Aghan – 0 km


“Where is Nubra?”
“Nubra is going on since 40 km!”

We were eight friends, traveling in Laddakh. Four of us took-on Laddakh-ian roads on Bullet. Other four took a 4-wheeler. We were to visit a camp in Nubra Valley.

After several kilograms of Maggi and numerous litres of tea, we were nowhere near our actual plan. We thought Nubra Valley was a place where our camps were laid. Khardung-La was last where we met our friends. That was several hours ago. We decided to continue our journey.

Till that fateful junction, there was only one road. T-point is not good for travellers. We stopped there to decide which direction was the right direction. After 30-minutes discussion, we took the road which showed “Agham – 24 km”. Like T-point, assumption is also not good for travellers. We assumed that Agham was a town where we would find our camps and be reunited with our friends. I never missed my friends more.

Riding towards Agham, we came across the best views of our trip – and lives. Hills all around, running stream, lush green jungle, horses grazing, Laddakh-azure sky and clouds casting shadows on the hills. It was stunning – unreal and frightening – like a witch.

What kept us going was good condition of road – we felt that condition of the road was good because of regular usage. After 10 km we saw first milestone:

“Aghan – 14 km”

After that, milestones started raining.

At “Aghan – 0 km” we saw EXACTLY one house. If there exists superlative of flustered, we felt that. We rode few more kilometres to confirm if there was any mode of communication. But it was like chasing a goose which was wild and non-existent.

We checked-in the exactly-one-house. It was government rest-house. There were four residents: two children, one lady in mid-thirties and an old lady who wore sun-glasses when there was no sun and was bent like a chair – upside-down.

We paid Rs. 600 for the night-halt which included endless cups of tea and delicious dinner. We would have given our right arm in exchange for the stay.

After fixing our food and shelter, our minds wandered towards our friends:

“They might think that we are dead.”

“What if they inform our fathers?”

This was scary – very scary thought. There was no way we could contact them. We couldn’t return because of the dark. Signals had vanished from our cell phones.

"To hell with it. We’ll see whatever happens.”

With that intention we ordered another cup of tea and continued the banter, with nothing but sound of stream in background.

The next morning we rode towards Leh. We encountered land-slides. It took long to cross the roads which had land-movers, trucks and rocks along with us. And then snowfall started – out of sunny sky. Then sun also left us and hid behind what once looked like innocent clouds.

We braved them all, and reached our hotel. We all had a story to tell to our friends – and our grandchildren.
This post is an entry for a contest by CupONation, an online retailer of discount coupons, and The Shooting Star travel blog. 

Comments

Dhruvi Parmar said…
How do you get that kind of contests?
May 23, 2021 at 8:51 AM
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