How about a sudden plan made with your gym partner while working out one Thursday evening and realizing,

“Oops! It’s a long weekend! here we are, again planning to perform this repeated activity fetching us the same constant experience!”

“Lets do something!”

“Pack your bags, we are leaving for Rishikesh!”

(While running on a machine which never allows me move forward as the strips are always against my motion! )

“YES! I really need to move forward now! “

This is how my trip to Rishikesh started.

We boarded the last local bus from Delhi and reached Rishikesh the next morning. With the increasing day length it made me all sweaty and tired. We were looking for accommodation. It was a long weekend and all the hotels were booked due to the long weekend. Made around 15 calls but no vacancy anywhere!

Ofcourse, i could get a 5 Star Hotel with impeccable services but i prefer more of budget travel than the big ones.

Out of nowhere, i finally received a call back from The Hosteller, which is just 5-min away from the main bus stop & in the middle of the bustling narrow lanes of Rishikesh with a river facing garden. I heard it is a multi themed Hostel there. It even has a swimming pool!

I am sad i couldn’t stay there as i got a call from Moustache before The Hosteller and i had confirmed them with the bookings.

That was the time i realized that maybe i was supposed to stay there, maybe i was supposed to meet people who had similar interests like mine, people who were in the same boat as i was in.

They are not only the ones who have made their journey to foreign lands . They are the ones with excellent minds having experienced the land they visited.

How can i say this?

I went River rafting with the travelers residing in Moustache itself. We went there as two and returned as four!

The addition includes them (Ross and Oscar)

Yes, i am still in contact with them!

The time just flew by!

Its because I ,who always prioritize work vis-a-vis oneself or loved ones, was supposed to stay their till Sunday and i ended up overstaying for more than a week!

I know i missed my college internals, two assignment submissions, one meeting!

But, do i care?

Not until I felt the sensation of every smile meeting my lips, the kind of happiness that tore me apart, like it yearned to me to be more alive to life!

Not until i entered The Hosteller for my extended stay!

This was taken by me when we finally decided to overstay and experience the magic of Rishikesh!

This is the place where i overstayed and made extra memories.

These elements are not very difficult to hold on to. When they are introduced in our lives, in some way we never imagined before, they bring a spur of happiness which was hitherto completely alien.