when you descended from the stairs, just his stance, which probably mirrored yours when you weren’t conscious of it. You were not conscious of it until you saw yourself in a reflection anyway. 

“H-hey.” Your voice was weak and raucous; you hadn’t spoken a single word in days because you had nobody to talk to except for yourself, and there wasn’t really much to talk about to yourself. Baekhyun’s shoulders shrugged quickly in shock to your quivering voice and his eyes found yours: he looked all too wrong and paradox. He had teary eyes, more or less unclear skin and his shirt wasn’t ironed but rather creased to the core—but he smiled at you and you couldn’t help but frown slightly before you attempted to return the fake happiness.

“Hey.” Baekhyun knew perfectly fine that there was no reason for happiness, but he still forced his lips to curl upwards to elicit a mirroring of yours. He managed; it wasn’t satisfying and left him with a returning thought of his best friend and the news that he couldn’t really classify from the tone of the other line—emotionless and unrevealing. The short ride to your home had him probably swallow litres of saliva; Byun Baekhyun had never felt that anxious.

He led you to his car, a silver Audi A3 from what you could make out, and you darted your eyes, narrowed slightly, to the door of the passenger seat till you bit on your lip and  squinted toward the backdoor. 

“Don’t worry, Kyungsoo can sit at the back,” Baekhyun’s voice echoed in your ears and you nodded, whispering an almost inaudible “okay”.

New Message To: Sly Fox Chanyeol Hey Chanyeol...I’m on my way to you! With Baekhyun, too. We’ll pick up Kyungsoo. I hope you’re up sleepy head! 

“What are you doing?” You shrieked when you heard Baekhyun’s voice; your heart jumped and your eyes were close to bulging out. 

—message saved as draft—

“Checking the clock,” you cleared your throat and glanced at the clock. 09.14 a.m. Baekhyun hummed, the noise made you gulp rather audibly to which he didn’t react and you shifted in the seat, fidgeting with the belt till you ended up resting your head on the window. You didn’t notice it started raining till Baekhyun turned on the windscreen wipers. That and someone entering the car complaining about how it suddenly started raining, although you only perceived that very dazedly. 

“Hello.” Your ears perked up and your glassy eyes blinked, staring at the driver who pointed his thumb to the back where you found another guy; he was Kyungsoo you could tell. “My name is Do Kyungsoo. You must be ____?”

Do Kyungsoo is evil and satanic. If you ever see a little man looking like he comes from Star Trek when looking at his hair, then make a run for it.

Your throat dried out instantaneously. And where the fluid lacked it oozed out where you didn’t need it—you were hit by a wave of cold sweat, which had your chin quiver. “Yes, that’s me,” you replied looking everywhere but into those deep, questioning eyes. 

Kyungsoo was passive. His eyes appeared dull and he was conflicted everywhere he could possibly feel this net of different thoughts and opinions. He was probably in a worse state of complexity and debate than Baekhyun was, and you knew that he was staring at the back of your shielded head. You could feel his eyes on you and you could assume his thoughts very well.

‘She did this to Chanyeol.’

‘It’s her fault.’

Most importantly, however: ‘Why is she here?’

You didn’t feel like searching for an answer, especially not when there was none to begin with. The question to the why would stand without a reply and Do Kyungsoo had to live with it even when he never uttered it, neither did you know if he really thought this. 

Whether the car ride was silent or noisy, you couldn’t tell. You didn’t pay attention to anything but the tightening feeling in your chest and your heavy breathing that almost felt like suffocation. Rain drops slid down the window and everything outside was just hazy. Lightly you could hear the sounds of some casual, jazzy radio music; but nothing you focused on. 

What flooded your mind were the thoughts of what you were about to get informed about—Chanyeol’s condition. Would Chanyeol make it? He’ll be okay, right? Today’s medicine has improved so much, he must be doing well. Neither Baekhyun nor Kyungsoo looked like they knew what was about to happen, they were just as you. And that frightened you. 

