Picking up the 'Best-Life'

It was a quaint village, and arriving after a long train journey with your friends was in itself quite rewarding yet tiring at the same time. We were all well fed and ready to explore the hell out of the little town. The quirky cafes were definitely on our list or the only list we had for this one-day stay just before we trek to our main destination.

I would have loved to sleep my day around but surprisingly we all were just one facewash away from tying our shoes and going on a spree. The streets were not quiet but peaceful, no sign of any motor vehicle around was not only a rare sight but also, a relief.

The streets had graffiti all around, with walls painted of different backgrounds, there were cafes each with its own outdoor setting. We were just at the tip of the plains from where we could have the most amazing pictures with the Himalayas in the background and not even feeling cold and daringly wearing our half sleeves T-shirts.

We were welcomed by the locals, with elders and kids alike. As usual, my friends had two dogs as their best friends. Resembling wolves and giving them the satisfaction of spending time with almost a husky and kinda half-wolf. (I cannot understand this obsession and I guess I never will) I was exploring and looking at all the wildflowers and leaves, hoping to get to know about the medicinal value of at least one of them, that could help me in my next face pack recipe and give me an obsession for the next week. (My mum and aunt would have been very proud of me for finding them, such gems from my trip.)

The streets were of white and peach colour with the most beautiful red flowers I had ever seen. (they were just wild weed flowers, trust me if it had been medicinal, I would have known says this with a *hair flip*) my clothes were complementing the background and thank god that made me the favourite subject of the budding photographers around. (would have begged to get 3 pictures if that hadn’t been the case)

We met Akhor, a boy of 10 years of age, with plum red cheeks and the jolliest nature. He told me about the best lake where we could find no visitors and would be the most beautiful lake we would have ever seen in our lives.

Akhor said while looking somewhere high above, “You know what, you can drink more than 20 types of tea in that cafe, you and your friends should visit it.”

I love coffee but couldn’t break Akhor’s heart by telling him that. Moreover, an unknown cafe with 20 tea varieties, who am I kidding?

Akhor said he will show us the way around the stairs which were a bit far off but for Akhor it was a few steps only after every 20 meters. So a group of 10 young adults or late teens with two husky/wolf-like dogs followed the ten-year-old Akhor.

We reached and were very elated to just find the staircase, a hidden gem found. Akhor bid us a bye telling us his mom must be getting worried by now. As everyone was climbing up, I made Akhor promise he would meet us tomorrow morning at the most beautiful lake and bid us a much warmer farewell and we would give him feedback about his famous tea place. He promised me and with a gentle hug ran away shyly.

We reached the cafe and it was one hell of a place, yes risky stairs definitely. It had no chairs or walls. It had fairy lights struck to its corner. Sufi music playing we sat on the mattress that overlooked the village below and the stars straight up.

It had nothing else on the menu, just 20 types of tea along with some snacks (standard only). That place already had my heart for being this simple in the chaotic world. What I love most about group tea time is there are so many conversations fleeting in the air you can choose to be part of any. Some were looking at the pictures clicked. Some were astonished by the tea flavours and some were discussing astrophysics.

I looked at Arjun beside me and gave a sigh of relief as if inculcating this vibe before it ends and yet a storm of thoughts was raging in my mind. “You know on the train ride up till here, I was listening to Taylor Swift and..”

“And you couldn’t help but research about her.. go on, I wish I had stopped you before you began speaking but can’t now!” Arjun interrupted as if reading my mind.

We ignored the bustling noises in the background of a joke being made on Nikki and continued with our conversation...

“She was just 14 when she released the first song that she single-handedly wrote and sung! Her father moved cities so that she could pursue her dreams! I mean at 14. I am so moved by her, I want to start my own thing, pursue my art and let the world know my mind. Just write till I can about heartbreaks, dreams, and everything in between.

To write till my mind hurts for ideas or write every time my mind hurts with ideas. I want people to tell me that they got validation reading me and I want to thank them for validating my experiences.

But what if this is just a passion project which I should not be comparing to Taylor Swift of a different timeline, different art, and different skill set. I mean not just her but anybody successful for that matter of fact!” I have no idea what I was feeling anxiety, excitement, hopefulness, or hopelessness but I did complete my sentence in one go!

“Why would you do that?” Arjun was very angry.

“I was bored and it was a long ride, I mean…”

“Not that idiot, why would you talk about your art so passionately and then drop it to the extremely grave situation right in a moment? I mean why do you always do that? You will talk about moving mountains and then disregard and shun away the compassionate sequence in mere seconds!” Arjun was evidently making sense but no solution.

“Umm, I don’t know, just pros and cons.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“We need to make the best out of this life NOT select the best life on this earth and live it or wish it. You are afraid not to venture out but in search of the perfect line on which you could just lead your life and diversion from that seems like wild dreams to you! Look at the stars, count your friends, and stop evaluating. Also, I am not going to exchange my masala tea with whatever exotic new thing you ordered! Also surprisingly for a woman afraid of deviations you order the worst but always a new dish.” Arjun again made some sense and made some profusely rude comments about my tea.

Yes, maybe I want my life to be the best, and who doesn’t? But I forgot about life being an actual living process rather than a to-do list or timetable to be followed and be done with.

I shunned away from my thoughts and participated in the group roast marathon. Some issues need to be addressed and revealed before being solved. I waited for the tea to arrive and looked for a willing exchange offer and began telling how I found the best lake we would ever see in our lives. (huh! Which Taylor swift might not for the record.)