Single Traveler

The more you travel the richer you become. It is all about travelling, keep moving in life. When you travel you not only cover distances, you also explore! You learn new cultures, land in un-chartered situations. It also helps you to explore yourself. You get a chance to know the real “you”! The rapture of travelling alone is indeed something special. It is a learning experience and also helps to enhance personality. If you travel instantaneously, without any plans and preparations, this just adds to the fun! Well, travelling makes you feel alive. Travelling all alone gives you solace and a chance to analyze yourself. You get a chance to go back the memory lane and recall the past. It also gives you the wings to imagination to think about the future.

 Aryan woke up on a winter morning; it was one of those “not so happening” types! He went to the gate, picked up the newspaper. A quick glance at the Sports and Global section, tuned into his IPod simultaneously! “No way, I am going to office today, the traveler in me is rusting!”- He said looking at the DVD of “The Motorcycle Diaries” lying in his room! He packed a bit and left.

 After seven odd hours, he reached a place in the hills. He found a crib that was crowd free. He was sitting there, lighted a cigarette and looked all around! “Oh the Great Himalayas”- He said with a little smile on his face. He took out “The Calvin and Hobbes” from his bag, childhood is devoid of logic yet makes so much sense. Tuned into his IPOD, which was all about Mohammad Rafi and Freddie Mercury (Queen). The same regular Rafi Sahab songs- “Zamaane ne mare, Jawaan kaise kaise (The world has killed and defeated even the best of the youth)”. Freddie Mercury was also on the list that day. He liked him because of the lyrics and complexities in his songs.

 He started browsing his cell, looking for a friend he could talk too. Even after browsing the whole list, he could not call anyone. Thinking about the first lady in his life, he wrote in his diary-

“I still remember the first time you came to my place. It was a typical hot day, in the month of May (this rhymes-non-sense). You looked charming as ever, the sweat on your neck, added to the hotness of the climate. I offered you a cup of tea, didn’t have anything else at my place. You looked at my room, it was in a mess. You tried arranging my books, clothes etc. Now, you are not with me but the memories are still fresh and winsome. I miss you, and I don’t care whether you miss me or not! I knew it was me who ended it. There was a pack of cigarettes on my desk, sporting as a paper weight. You made a sketch of a plant on it. Come see now, a flower has appeared on it! ”

 Rohan Kalia