Disappear!! Is one charm from Harry Potter that I would never use to reach my destination (unless of course it’s Monday morning). The charm of the journey has always been much more for me than the charm of the destination. Imagine going to Ooty without experiencing the forests or Kasauli without any of roadside stalls. So when I decided to drive my way to Dehradun, the decision was more sub-conscious than otherwise. The journey throughout is pure indulgence and fortunately this state of inebriation is strictly meant for teetotalers. It takes you through the heart of a culture that is so refined and yet is so well hidden .The journey from Delhi to Dehradun has never been about the roads. It has always been about the roadside, the life, the style and the vast difference that exists in them within a small frame of a few hundred kilometers. The journey that takes off cautiously from Delhi (the city), meanders through Meerut (the town) and starts its final lap from Hardwar (the holy shrine), leaves you gasping for much more by the time it ends in – Dehradun (the magic valley).

The odyssey began at 7 in the morning. Really how many things do you need for a trip that has been planned in the last 20 minutes? I had a filled up the fuel tank and the checked the trusty tyres. I filled my bag that’s been in a state of readiness ever since we met. Halting at virtually every pit stop, I reached Dehradun at the most appropriate time – Sunset. The distant sunset has to be the most philosophical moment in man’s life. There is something about that in the far away valley – about the perfect crimson sky and about the seemingly non-existent protective blanket that it casts over your mind. It’s almost magical. The feeling of being aware of oneself, the sync in which each breath and each heartbeat operate and how each one of them is so meaningful – It’s something that make you sad and happy at the same time. In this moment, you are prepared to say and feel everything you were scared of. I will never understand what it is that makes it so amazingly special. I will never understand why standing on that small bridge and just staring at the distant hills in Mussoorie gave me such a high. Perhaps it was the first time or at least first in a long time that I was actually aware I was there. The silence and the darkness that followed were the most secure I had ever felt. I knew why I had chosen Dehradun for my travel. I knew I was breathing again.

The next morning when I took my car, I had the typical traveler’s itinerary – none of it. A set of wheels, a small bag and a non-existent destination effectively meant it could not get better than this. And much like life – no plan turned out to be the best plan. It allowed me to halt on bridges and spend quality time with the swift river. It helped me converse with little children and eventually savour a smile that will last forever. It also helped me truly discover the most talked about tourist attraction – Dehradun. The forest research institute is a huge piece of land spreading over acres and yet all that you can do is not get enough of how amazing the green cover looks. With just trees set up in the picturesque hills of Dehradun, there is a definite feeling of a Robert Frost moment – the woods are indeed lovely, dark and deep. My next stop was the magnificent IMA. The splendid institution with its history of bravado and courage is a standing monument of inspiration to all of us. I may not have been allowed to enter the gates (or even photograph the premise) but needless to say – by the time I had made my way back, I was filled with sense of patriotism & pride.

The day had ended and so had the journey. There are some experiences that are fleeting in nature and there are some that you know are going to last. But very occasionally we go through something that is so powerful that you know something has changed. You know the drive through the forests was the most meaningful you took or the little moments when you’d shut your eyes, and breathe full, felt like eternity of a peaceful life. Experiences like these cannot be and should not be prepared for. Let yourself fly far into oblivion where the most important thing is your next breath. By the time the holiday had ended, I knew I was in love. The pilgrim in his progress had finally shed its heavy bag and the mind had regained its trance..again…