The car came to a halt soon and a tap to your shoulder made your drowsy eyes glance toward Baekhyun who stared at you with a sympathetic manner; he whispered, “We’re here.” You nodded and sloppily got out of the car, Kyungsoo offered you a hand to get out of the seat, which you gladly took. It felt weird to be treated with respect when they could easily discard you and use you rightfully as the scapegoat. If you didn’t act the way you did, he wouldn’t have reacted the way he did, which ultimately resulted in his current situation. 

“We’re a little early,” Kyungsoo stated and you looked ahead where the two of them stood; Baekhyun nodded and turned to you with a friendly look that sent daggers toward your heart. Stop being so nice! 

“Shall we grab some food first, or do you want to wait?” he questioned and you licked over your dry lips.

“I’m not really hungry,” you announced and Baekhyun just nodded and waited for you to catch up with him; Kyungsoo walked forward. From you three, he appeared to be the least affected, but maybe he just didn’t want anyone to see what he truly thinks and feels. He was a polite man, unlike how you expected him to be. His stare wasn’t murdering, it just didn’t hold any sort of emotion, just void. One could describe his face to be chiseled, not because he was outstandingly good looking like Adonis, but because he looked the same for most of the time. But you didn’t know Kyungsoo too much, barely ten minutes...but you didn’t know Chanyeol much either, nor Baekhyun.

The tears stop when you realise that they won’t solve the problem. Instead you feel empty and numb. Numbness, guilt and void. Then why is Byun Baekhyun staring at you with watered eyes that offered the reflection of a woman in her early twenties, crying, hiccuping and about to fall to her knees in hurt, shock and mixture of various other emotions? 

“We’ve observed Mr. Park Chanyeol for nine days now and his brain activity hasn’t changed at all, if all it worsened slightly. This doesn’t mean that he will not wake up, but the chances currently aren’t good. We are currently discussing to use artificial respiration to provide his brain with more oxygen to increase the chances of him waking up and reducing the possibility for a long time amnesia.”

“When will he wake up?”

“Amnesia?” Kyungsoo and Baekhyun uttered at the same time, while you just stared to the ground with shaking hands and head. 

“We don’t know when. Mr. Park will most likely suffer amnesia, if he wakes up.” 

And by that moment you screamed it out of your lungs with as much force you could: “NO!”

Baekhyun’s hands dropped and he jerked his head in your direction—he was crying, but tried his best to keep his composure. But you couldn’t. 

If he wakes up. If. 

You stared into Baekhyun’s eyes for five seconds, ignoring any medical bullshit coming from the doctor; then you dashed out of the room and shut it close rather loudly. Chanyeol wouldn’t be disturbed by a loud thud anyways.

[2017/01/19] 10.14 a.m.: incoming call from ‘Byun Baekhyun’

[2017/01/19] 10.16 a.m:: missed call from ‘Byun Baekhyun’

[2017/01/19] 10.17 a.m.: incoming call from ‘Byun Baekhyun’

“Are you...alright? Wow, this is a dumb question. I—I, um, ahh...where are you?”

“I know it’s hard...it’s hard f–for me, too. I just...tell me you’re somewhere safe.”

“Why are you worrying about me?”

“Why? I don’t know...aren’t we friends? Don’t fry worry about each other?”

“You...shouldn’t worry about...me.” 

“But I do...”

“Why? We barely know each other.”

“You’re Chanyeol’s girlfriend. Chanyeol wouldn’t like to see you getting so worked up, right?”

“Don’t you...”

“Don’t I what?”

“Never mind. Where are you?”

“I’m outside the hospital, where are you?”

“At the bus station.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, don’t go anywhere!”

[2017/01/19] 10.25 a.m.: call ended

Baekhyun arrived, truly, a minute later at the bus station and saw you, sitting on the seat with your knees pulled to your chest. You had been crying for the entire time, and throughout the entire call you had been sobbing. He didn’t do any better; his face was filled with confusion and worry. And once he was there he just sat next to you for a couple of minutes. He just sat and didn’t do anything but look forward, to the other side of the road. Baekhyun didn’t quite know what to do, he wasn’t used to worry about someone else, especially not when he wanted people to worry about him, too. He was broke from the inside, especially after this visit. What could he do? Cry? He already did, and found no solace in it. So Byun Baekhyun just stared ahead and glanced in your direction every time your hiccup echoed louder in his ears. 

