That memorable outing at Pahaadajhar

Exactly eighteen years have passed since I had made a memorable outing with my family in the rainy season of 2002. That was the day of 25th August, 2002. I was posted at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station located near a small town – Rawatbhata which is fifty kilometres away from Kota (Rajasthan). That was the time of my life when my family was quite a small one containing myself, my wife and my little daughter. Just a month back, we had suffered a setback hurting the hearts of myself and my wife when her pregnancy case went the wrong way and we had to settle for an abortion while the pregnancy was in an advanced stage. By God’s grace, we could avert her operation. She had recovered physically but definitely, mentally she had yet to recover the same way, I had to recover. However just one day before, I had had a big jolt in my office when the information of my transfer to Mumbai (HQ) was given to me. After a lot of effort only, I had managed my transfer from Tarapur (Maharashtra) to my home state and in that already not-so-well mental state of myself and my wife, I was by no means prepared to move out.That transfer news was broken to me on Saturday, 24.08.2002. On Sunday, 25.08.2002, being in low spirits and badly needing someone’s help, I decided to make a visit to a senior HR official at his residence and seek guidance and help in that matter and thereafter visit Pahaadajhar which is a beautiful place some 12 kilometres away from Anu Kiran Colony where our quarter (Type II / 25 J) was situated. After paying the brief visit to the concerned benevolent official (Mr. S.C. Bansal), we restarted on our scooter (which I have always considered a part of my family). The path was already not very good to move ahead on such a vehicle and regular rainfall had made it even more difficult. All the same, we continued and finally, reached Pahaadajhar after a drive of around 40-45 minutes, passing through muddy patches.
However once we reached, the peacock in my heart started dancing with joy because the place was indeed very beautiful. Due to rainy season, pleasant weather and that day being a holiday, there was heavy rush of picnic parties there. Pahaadajhar contains a natural but seasonal water fall with a water body generated through that only alongwith a very old temple of Lord Shiva being situated there known as Pahaadajhar Mahadev. We had the Darshan of the deity in the temple and thereafter started enjoying the place, having some tea and taking snaps. Since by that time, I had learnt swimming, I decided to swim. We had brought my swimming costume with us. I wore it and jumped into the water-body which was just like a swimming pool (albeit the water was greenish due to moss and small water-plants). I started from one shore and crossed the water-body to reach the other shore. After taking a brief rest at the other end, I returned back to the original point through swimming only. I was surprised that I was almost the only swimmer in that. Later, some people told me that there were crocodiles in that water-body (crocodiles are aplenty in the river Chambal and the associated water streams in that region). I shivered to hear that. However that information was received after this trip and you cannot unring a rung bell. Life does not contain any UNDO command.
On our way back also, we stopped at many places taking snaps. The path of return was a different one and suddenly my beloved scooter slipped on the slippery path passing through plants and greenery on both sides. The threesome riding the scooter, i.e., myself, my wife and my little daughter, wallowed on the path but were not hurt because I was driving quite slowly and that narrow path was not stony or hard. Hence we got up quickly, put the scooter standing again on its wheels and restarted the journey after sharing a laugh among us. My loyal scooter restarted quickly without giving us any mentionable starting trouble (due to overflow of petrol or the likewise reasons). And that sudden rolling over incident did not adversely affect our spirit to enjoy every moment of that trip. We continued to enjoy weather and natural scenes until we reached the residential area again.Today exactly eighteen years are over but I still remember the day and relive it through the snaps taken during the trip which are lying in our photo album. Since then, there have been many developments in my life. But the lesson that I grasped from that was extra-ordinary – Smile even when the odds are against you and enjoy every pleasant moment of your life. Your smile and never-say-die spirit will repulse every adversity away from you. And that proved true after that trip. My transfer order was never withdrawn but never implemented as well. My boss (Mr. S. Alaguvel) supported me through thick and thin and I was not relieved from that place. Today while seeing the photos of that day, I felt like sharing that experience with my friends. That’s why this post has come into existence.

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