Ohho..... yahapar itni jaldi subah kyu hoti hai??? Its only 3.30 am... blabbers the girl as the rays of first sunlight enters her room through the curtains.... creasing her brows she turns to the other side she covers her face with the blanket and cocoons in the warmth inside.... but..only for a few minutes as her mobile rings "tera mujhse hai pehle ka nata koi...", screen indicating "Maa calling...."

Argggghhhhh....abhi kaun?? She rolls her eyes inside the blanket..
Extending her hand from inside the warmth she caught the ringing phone just to get it inside the warm capsule.. Her face glowed in the bright screen display... Without looking at the caller she touched the green button...

Hello........she said in a drowsy heavy voice...
Happy Birthday Riya... Jonmodiner onek onek suvechcha.. Onek boro hou.. Boro manush hou.. her mother's voice...
(Happy Birthday Riya.. Best wishes to yo on your birthday... I wish you be a great soul....a great human.)

Maa...... a sweet smile kisses her lips... Thank you Maa.... Love you.... Baba kothai?? her smile broadened as she remembers not a single year her mother misses to with her....exactly on her birth minute...... yes the clock says its 03.38 am...date 02.09.2019...
(Maa.. Thank you maa... wheres dad?)

Ei to baba... ne kotha bol...says her mother as she hands over the phone to her father...
(He is right here.. talk to him)

Happy Birthday Riyu... came a heavy manly voice....
Babbba..... she uttered like a kid.... thank you baba...
Ar? Shob thik thak? Sorir theek ache to tor?
(And? Is everything all right? Hows your health?)

Hain baba... shob thik.... tomra?
(Yes daddy I'm absolutely fine.. what about you?)

Hai... amaro bhalo achi... Tui savdhane cholaphera korish.. Ar ha... thanda lagash na beshi... ar phone korbi 3 ghonta bad bad.. theek ache??
(Yes. We are fine too.. Take care of yourself while roaming alone.. and yes take care that you dont catch cold.. call us in every three hours.. ok?)

Hain baba.. tomra akdom chinta koro na.. ami theek achi... ar phone o korbo... she smiles....
(Dont worry baba.. I'll he fine.. and yeah I'll call you also..)

Achcha... akhon tobe ghumo... pore kotha hobe..
(Ok then.... sleep now... we will talk later)

Theek ache... rakchi.. love you both... muuuaaaahhh.....
(Ok... I'm disconnecting now... ......)

Disconnecting the call she smiles for minutes..... as she remembers the moment her parents handed over the envelope... envelope that had hid inside it.... tickets to Ladakh....
Her eyes twinkle as her father's voice echoes in her ears...... ".......ei ney... tor birthday gift.... tor onek din er ichche aka ghurte Jawar... ja... ghurey aai... ami hotel/tents shob book kore dieche...."

(Take it..  your birthday gift.. you longed for a solo trip since long. So go.. enjoy now.. I've made all arrangements and have booked hotels and tents)

She couldn't sleep more..... Removing the veiling blanket she steps down from the bed...

Walking towards the window in baby steps, she remembers all those moments that she and her mother had spent packing for her journey... moments when her father bought all the emergency medicines and dry fruits for her... flashes of all those moments when her friends jumped out of joy as she disclosed to them about the journey...

Zindagi bhi na...... humesha surprises deti rehti hai.... she thinks herself and pulls the curtains aside.

Removing the curtain, she looks outside through the glass window..... woah..
What a beauty!

She got mesmerised with the snowcapped black rocky mountains standing at the horizon... The white fluffy clouds sailing in the blue sky... green poplar trees kissing the height of the blue sky.... Native people have just started their daily works....

So finally..... she is here.... in Ladakh... one of her dream destinations...

A girl with a mind, lady with a class, a women with grace.... Riya Sanyal she is... A bengali by birth...hailing from the Indian Capital of Delhi.. only child of her parents and a dear teacher to her students.. A cool and understanding friend to all her friends, a beautiful singer to all her listeners... she is out to explore.... all alone!

She unclasped the window lock and pushed the pane wide open....

Just then........she shiveres from top to bottom.....as a damn cool wind pierces her skin through the warm night suit... extending her arms to the either sides she breathes in deep....

Woow....such a fresh air..... Her face glowed as sunrays kissed her skin ...
and she got lost.. in her own world..
Thinking endless... looking at the picturesque landscape ahead in front of her... capturing its beauty through her eye lens and storing them permanently.....

Jaaago..... mohan pyaare jago...... the tune brought her out of her trance..
Yeah... its already 6:30 am and her mobile alarm is reminding her that..

I need to get ready now... she thinks..
7.15am tak mujhe stand pauchna hai...and I have only 45 minutes left...

Khardungla.....here I come.... aapne baahein failai intezaar karo mera..
she whispers as a bright smile engulfs her....

She runs to get fresh.. a day long journey is waiting for her.........