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When the Hills are calling, one has to listen. My trekking expedition to Triund was a life altering experience- the presence of the ghost of international trauma of Tibetan history in Namgyal Monastery, the memorable trek to Triund with two of my closest friends and the overnight stay in the cottage with the panoramic view of Dhauladhar ranges – every adventure came with a heavy dose of fun, exhilaration and joy. We started our journey from Kashmiri Gate, New Delhi. The HRTC bus rumbled through the hilly terrain and took us to the tiny Himachali village of Dharamshala. A tiny dhaba near the bus depot sells the best chicken curry and rice, which one should definitely try, to taste simple pahadi cuisine.After a short busride to McLeodgunj, we finally managed to find our pre-booked hostel from www.hostelavie.com, in the Upper Bhagsu region. Our roommates were from different parts of Europe and Asia and interacting with them was a fun experience.We spent the rest of the day hiking and making a quick visit to the famous Bhagsu Nag Temple and the nearby waterfall. Just before sunset we went to Namgyal Monastery. Commemorating His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s visit, the monks had made beautiful statuettes made of coloured butter. A tranquil place for meditation and introspection, the Monastery has a martyr memorial as a tribute to the Tibetan monks who self immolated themselves for Tibetan freedom from Chinese occupation. With a solemn mood, we came back to our hotels and decided to rest for our trek the next day. However, travel plans are made to be changed last minute and we ended up drinking and partying till late night. Groggy and sleep deprived, the next day we started our trek with less enthusiasm than expected. We started our trek next morning from Galu Devi Temple and followed the easy trail surrounded with rhododendron and deodar forests. The mountains did their magic and we slowly got into the groove. We reached our final stop in Triund in the afternoon and managed to get a cozy room for the night in the forest guest house. The view from the hill top was surreal and no words can describe the incredible feeling of peace, beauty and solitude whicjwe felt in that place. My girlfriends and I, being city girls, had a great fun taking nature’s call under the sky. After a meal of plain rice and daal, we spent the chilly night drinking a little rum and singing Tagore songs. The next day, we trekked downhill, did some street shopping from the market in McLeodgunj and took our bus back to Delhi to start the daily grind of classes and routine but a part of Triund shall forever remain in our hearts as the sweetest memory.