“Do you feel ready to go back?” he asked in a quiet voice, and your sobs stopped. Were you ready? For what exactly? 

“Visiting hours started,” he added and you swallowed the big lump in your throat. 

“Or I can take you home. It’s raining, I don’t want you to go through the rain.”

“I can use the bus,” you whimpered to which he just nodded. He was about to get up when the bus drove to the station. Surely, it was leading to the direction of your apartment, but you made no attempt to get up or say anything.

“Hey, are you getting or not?” the driver shouted and you shook your head slightly; you whispered “no”.

“We’re not,” Baekhyun coughed awkwardly. He heard you. The bus drove away.

Suddenly, you jumped from your seat and extended your hand to Baekhyun’s, who just shot you a quizzical looks—raised eyebrow, and hesitantly he took your hand in his to stand up. 

“Let’s go..and visit,” you mumbled and forced a smile onto your lips. Baekhyun’s stomach twisted at the sight, but he followed you. 

Flowers. There was exactly one difference in the room. There was a vase filled with flowers next to Chanyeol’s bed. When you entered the room, you saw Kyungsoo sitting in the chair next to the bed; his head jerked toward the door to see who was it, and his eyes shot open in surprise when he saw you and Baekhyun drenched from the rain. 

“I didn’t think you’d find her so quickly,” Kyungsoo said calmly and stood up, offering you his seat. 

“You got him flowers,” you stated and he titled his head, realising after a second what you meant. Oh!

“Yeah, Chanyeol likes flowers, I guess,” he replied and you nodded, grabbing another chair from the table and suited yourself next to Kyungsoo. Chanyeol likes flowers.

“Remember when he was so pissed when you didn’t get him any flowers when he broke his arm?” Baekhyun said calmly, looking toward the flowers and feeling the petal between his thumb and index finger. Chanyeol broke his arm. 

“Yeah, and then I got him orchids and he turned out to be allergic to them. What an idiot.” Chanyeol is allergic to orchids. 

The warmth coming from Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had surprised you from the very beginning, they had not shoved the blame on you. And had finally pieced the riddle together.

“Don’t worry, Chanyeol will wake up. We just have to trust him. He was an idiot for driving so late and for no damn reason, too,” Kyungsoo reassured, his hand was on your shoulder and for the first time you’ve seen just a tiny bit of a smile. 

Park Chanyeol was talkative like no other man you’ve ever met, but Park Chanyeol was also secretive: they had no idea that you blamed yourself, neither did they know why you did so. And you didn’t know if you had it in yourself to speak up. 

[2017/01/19] 02.18 p.m.: calling ‘Sly Fox Chanyeol’

“Hey, this is Chanyeol, I am currently too busy being awesome to answer your call, but you can leave me a message after the beep! [beep]”

[itsnotnicetosnooponpeople]

swoopedeedoop (21 Sept 2018)

so hello fRIEND n F0es

im back bitches!!!!!!!

First week of classes at uni, i’m thinking of using this to keep track of my life once again (~: let’s see how long this one lasts! 

So far, very little actually happening and a lot of emotions. Glasgow tends to have that effect on me. Berke was a lot happening and less emotions, or rather emotions being held off like a cold until it finally hits when u stop for a second and let it properly sink its fangs into u.

I’m celebrating friendships, in all the various ways it creeps up to u and cements itself into ur life as something u can feel like u r physically leaving behind but never neglect because u will always want to come back to it, some time. some friendships that i really appreciate, in the sense that they are genuinely supportive and give each other room to grow: sarah silverman & jimmy kimmel (p loveable for white people), tyler the creator & frank ocean (poptarts) & my friendships w people who r far far away but v luved.

ok so SO so sos osO

living w martina has been really chill so far. She cried about her mom yesterday and I don’t want to talk about it too much because I don’t feel like she is comfortable yet talking about her emotions in detail. But, she feels better today. And that’s great. She’s sick though and I’m some type of sleep deprived, or my body is battling the sad weather, one or the other. All I know is that my hair is fluffy and soft, but my skin is yucky. (And this is after i’ve put on THREE masks in the past week.)

