Lost!

“We are now lost” Sambhav finally said the word out loud. He was waiting for someone from his three member expedition team to say it first. No one seemed to take the onus of the obvious. 

“How come are we lost? The trail is still alive” Sambhavana was looking keenly into the map trying to make sense of their location. Her facial expression changing from confident to perplexed. They indeed were lost.

 “Maybe we need to concentrate more on our direction rather than our conversations” Ram said and smiled at both of them. They were deeply engrossed in discussing the circumstances that led to this adventure. 

Possibly their being lost was the beginning of another adventure.  They were on a journey to locate a temple hidden deep within the jungle. The temple had no riches or treasure however the local villagers said that the priest has credible information on artifacts that are centuries old.  None of them were treasure hunters but all of them had adventure written in their hearts.

“Let’s sit down and take deep breaths, maybe then we should think about what we need to do next” Sambhavana said. She was the leader of the pack and was feeling responsible for losing the way. 

“This trail seems to be created recently and I think it may connect to the one we were in originally. However I think we have been walking on this for the last couple of hours. Can we try going back?” Ram said.

“No Ram, we will not go back. This will defy the one thing that we decided from the very beginning. We will try and figure out based on our location in my cellphone.” Sambhav said as he drew his cellphone.

“We have deviated about 5 Km from where we need to be. It seems that we can keep moving ahead for about 15 Km to reach the original trail. Our current trail is not showing up on the map. This seems to be have made by locals. If we are lucky we may hit upon them the next morning.” Sambhav said.

They had already travelled 20 Km the last day and were expecting to reach the temple in three days, today being the second day.  The Journey till now had been simple as the forest was not dense enough to present a challenge to the experienced adventurer’s, however today they saw glimpses of challenges while crossing the river on their own. The forest was also getting dense.

“We need to get going” Ram said. The intensity was felt by all as they headed to complete the 15 Km of this unknown trail. 

The best part about walking an unknown path is the fact that all your senses are heightened.  A conversation begins with your internal self and you begin to know things about yourself that you did not know before. You gather strength not from the outside but from inside.  None of them were thinking about the temple or the artifacts they were thinking of how to get back on the original trail. 

The night got darker and they lay their gear on the open stretch of ground and started to look out for twigs and stems to light a fire. The nightly mist started to envelop the open ground. They erected their tent and started to chat with each other once everything seemed to be done. They were not afraid however being vigilant was a protocol for them. Ram would wake half the night and then it would be the turn of Sambhavana to cover the other half. 

As they slept the forest got extremely silent, even the remotest sound landing on the ear of the team.

Ram was on his way to handover the watchman duties to Sambhavana when he heard some rumbling from the north. As a precaution they woke up Sambhav to hide behind a rock. A boulder the size of a rock they were hiding behind tumbled very close to their tent. It held its course till it could tumble no further. 

The team looked with concerned eyes towards each other, were they alone was the big question? If they were not then who was behind the boulder toss?

“We need to be cautious. There is definitely someone who is aware of our presence and does not want us to be here. We should have stayed on the defined route.” Ram said in a concerning tone. 

“We will wait till sunrise and continue our route ahead.” Sambhavana said.

“We should increase our pace as there seems to an upward climb ahead. “ Sambhav said.

“We have around 25 Km ahead of us, most of them on the unknown track.” Sambhavana said.

All of them held each other and reassured that they would complete it by the end of tomorrow. They were not concerned about the way back as they knew that it would present less challenge as the tracks and obstacles would be known. 

They were up and could see the first rays of the sun strike the ground.  They were ready for the journey ahead.  After walking a couple of kilometers they could feel the steepness increase which made them sweat, the only relief was the cool breeze flowing across. Far away they could notice a shack made with tattered clothes and mud, it was on the track which they were following. It appeared to be empty from far away. As they got near it they noticed a wounded dog.  

“Could he have been hurt by the falling boulder?” Sambhavana said.

“No. It seems like a bite on the leg.” Sambhav said.

Having a first aid kit they immediately attended to his wounds. They could have left the dog, but decided to stick by it till it was able to get up on its own.  Ram had a soft corner for dogs and so he became busy in trying to make him walk. He fed him and gave him water, which was enough for the dog to become friends with Ram.  They resumed their upward journey with the dog limping behind them. 

“Should we be taking the dog along with us?” Sambhav said.

“I think dogs have a perception for danger and also have a better judgment of direction. He may be able to help us as we are still lost.” Sambhavana said.

They looked into the phone and were concerned about the distance they had walked.  They were few kilometers away from their original route after which they had ten kilometers to go. 

The sound of flute was now audible at far causing the dog to get excited and energetic. None of them knew why the dog, which was lagging behind suddenly got the jolt of energy. They knew that a person was nearby.  They were about to meet the temple guardian and it was his dog that they had saved. The dog jumped at the sight of the man, surprising the group. They had finally reached the end of the unknown route. 

“Who are you and what is your name uncle?” Sambhavana asked the man they had just met.

“My name is Samarth. I am the local priest.” The priest said.

“We got deviated from the original route to the temple and had to take the temporary trail till here.” Ram said to the priest.

“We would have been here earlier had we taken the correct route”. Sambhavana said.

“You got here in time… or should I say the right time. You bought something that holds a lot of value to me and it is only valid to give you what you all are looking for.” The priest said. 

“And what is that?” Ram asked.

“Companionship, we all have our journeys. We are not only connected by our friends and family we have an innate bond with all the living and non-living entities of the world. You were saved by the boulder and your losing your way saved my dog. “The priest said.

“What the boulder?? That was you?”  Sambhav said.

“Yes that was to save you from the bear that would have attacked you if I hadn’t.” The priest said.

All the three were stunned in silence. They had completely forgotten about what they came here for. 

 They were still trying to understand the whole two days that have gone by.  The world indeed is more than what it seems. 

“You were already connected to me before you met me, you were already my friend before I decided to save you and you saved me from my loneliness. What an equivalent exchange, isn’t it? Oh, you must all be looking for the antiques as well?” The priest said.

“Yes we are .. but being alive is biggest gift we can take back.” Ram said.

However they really were looking forward for having the antiques. The priest showed them the way to the antiques and also gave them shelter and food as gratitude.  They knew that adventures like this open not only eyes, it opens your mind and soul to elements and knowledge that you would never have without these journeys.  

Just imagine your journey, the people, and the situations that shaped your life. Take time and acknowledge those people and moments with a smile. Open your heart and soul for many more unknown adventures because like wind they will always flow through your life.