The morning of 12th February was not the same routine of getting up and preparing breakfast and posts for my family and social media accounts respectively. But it was all about me, a day dedicated to myself far away from the bustling traffic of Guwahati, on my way to Theopani Waterfall. My experiences with life have taught me that the journey is more important than the destination and I was about to get a first-hand experience of it in one day.
The trek toward Theopani Waterfall took me through streams of river, rocky terrain, dry leaves pathway, and steep and slippery slopes of Chatargaon Forest. Professional hiker, Mr Satyam Saboo (Founder of ‘Guwahati Hikes’), laid down the guidelines even before our group started the trek:
- No littering
- Not to be afraid of water getting into our shoes
- To keep ourselves hydrated
- Not to be scared of animal sounds
He never lost his patience with twenty-three women, who trekked along with their fitness mentor ‘Brinda Vyas’ from Dazzle Activity Centre. We went back to being girls again, making reels, taking selfies, and pictures at every nook and corner of the jungle we went through.
Starting at 7.30 am, it took us one and a half hours to reach our destination after a 3.5 km hike. “Avoid the rocks, step on the sand,” warned Satyam Sir to avoid slipping. I was the slowest of them all, always at the end of the trail but I was well prepared for this because experience has taught me that it’s okay to be slow but it’s not okay to not enjoy your journey. Though this was the easiest hike for Satyam Sir, it scared us to hell just before we were about to reach our destination. The slope is quite steep for city people who are used to walking in the parks only. Being an elephant corridor, we got scared at the slightest movement and sounds in the forest. Thank God, it turned out to be domestic buffaloes and woodpeckers.
As I got the first glimpse of the waterfall, I was bewitched. Swishing over the rocks joyfully, underneath was a pool with all shades of brown. Ditching my sneakers, I entered the divine pool and reached for the nearest rock. Sitting over it, I kept looking at the ecstatic waterfall. I knew it had been explored many a time, so l gave into the temptation to enter the Theopani Waterfall and see what magic it does to my soul. As I neared the waterfall feeling the drizzling spray on my face, I could not stop giggling. Then I entered the waterfall and gave out the loudest cheer to the world. It was freezing but for those moments all I felt was being one with the water. When I could no longer bear the coldness and water pressure, I distanced myself to view it foaming into a lather at the base. The sorcery of the waterfall sent me into a trance.
Shivering and quivering I reached the bank and fire was awaiting me, a perfect picnic planned by Guwahati Hikes at the bank of Theopani Waterfall. The faint aroma of bamboo as I sipped liquor tea in a bamboo cup, the yummiest ‘thepla’ with ‘lehsun ki chutney’ and sandwiches with the ‘mountainwali maggi’ quenched my hunger pangs and the dying need to warm myself.
It was time to leave, I looked back— partly jealous because I could no longer reach it in the city and partly grateful for what water did to me. Not being with the family could do wonders to my soul, I did not know. Never have I ever taken a trip without keeping my daughters in my mind but this trip tricked me into believing that the world is so much more than family life. I hate to admit it, but it was only during our journey back that I thought about my girls and tried contacting them.
Nature has so much to offer and waterfalls are one of its most wonderful creations. All it takes is to dare to take the journey. I am grateful to Ankita who casually mentioned to me about the trek and asked me to think about coming along.
After this soul-swelling experience, we reached our homes as wives, daughters-in-law, mothers and many more tags, but all of us knew that we were so much more.
A girl hiding from the world,
A woman needing space to breathe,
An individual who could walk her own way,
A human wanting to take the journey without,
A soul wanting to connect within.
Written by Sneha Goel, founder of https://www.youngstoryweavers.com