Yesterday, had a pretty good day of lectures. Came back to talk to Martina and wanted to nap, but didn’t get a chance to. Was p tired because my body naturally wakes up at 7am every day (jetlag?) and I slept at 1am, meaning I only got 6h of sleep. My eyebags r designer at this point and it just reminds me of ziggy n her insistence of aegyo-sal till her friend shut her down and she felt sorry for me and WHAT DO YOU EVEN SAY TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? It’s genetic, my momma has it too, but i work with it. Somedays, when I’m incredibly well-rested, I look p fuckin amazing and lifted and the stark difference is what i live for. So yeah, get there. ok ive rambled off into banality. point of the matter is, i didn’t get the chance to do the work i wanted to, after all. I just watched bojack and figured out some organisational stuff out. By the way, bojack is PHENOMENAL. that one episode with the free churros wow! wow. wooooooooow. WOW. so much to unpack and i will definitely be rewatching that, the same way i rewatch the season 4 princess carolyn episode. im a sucker for sadness wrapped in humour and silliness. and boy does bojack horseman know how to suckerpunch me int eh gut for it. i miss andrea and how we bonded over the shared trauma of watching it. There is a weird understanding u reach w someone when u know they enjoy the same emotional cathartic torture peppered w moments that aren’t wins, but brief relief from the emotional kfiszJDNLXOZVapfejWDSA that is bojack that builds an almost instant solidarity. yknow? First andrea and then harmony, two roommates who get me on some typa level. I’ve been lucky.

well the summary of all that was that i did none of the work i was supposed to do today. and that i nodded off many times during death of stalin last night w martina and made aglio olio for us both. and that i slept at 11.30 and woke at 7.30 but it is 9.30 now and i have not done any work yet. It’s not catastrophic, but that’s how i find myself here typing this. Because I want to keep myself accountable to do my work and stay ahead of the game so that I don’t fuck anything up. Having a wild year in berkeley (A “gap year” as mummy says, which feels unfair but also kind of true) means I really have to step it up this year. And it’s gonna be hard because wow i miss having funfunfunfunfun, but also important to me and something i really do want. So yeah, first class honours here I come. 

I’ve told myself not to overcommit myself and focus on building a good home and resting well. Doing things ahead of time and not making myself suffer every end of semester. Taking the time to devote to people I’ve felt like I neglected in the past year but love so much. So this is me!!!! Holding onto to spontaneity but trying to keep a firm grip on my commitments, both academic and personal. I’m gonna go bullet journal for the next half hour or so and then do a little bit of work before i get ready for class at 1pm. This year could be pretty good for me, it’s already been better than I thought it might be. Or maybe i’m just hyped up on coffee. 

[swapnagangadharan]

We woke up from a post Sangrea bliss that morning. It was the eve of Diwali or Choti Diwali.

Honestly I don’t mean to be rude but with so many categories to every festival I have lost count. From getting wishes for the five days of Diwali to Easter one does lose count. In our childhood it was pretty simple, It was Bhogi and then Diwali.

The first thing Aanchal said when she woke up was, It was so much fun at Elephant & Co! So Srini asked what was in that place? Were there bands? DJ’s? Events? Stand up comic? Loud Music? Yet we had a great time there, isn’t it?

It brought me back to the reason for starting Truffles Cafe. One didn’t need a reason to hangout, no stimulation was required. It was a hangout, to be yourself, to drown yourself in the company of friends, loved ones and to just be there..

Now we were all set for a typical Maharashtrian breakfast! I was already searching online for the authentic breakfast place. Mathura was always there but could there be anything more local, more interesting? Mathura was a chain.

I finally came upon Khadadi, this was a tiny place in Sadashiv Peth, the other side of Viman Nagar. A proper Maharashtrian area and this I wanted to explore.

I saw two sleepy eyed faces waking up post 9.30 am and still lazing around. Finally we got out to get to that area, a good 10 kms away. Pune roads are something else, wide and open and not much traffic clog like Bangalore or the uselessness of Hyderabad.

We were in the heart of Marathaland. There was an instant change of scene as we got down from the auto and started walking towards our destination. There were families going to the Temple, the vibe was beautiful and so local.

Men were dressed in their traditional best, young and old with those Tilaks as we waded through them. This was so different from Viman Nagar. Gone were the cool students with their shorts and cigarettes, the hipsters with their bikes. Here you could get pulled up for being brazen by a concerned elder.

