Lost

There are times when you are forced to pray even though you don’t remember the last time you prayed. There is a time when you believe the existence of god and there is one; believe me. Sunday 10th August 2008 was one of those moment when I really believe in the almighty. On Sunday 10th August, I went on a hiking trip to Kahoj, a fort beyond Virar, near Palghar.

Surrounded by lush, dense forest, the climb up is a grueling 4 hours. Regular hikers might take less time. By the time we had reached the top, it was already 3:00 PM. The climb down was going to be a slow journey again with rains, moss covered stones and  unstable soil. Fortunately on our way up we had met some local boys who showed us the way.

They accompanied us to our way down, dropping us till the spot we met them. It was still half way down and it was just a matter of 30-45  minutes and we would be near the bus stop. It was around 5:00 PM when we left them. There was enough light and rain hadn’t stopped. The rest of the journey was just a cake walk with the dangerous, slippery route behind us. It was just a matter of time when this grueling journey would end. I had been continously on foot for the last 2 hours now.

The forest looked more beautiful after the rains. The heavy rains created small and big waterfalls/streams and water flowed freely and with full force meeting the river below. These very beautiful waterfalls actually removed all signs of road.

The decent was more faster that the ascent and suddenly we realized that either the trees had grown considerably since we went up or we were going on a completely wrong route. We could hear the sound of running water but were not sure if it was coming from the mountains or the river down. We turned back all the way taking the difficult climb up. The way we came down seems completely wrong with thick vegetation.

We had lost half an hour in the whole melee. We walked in the opposite direction. The new route down was again lost in a dead end. The second attempt had failed. It was a walk back up to the point we had started or supposedly we had started. Now panic had started playing in our mind. The overcast sky did not give a clear picture of the time but we knew that it would be night soon.

We walked back and almost came back to the site we had started. We took a big road which we thought went to our destination. The road was laden with pieces of wood. I remembered the local boys telling me that the villagers cut wood from the forest and carried it to the villages below. I could see pieces of chopped wood on the ground.

It meant that the path was used by people, which meant that it could take us home. By now my feet were hurting. I have been walking continuously for almost three hours now. The broken pieces of wood were kind of reassuring and I was telling myself that we were on the right path until we came to a big waterfall. Water gushed downstream. Following that waterfall, we may have reached the destination but it was dangerous because we didn’t know the path the water takes. What was easier for the water would have been certainly difficult for us.

We started our way back from where we came. A number of thoughts ran through our mind. We were a group of 12 people, 2 of them girls. The light was fast fading and it would soon be night. We did not have food, water, warm clothes or shelter. We did not even have a plan. 2 girls means answering a lot of questions. The situation would have been less critical if only boys would have been part of the group. In addition we were tired, my feet almost giving up.

I remembered every episode of “Man Vs wild” I had seen. I remembered every episode of “I shouldn’t be Alive” I had seen. I remembered every news about people lost in forest I had read. I was so close of becoming that news.

Digambar from the group decided to go back from where we lost the way. From the point where we lost the sight of signs and arrows marked on the stones. Water had hidden some of the arrows. I was not even sure if we could find that spot from where we started going wrong. I said a small prayer in my mind. Its amazing why I only remember god during a crisis.

Its even more amazing that god does find away to help me during crisis. Digambar did find a way. The rest look familiar, even the rocks and the shrubs did. We finally made our way back to the river below. I gave a cry of relief when I reached down. We walked hastily to the road where we could get transport to the nearest town, Manor and then to Palghar where we could get train to home.

As we reached the roads and I looked back, I could see only darkness behind me. I dread what would have happened up there. We were still wet and we didn’t care. What mattered was we were out. The first time in more than three hours, I bent down experiencing the most painful backache I had ever known. It was less painful standing rather than giving my back some rest.

I had taken a trip very lightly. I had equated Kohoj Fort with Kanheri caves trip we did few days back. We had not even planned for basic like food, water and light. I would still like to go there, maybe after the monsoon.

Only this time, more prepared!

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