Four More Steps towards Triumph

by Shreya Das (India)

A leap into the unknown India

Four More Steps towards Triumph by Dr. Shreya Das (India) Theme: 'A leap into the unknown' "Four more steps mam, and you will reach the milestone. You can do it!" said Arpan, my trek guide, standing beside me and some 50 steps away from a 2ft by 1.5 ft white stone slab, placed uphill, that read "Sandakphu, 0 Km". That is how my guide pushed me through the trek, pursuing me to believe that I had only a few more steps to take in order to reach my destination, when it was actually far more. But it helped. With years of experience of dealing with different kinds of trekkers, Arpan knew the art of motivation for sure. I stood there for a moment and closed my eyes. In a flash of second, my memory rewind all those moments of hopelessness, pain, doubt, fear and wanting to give up that were part of my entire journey ever since we started from Kolkata upto the top of Sandakphu, some 11929 ft above mean sea level on the Himalayan range abutting the borders between Nepal and West Bengal (in India). I remembered all those hurdles that were thrown along my path both by my own mind and by nature and thanked the Universe for supporting me as I took my last step towards triumph! Flashback: 'The Leap into the Unknown"..... 3 May 2019. Kolkata. 11:11 AM The sky above Kolkata is masked by dark clouds. The drizzle is becoming stronger by the hour with powerful gusts of wind, hitting our tightly closed windows every now and then. The road outside is deserted. The TV in the living room has been put on since early morning. Dad sat in front of it following every minute of the news on 'Cyclone Fani' that were to hit Kolkata at midnight. Cyclone Fani (a Category 4 Hurricane) that has erupted in the Indian Ocean with a speed of 250 km/ hr has already hit Odisha, south of West Bengal, engulfing everything on its way towards Kolkata. Mother, terrified about the coincidence of the cyclone with my journey date, sat for hours attending phone calls from concerned relatives. "Don't let her go!", said my aunt to my mother. "It's too dangerous!" I sat on the sofa, puzzled, angry and confused, texting my travel partners every now and then. I looked at my backpack that has been stacked and balanced against the wall, now weighing almost 11 kgs and wondered why history repeats each time we plan something. A cloudburst had ruined our travel plans to Darjeeling way back in July 2011. It's May 2019 now. Our luck doesn't seem to have changed for better. We have been planning this trek since 1 year. This was to be our first trek ever. The trek would last for 5 days with 27 Km uphill, 18 Km downhill walk. For last five months I have been doing Zumba to lose the extra weight and make my body lighter and more adaptable for the climb. My knee arthritis induced due to 9 long years of suffering from endometriosis has been a moral deterrent for me all these years. But I was determined this time and took every preparation to make it happen. 5:00 PM. By this time social media posts are being circulated warning climbers in the Himalayas to descend and take refuge. Facebookers start marking themselves safe during Cyclone Fani. "I'm not going" I finally texted them. "We will be on train when the cyclone will hit us. It's too dangerous." My phone rang at 6:10 PM. The train is about to depart at 8:05 PM. "We are going Shreya. Come with us. Nothing will happen to us. Trust.", said my friend Satarupa. Few minutes later, my phone rang again. This time it was Aritra, from the travel agency. "Heard your friends are leaving without you. Don't miss this opportunity, Shreya. Take the leap of faith. Just board the train." 7:10 PM. The Uber arrives amidst heavy showers. I board the cab, surrendering my destiny to the unknown. 8 May 2019, 3:47 PM, Sandakhphu " Four more steps mam, and you will reach the milestone. You can do it!" said Arpan..........