We walked through the vibrant festival filled streets and finally stood in front of Khadadi. And it was shut. Yep shut. Checking out with the people, we came to know it was permanently shut. It was 10.30 am and we were hungry for some good Maharashtrian Breakfast!

Finally we found another Mathura, a 10 minute auto ride away. We ordered Talipeeth and Kanda Poha. I had savoured Talipeeth a few months ago during a mini trek near Lonavala and I loved it. I was surprised that neither Srini nor Aanchal knew about it so it was time!

Talipeeth comes in different versions by the way. Sometimes deep fried and served with sweet curd or like a big Chapati served with something savoury.

The Mathura one hit the taste buds just right. A big Talipeeth served with sweet curd that had onions and green chillies, it was yum! We all have our versions of Poha (beaten rice) and the Maharashtrian Kanda Poha was different with sugar added to it. I loved it but the others were used to the Telangana spicy one which is equally unique and yum.

We had time to kill until we could eat our Maharashtrian lunch so what should we do? Aanchal said Flambos was not very far from here plus Srini mentioned they had happy hours anyways on brewed beer so why not? 🙂

After chatting over Belgian Wit and Masala Papad (yep the combination kills!) we headed to another typical Maharashtrian place for lunch.

I came to know from Srini that the mutton dishes were delicious in Maharashtrian cuisine so as usual I googled, searched and went to this place that served the best. Gopi Non Veg. and again permanently shut.We had no choice but to go to the Vaishali waiter recommended Durvankur Dining Hall.

We were assailed by locals coming in and out. Fast and Furious I could say. Absolutely no non maharashtrians except us. If you wanted a leisurely Thali meal, this is not the one. You had to wait with your name being called out and finally led to a table and once you sat, you had no choice but to eat fast and get out.

Once the Thali was on your table, in came fast and furious the curries, the veggies. Dahi Vada, Jalebi, Fruit Srikhand and Rice Kheer. Then came Thalipeeth (a different version) with fryums, followed by Aluchi which looked like Potato but was actually Taro.

Once you barely finished that, then came piping hot Pooris and you see your Thali, it’s like a feast. Usal curry, Bharli Vangi. With the rice came the delicious Varan, also called Amti – yellow dal with dollops of Ghee.

Rush Rush Rush with people coming in and out. The main guy calling out names and ushering them in, we were eating like we were going to be pushed out anytime soon 🙂

There is no time to chat there really. Just eat and get out. When they got Vangi Bath we were stuffed to the gills. This was it. We had enough! It was a treat but to eat them as fast as they were coming was a herculean task.

3 South Indians after a meal would crave for what in the end? Perugannam (Curd rice) and like fools we started pleading for at least one cup of Plain Dahi (curd) and yep Koshimbir ( watered down thin curd with onions and chillies) was there but it wasn’t the same, we wanted curd rice 🙂

Finally we walked out in a daze. The pulses, amtis, srikhands were acting on us and yet we waited out and sat at the steps like true blue foodies. This too shall pass 🙂

Walking in a food daze is not good especially when one is getting a tattoo and one is getting pierced. Hoping that the food daze will get us through the pain we walked into Saby’s tattoo parlour. A cool place and their taste of Rock music is awesome!

While Aanchal got her tattoo done, I braced myself for the piercing, let’s say the food daze worked out for us 🙂

Aanchal’s was a cool tattoo. It was simple and profound. YES AND. yep that simple. She was inspired by Improvisational Comedy rules. If you are an avid SNL (Saturday Night live) fan and knew about Second City Improv theatre that doled out tons of famous comedians to date, you will know this.

Yes meant you agreed with your partner, You said Yes and improvised it  and made it better, worked together as a team and made it happen and that could be used for Life.

To agree, to not fight but to work on improvising it, every day, your life and others. It also meant, to be spontaneous. I was impressed by the 19 year old’s sense of how she perceived life. She was an SNL (Saturday Night Live) fan like me and a Tina Fey one at that. It was super cool!

We wanted to visit THE bakery everyone talks about, the place one must visit post the bombing in 2010. German Bakery I guess became more famous post that.

