CHAPTER 6
“Honestly it kinda makes sense for ‘rain’ to be masculine in marathi… I mean that’s probably why I just hate it!” Simran groans
“I get it hon. Pune’s men, Pune’s rain, trust me I get it”
On our way to the hospital, we had stopped by the canteen for a quick chai. Pune’s rain are like those nosy relatives who just drop by unannounced. The worst is that even clothes catch fungus here! Imagine that. Students fall sick and everything becomes so murky. Even so, this weather is the best for a trek to various forts in and around the city. The greenery is in full bloom, and the old stone steps glisten as rainwater washes them.
”Oh come on Jina, the entire class is gonna go, you can’t bail on us like that”
“Vivan I can’t. I’ll fall sick in this weather and honestly, I’ve been to those places quite a few times already. It’s just boring to me now. You guys should go, you’re the ones who are new to this”
I pouted at her. But there’s no getting through her if she’s already made up her mind. Sims and I are going on a trekking trip to a fort this weekend with some of our classmates. It is going to be a 6 hour long trek. We are going to have a night stay at the fort and return the next morning. We packed our bags accordingly.
……….
“Attention everyone. Aika. *claps to grab attention*. This is our seventh trek since we joined college. There are some friends who have joined us for the first time, so I assure you that it is going to be really fun but since it’s rainy, we urge you to take extra caution. I hope everyone is wearing good quality shoes and their raincoats or ponchos as instructed. We’re about 25 people, so we’ll go in groups of 4. One experienced team including me is going to take the lead and one is going to be at the rear. Please watch your steps as you walk. Do not rush, take your time; safety is foremost. We have a first-aid kit each with the leading team and the rear team, should anyone, god forbid, get hurt. We will stop at various checkpoints and go through the roll call there. Please stay with the group; don’t wander off on your own without informing us. And very importantly, do not litter. Plastic is an absolute no-no. Don’t leave behind your water bottles or any food item since it disturbs the environment. We’ll first have breakfast and then start moving.”
Our class rep is a reliable girl. She is a Punekar and a professional trekker. Since college started she’s been planning several treks. The college doesn’t have an issue since nobody has gotten hurt so far and in no way is the college involved otherwise. She has good leadership skills, but she does get on my nerves; like right now.
“Hi, So umm, there was no other group vacant and since it’s my first time the captain said it would be better to pair up with you guys since you’ve been to treks before” Riya says as she joins me and Sims and one other southie from our class. “I hope it’s not a problem”.
“Ah no, no problem at all, we’re all here to enjoy anyway” I smile awkwardly.
…………
The 4 of us start to trek up together. We had the other guy take the lead, Riya in the middle, while Sims and I followed. Sims was still awkward with Riya, and I couldn’t help but notice how the girls were nervously avoiding each other. It was Riya’s first trek ever, so she needed assistance many times. The rain didn’t make it any easier. The Southie guy was leading her by the hand but didn’t really talk much. So, it was basically I, talking alternatively with the two girls.
It was raining cats and dogs. The wet stone steps were exceedingly slippery. We were about halfway through but since the entire group’s movement got exceedingly slower, we decided to take a break under a large tree canopy on the way. The rain had made it difficult to hear what instructions the captain gave, but more or less, she told everyone to eat and rehydrate themselves. After a while, when everyone had rested, we continued the trek. The leading team and the rear team had their light beams out to signal to each other. Red meant stop while green meant all good. I was pleasantly surprised at how much she had prepared. The Sun had started to go down.
We all somehow managed to reach the fort.
There was a shabby resting place near the fort for night trekkers. We had our dinner there and everyone sat down with their friends. Sims and I sat down together in a corner and she finally started talking. We laughed and giggled but Riya was never brought up in the conversation. I was glad she was her normal self again.
Besides us there was only one other group, but the place was still crowded. We basically had to sleep on the floor with our ponchos as our covers. Two small rooms were given to us, One for the girls and one for the boys. Our boys to girls ratio was almost equal but the rooms were so small that we would be sleeping side by side almost touching each other. The girls had settled down in their rooms. A few boys including me had laid down inside as the fatigue had caught up, but a few others including the southie could be heard outside the room softly giggling and at times complaining about the situation. The rain had gotten lighter now. Even if not clearly I could still hear them talk. I may not be fluent in marathi but I can still understand most of it.
“The rain’s crazy dude. And even though it was raining, it was so hot inside the raincoat.”
“Oh I bet that wasn’t the only reason you were hot” snickered one guy
“Oh c’mon man you know nothing’s gonna happen, Nandini is down bad for that Ajeet guy”
The guys chuckle.
“But man, I must say that the girls are really hot, they’ve got such soft hands and at times when you had to pick them when they slipped, it just felt awesome… haha”. giggling noises.
“Man, I wish we could just sleep with them together you know” the southie guy snickers. “Sigh, but what can I do, I must sleep with you ugly dudes and that chhakka*; Why did I have to get paired with him” They all laugh.
(* chakka = faggot)
I got really uncomfortable. I covered my face and went to sleep.
The next morning we all sit down for breakfast. The rain had stopped. We explored the fort, and clicked good pictures. The old architecture was beautiful. It was ironic how the fauna growing over the abandoned structure made it look even more beautiful. Our captain briefly told us the history of the rulers who owned the fort and how it served as a stronghold in the war against the Mughals.
“Alright. Aika. I hope everyone has packed their belongings properly, we are going to head down now in the same team of 4. Make sure your teammates are with you at all times. The rain has stopped but the floor will still be wet, so mind your steps. First aid kit is with the leading and the rear team, should anyone need medical assistance.”
Last night’s words rang in my head as Riya and the southie guy came over. I was awfully quite. Both Sims and Riya noticed. They occasionally asked if I were alright and I said that there was nothing to worry about. We trekked down the wet steps carefully. Someone even spotted a snake on a tree. We were able to descend without much trouble, except that we were all really tired.
Everyone clapped and cheered for the captain and themselves; we exchanged goodbyes and I went home.
I ate some porridge that I cooked for myself and video-called my mother. I told her about the trek and the captain. I left out the guy’s conversation. Even though I was exhausted that night, my mind just didn’t let me sleep.
Comments (0)
See all