Finally... there she is... after packing herself in heavy jackets and munching breakfast she reached the taxi stand..
It's time to realise her 'once upon a time' dream.. she is gonna reach Pangong via Khardungla today.... She smiles in joy...

Hiring a shared cab and getting all formalities done for the inner line permits, she finally sets inside the car...

Oh no!! She sighs... yeh Rucksack toh upar carrier me dena padega.... she muttered...
Putting her duffle bag on her seat she gets down and hands over her Rucksack to the driver...who was arranging the luggage of the fellow co passengers..

Madam.. bus ek hi bag?? inquires the man.

Jee bhaiyya.. bus ek...riya smiles... mai akeli hoon.... she replies sweetly...

Hey.... ur travelling alone?? Comes a voice...

She turns back to find a man in his early thirties...

Excuse me?? Riya creases her brows. As she didn't like the very first impression of the man...

Hi...I'm Jatin... Jatin Arora from Bhopal.. Travelling to Pangong today just like you.....The man extended his hand for a shake..

Do we know each other? Asks riya in a no nonsense tone..

Not till now... But we may get to know each other... Hum bhi akele...aap bhi akele... is safar k liye kya humsafar bane? Jatin smiled in a cheezy way..

Jee shukriya... mujhe humsafar ki koi zaroorat nahi.... smiles riya sarcastically... Mujhe akele chalne ki aadat hai... now please excuse me...she leaves the place and gets into the car through the opposite door, leaving Jatin alone, breaking all his smartness..

There, in the same cab, was travelling Kabir... Kabir Sharma... Editor in Chief. KKN... The master mind of the 9 PM show "Desh ki khabar......Ek Nazar".. The reason behind the highest grossing TRP of KKN!

Kabir was heading towards the Khardung La. The place is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in central Asia.

Khalid, one of the owners of KKN has specially aasigned him to prepare an article and shoot clips for a very special finite show. Though Kabir was reluctant accepting this assignment and asked Khalid to send some junior reporter, he finally had to give in to Khalids want, after knowing the very special reason why Khalid wanted him to be there! Afterall he is the Editor in Chief, the master in conceiving new ideas for new shows..

So here he is... He has arrived Leh just the day via Delhi - Leh early morning Air India flight.. His cameraman was already sent at the place through an early flight.

After reaching Leh, he was searching for a transport that will help him to reach his destination. He saw one on the left side of airport. The peoples around were taking their seats, he runs to get one for himself and settles on one of the backseats.

But

Wait a second. ...

Something falls on his feet....

He looks down at it.. the material looks like a card.

Picking it up, he sees it clearly.. it is a driving license of a girl.

Riya Sanyal is the name on it.

But something strikes him after seeing the license.

He finds a girl, opposite to his seat, searching something in her bag.

He asks her, "Excuse me, miss"

Girl looked up and saw him, "Yes?"

"Is this yours?"

She looks at the card in his hand takes a closer glane.

"Oh yes. I think it fell from my bag. Thank you sir" she takes it back with a bright smile.

"By the way, pehli bar kisiko apne birthday ke din akele ghumte dekha hai Ms. Sanyal." he said

"Wait, how did you know?"

He gestures her to the card

"Ohhh, yes. Actually meri family kind of gifted me this trip as mein zyada ghumti nahi so they planned this all and give a surpris, so I am here... going to Pangong Lake " 😃

"Manana padega acchi bohot khubsurat jagah choose ki aapke family ne...... Waise wish you a very happy birthday Ms. Sanyal" he wished her

"Thank you so much sir" she smiled in glee.

Riya look at the person who wished her.

She have seen him where, but where?

Then it strike her

"Kabir Sharma, head of KKN?" she said aloud.

Kabir smiles and says "Yes, to aapne pehchan lia"

He had seen her looking at him closely, like she is remembering something.

"Me aapka show dekhti hu 9 p.m. ka, papa ke sath"

"Thank you so much" he thanked her.

Soon they were inside the cab and the journey started.. Riya gets mesmerised with the beauty that prevails there..

And they begin chatting on random stuffs like politics, education, medical system and the corruptions that prevail in every layer...

This girl is quite ahead of her time.. I must say... I've hardly seen people of this generation taking interest on such things with such a depth... Thinks Kabir as his lips curl to a smile..

Their journey finally comes to the destination and they hardly got to know how time elapsed!

Khardunga La. Said kabir as they got out of the car.

"It was pleasure to meet you Ms. Sanyal and thank you for the wonderful company in this boring journey." he forwards his hands

"It was my pleasure to meet a person like you Mr. Kabir. You just made my day more beautiful with your company in this journey. I will never forgot this." replies Riya shaking hands with him.

"So goodbye Mr. Sharma"

"Aahhhaa, aise nahi kehte Ms. Sanyal,
Jane se pehle.....

Ham hai rahi pyaar ke fir milenge chalte chalte. Tab tak ke liye shabba khair. Aise hi zindgi haste aur muskurate bitan Ms. Sanyal fir zindgi jeene me bhi maza ata hai." 😉

After bidding byes, they turn towards their next destination.....Riya overwhelmed with the company of one of the most popular news face...
And kabir carrying in his heart a satisfaction that youth like Riya will never let India's face go down.....