Honestly we were still stuffed with pulses and Amtis in our stomach but we had to visit so we walked our way towards it. Aanchal and  I ordered some Iced teas while Srini went for a nice pretty looking Frappe 🙂

As we sat there I realized there was nothing special except that Foreigners were frequent visitors and a Woody Allen look alike sitting behind us. The Osho centre was close by and you could see a lot of people coming from there. Added to that was the bad sound system playing EDM party music at 4.30 pm, so not there people.

Maybe it was the food buzz but I was just not feeling it there. It was time to go home to nurse our bellies post Maharashtrian explosion. We relaxed, more like slept for some time.

It was evening and it was time for what else? Dinner 🙂

Aanchal took us to KARGO, a must visit ! None of us are big fans of fusion cuisine but this was something else.

Have you heard of Naanza?? Yep, these guys take the humble Tandoor Naan bread make it thin crust and add delicious toppings and the result? Fingerlicking Fantastico ‘Naanza’!

While Aanchal and Srini enjoyed the melt in the mouth Lamb Nanza, I went for the Caramelized Onions, spinach and artichoke one and it was so freaking good! While I had mine with a nice Fratelli Rose wine, Srini stuck to his whiskey.

What followed next were Tatter Chicken cakes. Sizzled Potato cakes topped with tossed glazed chicken. We were full yet we went ahead and had those like gluttons. The food was amazing here!

Right after that we were off again to Elephant & Co to spend our last evening there. We knew there were more places to explore but with 72 hours almost getting over we wanted to enjoy the last bit of familiarity.

It was Diwali evening, so it was awesome to see Pune folks hanging out in their traditional attire post Poojas and ceremonies, again no one batted an eyelid there. From working professionals to an all women table to a family, all were chilling out.

I remember Aanchal saying something when she looked around.  She said It felt empowering to see women smoking, and not because it was cool but because they can too without judgement or being branded as something else.

What she said was true. Leaving the cigarettes are bad for health and all that stuff aside, it was good to see women being themselves, to smoke and not be stared at while men have been doing it for years..

I ordered a White Wine Sangrea after the usual Red Wine one and this was even more delicious. I was like gosh are we leaving already tomorrow morning??

We were so tired and sleepy eyed but we hung on till midnight at that place just to be in it, to be there, we would go back to Hyderabad and that’s something none of us were looking forward to.

After a few hours, 3 bleary eyed people were on an early 5.50 am train to Hyderabad. Aanchal was coming back with us to spend a few days with her folks.

As I was finishing up with the book in hand (The Sellout by Paul Beatty recommended by a dear friend Kamakshi, it’s brilliant!), I thought about the whirlwind trip to Pune and back. It looked like a hectic 72 hours and yet not.

I know that what I saw was a teeny tiny slice of that beautiful city. There was so much to explore, so much to wander and get lost to and so much to savor.

Srini was right, this city had some magic, in it’s people, in it’s flavours, in it’s Marathiness. It had a perfect blend of the local with the changing cosmopolitan culture. There was everything for everyone to enjoy.

Now the question was  When Again? 🙂

        Pune @72 hours – Its not the end.. – Finale We woke up from a post Sangrea bliss that morning. It was the eve of Diwali or Choti Diwali.

[swapnagangadharan]

I woke up only with the loud tapping of the door by the man shouting Madam, Aapka Chai ( Your tea).  I had crashed, blanked whatever you call it with sheer exhaustion.

I sat up on the bed and looked around me blearily, yup it was not a dream at all, it actually happened and we were safe and sound.

I opened the door and saw the man in charge giving me Chai and asking with concern, you slept well Madam? No problems na? I nodded with a slight smile still trying to get used to the bright light.

That Chai was sheer heavenly as it slowly woke me up, made me feel much better. My body was not aching that much as before, the sleep and medication worked.

My shoulder lumps were still there but I knew it was temporary, just a matter of time. What a day it was.. What an adventure and narrow escape.

I knew, I felt it was nothing but divine intervention that kept us all safe and gave us the courage to make it. It was more than just human courage and strength you know.

I felt every bit of what we experienced and went through wouldn’t have happened without that divine energy, without Kedarnath.

