Indeed, That Was The Heaven

Let me take you back to my early teen days.

Sanatorium, an ancient hospital established by britishers and dedicated to a highly contagious disease tuberculosis, where my father used to be employed as a cook. It was not just an ordinary hospital but bigger and more beautiful campus than one can imagine, which is situated outskirt of a small hill town Bhowali , 10 KM from a famous hill station Nainital.

Hospital had provided accommodation to every employee as per ones designation like Kothi (Bungalow) built in western style, for a doctor or an account officer and two room flat for clerical staff and one single room for 3^rd  group employee. Whole residential area surrounded with a dense forest. The single rooms which were said to be stable where Britishers believed to be kept their horses before independence. I spent most of my teen time in one of those stable. Whatever it was! But we were very happy there in that place.

As everyone knows intense curiosity of an adolescent for everything, I was also curious about nature. I wanted to explore dense forest which cover the whole hill area of that place, I wanted to sit under that gigantic deodara (Cedrus deodara) trees in silence which I could have seen from my place, I wanted to touch crystal clear and cold water of that little river which was passed by that place and could have been seen from my very place; However, we kids were not allowed to go deeper into the woods. Wild beasts like tiger, panther, bear etc. were said to be lived there.

I wanted to go inside the forest and climb the hills; however , could not work up that much courage to go there and enjoy inside that dense woods until that day when my father was out for any work and was expected to get back late in the evening . That day at around 11.30 AM one of my dearest friend namely chota Manoj came to me and asked me to come with them as he and his parents were about to go up there to get grass for their cattle. It was nearly month of May. It was a nice chance, a fierce battle were going on inside my mind , though, and eventually longing of exploring that vast untouched beauty of nature, conquered. Now I was very firm to go there but still there were some questions what if father would come back early than me. So Manoj convinced me that he had visited that whole forest several times and he would get me back on time. So we had started to climb up. Basically being a Pahadi (A person who lives in hill area)  I never scared with wild animal as in my early childhood I had seen foxes, snakes, different type of lizard insects etc. and apart from that we were not going alone Manoj’s parents were also with us.

Manoj and I were going up very fast with full of enthusiasm and very soon we had left his parents very far behind. After continues walk of more than 45 minutes, we reached near a road namely Lariakanta road, it was not a common road but only for military vehicles. Adjacent of that road there were a small plain ground covered with mild green grass and decorated with white and yellow wild grass flowers. Birds were chirping like singing some melodious songs. I had never seen such a beautiful scene before. I was really overwhelmed with ineffable joy. All tiredness, due to nonstop climbing just vanished away, instantly. I sat down with Manoj and thanked to him to show me that heaven. Resting for five minute in that ground I stand up to enjoy beauty of the nature. When I saw it was like all hills covered with flowers of burans (Rhododendron arboretum) and it seemed I was in the top of the earth even sun was not in my level. Crystal clear breeze with a bit cold touch were passing through. I was getting goose bumps all over my body experiencing that heavenly pleasure. In one side Himalaya was shining and another side it was hill of Lariakanta seemed glorifying the Himalaya. I couldn’t believe in my eyes whether it was real or a dream. Besides that all vivid beauty of the nature there was one more thing and that was a peace, an ineffable peace.

Yes that was the Heaven.

Pics courtesy : Internet