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CHAPTER 26
Journey continued and they reached the place they were to start the trekking. Trekking was their second assignment. Every batch was to be led by their mentor. So there were twenty in a group. It would absolutely be fun!
Suraj was now good, how can he not be. After their dinner at the dhabba, Chakor slept the whole journey...after having a conversation with him about her experience that morning with the dacoits. Suraj was the one to take care, that she doesn't feel cold and rests her head properly.
Since they were now more near to mountainous area, the glacial impact lowered the temperature, so it was freezing cold. There were frequent snowfalls also. However, everyone was well prepared with their accessories to face such harsh conditions by nature.
At the hotel room,
Suraj, "Chakor make sure you wear proper warm clothes. It's very cold...and as we'll cover altitudes, it will worsen!"
Chakor, "Okay Suraj!"
Suraj, "Plus, you have to not run here and there helping people! You are still not an IAS OFFICER! First learn to take care of yourself, and then you can help others."
Chakor packing her bag, "Suraj! What if you were not here!!??? I mean there was definitely a chance that you must not have been posted here...then I was too take care of myself... Even after my first posting, I am not always going to be lucky enough, to get you like this time! I am really tensed about what I'll do alone there...I have no idea of how to live without you near me!"
She was having deep thoughts about this recently, especially after a orientation session, where they were told, "FAMILY IS A SECONDARY THING, RELATIONSHIP IS NO MORE PRIORITY. IN IAS, S STANDS FOR SERVICE...AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DELIVER SELFLESSLY, FROM THE TIME THIS TITLE BEGINS YOUR NAME!"
Suraj well understood what she was going through. Because these are the same roads, he has walked before.
Suraj, "Chakor! That speaker did hit at the desired place!
... People have some motivation for why they dedicate themselves to service. Some for money, some for reputation, some for adventure, etc, but when you sit at a place this high, you feel a sense of responsibility, responsibility towards others!"
Making her sit comfortably,
"Like you married me...there was a condition I kept, that you don't have to do all that homely stuff related to me. But you did it, because you felt, you are responsible for it as my wife! You left your family for me... definitely you made me your priority!... Now, what your parents did, nine months before, I will do after three months! Leave you, so that you could fulfill a bigger task...a more important one...a more needed one!!!...and I have prepared myself for it, from the day, I agreed to marry you!"
Chakor had tears...she wasn't ready to leave him. He was as important for her, as was her passion! Four years of hard work was equivalent to nine months of love! The same intensity! But she has to chose one...
Probably, the biggest difficulty a woman, who works has to face!
Suraj did see her teary eyes, but thought he should not approach her. May be this is what making her weak! She needs to absorb things herself. Life is going to be tough!
At the location of trekking start point, Suraj was waiting for his batch trainees and mostly Chakor. He left her in the room, so that she could cry it out, if needed. After some time, he noticed her heading towards him, and to give him an assurance that she's fine, she smiled to him.
They began trekking.
It is definitely going to be difficult, but ultimately fun!
With long strides, they managed to cover one-fourth of the way before evening. At evening, they had to stop, to prepare a shelter and food for themselves. Suraj's batch was leading...and ahead of all. And so their camps were at highest place.
Everyone prepared a bon-fire and sat around it. Since Suraj was very friendly to all, there was nothing like mentor student, when they had fun. This time Chakor too was forcefully brought there. All were seated in a circle, when someone spoke up, "Let's share our life experiences! We have been knowing each other since quite a long time now, and are friends. I feel everyone will love to share something interesting about their life!"
All agreed and everyone started telling, something interesting about their lives.
Someone told how he crushed upon his maths teacher, but how she turned out to be her sister in law(brother's wife). All laughed at this hilariously.
Another one told how she ones, got into trouble for slapping a creepy guy on the bus, and how she rescued it.
Another one told how he well he had arranged a personal library for himself, out of his immense love for books.
...after hearing everyone's stuff, people turned to Suraj. When Suraj realized, he will have to speak, he thought to share something special about his married life!
Suraj, "So I'll share one memory of my marriage!"
And hearing this, Chakor was shocked!
"What will he tell others. Is it any personal stuff! No he cannot... I'll kill him for that!"
Suraj, "Okay! So it is about the time, when my marriage was fixed with Chakor, and she wasn't willing to marry me. She approached me to refuse her family but I did act smart enough, to not hear her to what she said."
Chakor, "Excuse me!!", and everything laughed.
Suraj, "let me continue...!! She didn't want to marry, and I closed all the doors by saying that I like her!...She couldn't refuse her parents and thus, agreed!"
"It was a dinner just a day before our engagement. Mummy and Dad invited my parents and me. Everyone was very happy and so was me, except her. And I knew this, seeing her glares at me, like she'll cut me into pieces if caught alone. Her dad asked her to make something for me. And she came out with 'gazar ka halwa'. I didn't just notice the halwa, but also the sudden change in her behavior. Suddenly she was all smiley smiley...and yes my detective brain came into function...
But her smile was too cute to use any brain there, so I lovingly took the bowl of halwa, and started having it."
"And believe that was the most horrible thing I ever had! It had red chilli powder in it...and my to-be-fiance took a deadly revenge from me!"
And all were left laughing hysterically...
Chakor interrupted them, "It is incomplete!... I'll tell you all what happened after that. He was so mad about marrying me, that he silently ate that halwa without a single word. And even complimented that the halwa was DELICIOUS! I first thought may be I did some mistake in serving him, his special bowl, but when I checked the little left over, I realized what actually happened!"
Suraj, "If I hadn't ate that halwa peacefully, we won't be sitting here and narrating stories!"
Chakor, "I felt guilty then, and even now! But I did that because I wanted him to back off and say he didn't want to marry a girl who cooks this horrible! But damn next day, we got engaged! I still wonder what was the reason!?"
Suraj, "The reason was, that unlike any other girl, she was not the one, who got fascinated by just looking at me. Before her, any girl pursuing me, would simply say yes seeing my photo...and she didn't say yes even after we engaged! DEFINITELY DIFFERENT!"
And everyone burst laughing...
Suraj privately to Chakor, "By the way, I don't regret eating that halwa! Some minutes of pain, gave me lifetime of happiness!"
And this way trekking was a joyful experience. With some more assignment and personality development sessions, training came to an end with just one day left in Shillong. Everyone decided to use this one day, and tour the beauty of that place.
Shiv Shakti