After a long time, I could clearly define what I felt when it came to god. Yes he existed, yes in so many forms, in the mountains, in holy places, in other beings, in people and in me.

All those Agnostic and other fancy terms went off the window. Yes I believed in God and yes I was religious and spiritual with no additional disclaimers to it. AND Religious is not a cuss word. It was pure and simple.

He got me back to where I truly belong. I was content and at peace. What other proof there can be? I accepted my beliefs and faith wholeheartedly with no disclaimers nor being politically correct or using politically correct terms.

As I slowly refreshed myself and lazed around, there was a knock at the door. It was my travel companion. I remember his face when I opened the door. A big smile and a twinkle in his eyes and a feeling that we both went through so much.

Then he told me the news. There was such a downpour in Kedarnath, it was pretty bad up there and they cordoned off people wanting to come back for some hours.

There were landslides on that path and they were clearing it all the way till Lincholi and from Gaurikund to Sonprayag. There was going to be  a major delay at least from Kedarnath till Gaurikund.

Can you imagine how I felt? It was truly divine intervention. The decision to walk back, that rain, that experience it was all meant to be. Life changing experience.

He said the Gaurikund to Sonprayag route will be cleared in an hour or so.. He would be down there with his family at the taxi point and I could join them once I got ready. It was 9.30 am.

He said Himmat, yaad rakhiye, Himmat( Courage, Remember, Courage) and left.

I lazed around and freshened up. I paid off the man in charge and got out at 11 am and went towards the taxi point and looked for the family. Almost 100 people were waiting for the route from Gaurikund to Sonprayag to open.

Here was the point I started my walk up at 5.30 am. I saw the Alaknanda river gushing now thanks to pouring rains. What a difference it felt from yesterday to today. Your entire perspective changes. Everything felt new and vibrant and different..

These experiences shift you, change you inside without you realizing it. I was smiling and getting overwhelmed as I looked up at the skies that were so clear, such a contrast to yesterday.. Himalayas.. You have no idea what you are doing to me little by little…

The friendly cops told us it will open in 30 minutes and we will know once we see the ponies coming from Sonprayag, it means that whole route has been cleared up.

The authorities had a full time job here man, a full time job and it’s so easy to blame the system, officials, it was not an easy life..

I heard a shout from behind and I saw the family waving and smiling, I went towards them. His wife held me tight and said he told me what all happened, He said woh ladki himmat dilayi muje warna pata nahin muje kya hota.(That girl gave me courage)  And she said something that took me by surprise.

Agar usko kuch ho jaata to main aur mera beta yahi pe chalaang maar lete te (If anything happened to him I would have jumped into the river with my son) with tears in her eyes.

They were a simple family and she was a simple housewife whose whole life existed around her family like most Indian families. Where would they go if something happened to him? I mean think from her point of view..

And at this point I must tell you I didn’t know their names even then. The man knew my name because he asked me at the beginning but somehow it never occurred to me to know all their names I  knew about their lives, their experiences during the entire journey.

We saw the first ponies reaching Gaurikund,it was an indication that it was open now. I could see the entire crowd rushing towards the few taxis that were already there. I just stood, this was chaotic, I would rather wait for more taxis and go later.

But then the family already negotiated with a taxi guy for them and me so I squeezed in with 17-18 people in a vehicle! This is another phenomenon I can never get. How do we manage to do that??

Instead of dropping us off at Sonprayag, the Jeeps dropped us off a kilometre from Sonprayag. It was the officials who made everybody get down. It was not an ascent anyways so it was ok.

We didn’t have to ask Why because the moment we got out we couldn’t believe what we we were seeing. There were at least and i mean this at least 300-400 people waiting in line to get to Gaurikund!

It was the delay. All the pilgrims were stopped at Sonprayag so it built up to this! The line just to show the ID and to be scanned was like freaking long!! 300-400 people! Can you imagine when all these people get into Gaurikund and then to Kedarnath today??

We were again lucky! I thanked God I didn’t decide to stay back one more night there nor delay my trip to Kedarnath. It was all destiny. It was so meant to be.

