Back to the past

Realization

We were both at the waterfall. We were almost hankering. We were almost getting appetent. We drank water as if we were thirsty from yugas. We removed our clothes and took shower in the waterfall and after sometime we felt refreshed.

We decided to move on and get to the metallic road and find some help. After walking a couple of hours we were still no where. The dirt road earlier was not that long. It was defiantly a metallic road when we arrived a day before.

Suddenly we saw Himachali man who looked in his 50 walking across us. He looked exactly like the man who we saw a day before at the camp who checked us in. But he was a little younger than him. I thought maybe he is a look alike.

I asked, "bhaiya(brother) can you help us to get to the main road or a police station,"
He looked at us strangely and said , "how did you get here walking you are 10 kms from main road"
We were a little surprised and shocked as well.
Adam said, "are you kidding with us we came yesterday driving here, we stood at the camp back there."
The man gave us a surprised look and said
"Kya bhaang pi rakhi hai(are you on drugs) there is no camp here I live here from my childhood nor there is a road here"
We were a little surprised and I thought may be this man is on drugs. Still we asked him way and we kept walking.
Adam, " bhaji don't you think he was the same person who checked us in?"
I looked at Adam and said "yes even I had the same thing in my mind, but he had white beard and this man had black"
We kept walking and now we're realising that man said the right thing. There was no road. My phone showed 30000 steps already and we saw nothing on the way. The phone had no signal and the battery was only 30% left. I put the phone on airplane mode and kept walking. We were literally starving. We saw some huts on the mountains but they seemed too far to waste energy. We decided to keep moving and follow the dirt path. I would rather call that a path instead of a road. This was nothing like a road. All we had was water in last few years. It was almost evening.
Me, "it would get dark soon, something is really not right"
Adam, "yes bhaji this road was definitely not that far"he said in a low tone breathing heavily.

Earlier I thought maybe due to the suv we reached early but it is impossible that after waking a whole day we were still not on the highway.

We sat down for sometime. It was getting dark. My phone had 30% battery and Adam's phone had 50%. But with torch that won't last longer and we don't have a source to charge them as well.

We decided to move fast before it gets too dark. After an hour we were walking in total darkness. The sounds of forest increased . We were using Adam's phone to show us light. Instead of torch we decided to use the screen light as that would last longer.

We were about to give up due to hunger. We had no water since sometime as we found no water sources in last one few hours. Suddenly we saw lights of a moving vehicle at some distance .

Suddenly the adrenaline starting rushing in us and gave us more energy. We staring walking fast. We just had new energy born in us. After 15 minutes walk we reached a real road. We were so happy. We finally made to a real road. We were sure would find help anytime. We kept sitting there for 30 minutes. We were getting anxious now. No vehicle came, no car came, nothing at all.

Adam, "bhaji do you hear this sound." Adam asked putting hand on his ear.
I looked towards the direction his ear was pointing. I tried to concentrate on the sound and it looked like flowing water. We were so confused and hungry that we did not realise there was a river flowing nearby.
Me, "yes I think it is water,"
We ran towards the sound and we saw a small river. It wasn't like river but it was definitely fresh mountain water. We drank water and were about to take another shower when we saw light on the road at some distance. We ran towards the road.
There we saw two huge bulbs coming towards our direction and the closer it came the more we were getting excited.
We stood in middle of the road to stop the vehicle it looked like a truck or bus. We were almost blinded by the headlights of the vehicle. But finally it stopped. It was the green coloured old Himachali bus. Only few passengers were sitting inside the bus. As soon as we climbed the bus. We realised where were we going. The conductor came to us for a ticket.
I asked the conductor, "bhaiya where is the bus going,"
He gave a stance look and said "if you don't know where you are going why have you boarded the bus"

I cleared my throat and said, " we are lost and our car was stolen from our camp, we need to go to the nearest city or town and file a complaint in police station."
His graze changed a little and he replied in a sympathetic tone, "I have never heard this kind of incident in this area, but we are going towards Kullu, you can get help there," then he open his ticket bag and asked "30 rupees please"
I opens my wallet and I had only 500 and 2000 bills(notes). I gave him a 500 rupee bill and said sorry for not having change.
His expression changed and he looked at the bill and smiled and said, "yeh nahi chalega (this wont work), we don't accept this"
I was a little surprised I thought may be he doesn't have a change. I recalled I had a old 50 RS bill in my purse. I gave that to him and he gave me 20rs change. They were the old 10 rs notes.

I saw a man playing snake game on a seat on the other side of the bus. I remember that game. I used to play that game when I had a bar phone like that.

We were so tired that we did not realise when we dozed of.
Conducter , "bhaiya get up you are in Kullu, I have to lock the bus and go home" I heard him saying that in deep sleep. I gathered myself and opened my eyes.
Adam also got up hearing that. We got of the bus. We saw a small bus stand it was late night. I looked at my phone it was 12 midnight. All the buses parked here same old styled buses. I saw a couple of Taveras, ambassadors, Tata sumos parked as well.
We decided to check in to a hotel and visit the police station next day. There was a hotel next to the bus stand. We went to the reception and asked to boy sleeping on reception if we could get a room and food. He said he can give us a room but no food at this time. After request for something he gave us a packet of bread.

He asked for the ID proof I gave my Adhaar card and he looked at that strangely and said that won't work. Then I offered him my pan card. He took that and asked for 300 Rs. that was quite inexpensive but who cared all we needed was a bed. I gave him 500rs which he denied. He said the same thing as the bus conductor. He said give me a different currency or 100 rs bill. I requested him to accept that bill but he denied and then I said I will withdraw from ATM and give him tomorrow. He agreed as he had to sleep as well and kept my id as security.

We got in to the room and saw the old styled tv. I thought may be due to old stuff the rent is less.
We dozed off after finishing last crumb of the bread packet.
I got up at 9 am and I decided to go to the ATM and withdraw some cash and get us something for breakfast.

I got out of room and came to reception and enquired about the ATM. He told me it is in the main market near bank. I started walking to the place As per to the directions given by him. But the strange thing was I still had no network. I saw a tea stall and had tea and samosa on the way. He charged only 10rs for the both.
I got to the atm but it was not taking any of my cards. Not even a single one. I tried 10 different credit and debit cards. I thought maybe atm is not working. I tired another same response there. I got annoyed. I decided to pay the hotel by the same cash I had or through the card or online.

I got back to the hotel and offered him the same bill to which he denied. Then I offered him a 2000 bill to which he laughed. I was surprised to see his expressions. I asked if he would take Paytm he then gave me a strange glare. Suddenly a police man came and said hi to the attended.
Attendant, "sir see this man is offering fake bills and showed him the 500 and 2000 bills."

The police man looked at them strangely as if they were really fake and then looked at me.
Policeman, " show me you id,"
I got a little paranoid and showed him my adhaar card.
Policeman looked at the id and laughed and then Stared at me and said "fake Id, fake bills come to police station with me."
I was literally in a state of shock. What the hell was going on. He took me to the police station. Anyways I had to go there but to file a complaint not to get arrested.
We were at the police station in 5 minutes and he explained the the station officer about me.
I was sitting there and I saw a newspaper. The headlines said the Indian prime minister shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee something. Then on the other side it had the picture of the movie that said upcoming Gangajal. I remember watching that movie a long time back. Even Atal ji is not alive, why it has his news.

Then I picked that up and saw the date it was July 2003. I asked the another person sitting like me waiting for the station officer to attend about the date. He said 11 July, 2003.
My heart started beating as fast as it could, All the events from last 24 hours started running in my eyes like a movie. I started sweating and the only words that came out of my mouth were.
"What the f..k"