We had to get our ID’s scanned so it was recorded in the system that we left Gaurikund, our pilgrimage was over. The same ID could be used if one wanted to go to the other three places – Gangotri – Gaumukh, Yamunotri and Badrinath

Once we reached Sonprayag, I went to the guest house and picked up my backpack. I wanted to immediately check into that nice resort at Sitapur, relax, have a proper shower and unpack. I felt I deserved it.

I saw Alam standing up seeing me and rushing towards me asking Are you Ok Madam? We heard there were landslides and you were walking up alone out there. I was worried. I smiled and said Kedarnathji te mere saath ( Kedarnath was with me)- Yup a sentimental dialogue and I loved saying that 🙂 I thanked him and went towards the family.

They were going to Haridwar and then relax for a day at Panipat where the man’s sister lived and go back to Rohtak.

There were no buses  post 9 am at Sonprayag as all of them started as early as 5 am, one had to take shared taxis only. They were informed that they would get a bus from Guptkashi and they could take a shared vehicle till there – 70 kms away.

Since Sitapur was on the way back and 2 kms away, I hitched a ride in the vehicle. The family was happy knowing I would be with them for another 5 minutes.

Now here is the thing I did. As I sat in the vehicle, I looked back and saw the family looking back at me with wistful eyes especially the man. We shared so much through the journey last night, what could one say?

So just before getting down,I asked for his number and finally his name – it was Rakesh.  I noted it. His wife was saying please come to Rohtak and stay with us!

I got down at Sitapur waved them goodbye and checked into the resort. I looked at that phone number. I debated over it for some time honestly and I deleted it eventually..

Some connections need to remain as a wonderful memory, a wonderful experience. I didn’t want it to get back to the humdrum of daily life, a reality that was a mundane human existence full of petty emotions and things.

I thanked God for introducing me to them and we helped each other during this very divine journey. They would always be in my prayers till the end.

I wanted to remember them, each one of them like that and I hoped they would remember me that way too. One can hope.

After that experience, the room was pure luxury. Hot shower felt like heaven and my first bath btw since I started this journey. I could feel the aches and my skin stinging but it was so worth it all. I just ate and slept through till evening.

My entire schedule changed with the journey. I was supposed to be in Rishikesh the day after but now I felt I should leave for Rishikesh tomorrow morning itself.  I had a room booking for day after tomorrow at the Garhwal Nigam Vikas Mandal guest house but no harm in checking if they could get me in earlier.

The bus booking offices at Sonprayag opened only after 4 pm so I had a lovely walk back there. It was so leisurely and peaceful I tell you, my body was getting back to normal as I paused and took in the surroundings and looked up at the mountains there. I felt so joyful.

I went to the booking office and booked my bus ticket, it would start at 5.15 am from here but the bus would stop outside the resort, it was on the way. As I was booking the guy asked me, Madam wont’t you go to Badrinathji? It’s just 9-10 hours from here and they say it’s good luck to visit Badrinathji too.

For a moment, just for a moment that thought crossed my mind BUT I felt No, not on this trip. For sure I will visit Badrinath but not now. My heart was filled with this and I didn’t want to fill it up with some other experience immediately. I  thought of Badrinath and said in my heart Please don’t take offence, I will visit you soon some day.

As I got out, I saw the two cops. Yes the Senior and Junior Cop as usual on duty at the checkpoint. I rushed towards them smiling.

Seeing me they gave a big smile and asked Sab teek hua? Darshan Hua? Kuch problem to nahin? Kab waapas aa gaye aap? Landslides hua na upar. (All ok? you had a good Darshan? When did you come back. there were landslides up there)

When I told them I found an amazing family for company and we came back the same day, they said I was lucky, very lucky but I should take care and not take such risks like that again 🙂

The senior cop asked me if I am leaving now, I took this opportunity and asked him if we can have some Chai and this time can I pay please?

He smiled big and said Yes we will have Chai but NO he will not allow me to pay at all so again I ended up not paying, so much for my idea to do this. I bade them goodbye and walked back to the resort.

The skies were clear or so I thought until it started raining again in the night. My beautiful unpredictable Himalayas..

Rishikesh here I come..

                      The Morning After – Part XI I woke up only with the loud tapping of the door by the man shouting Madam, Aapka Chai ( Your tea).