When I met God in the mountains...

My interest in motorcycles began post marriage. Married to a RE (Royal enfield) enthusiast I don’t know if I was brainwashed into or I willingly took the plunge. When my husband announced that for our annual vacation we would be going to Ladakh, I was slightly disappointed (I was looking for a European holiday). It further worsened when he mentioned we would be riding a motorcycle. He had booked the newly launched RE ‘Himalayan’ for this epic journey. It took us good 3 months preparing for this vacation – long rides, fitness regime. We shipped our bike till Jammu and then started riding from there. I did not even think in my wildest dream that this journey would be so memorable.

As a pillion, I did not have major tasks of riding. I kept eating nuts and sipping energy drinks and saying my rosary. The journey was absolutely breathtaking and with each passing mile turning out to be more alluring and enticing. When the clear running waters and lush green grasslands were getting etched in my memory, the snow-white clad mountains appeared. While they were looking at taking a permanent space in my mind, the purple headed mountains appeared. So much of beauty – color coordinated natural vegetation, the animal life, the sharp rays of the sun, the melting snow; I wanted to meet the creator of this canvas.

That day we took the lesser travelled, long and lonely trail from Pangong to Tso Morriri via Chushul. It was deserted and full of sand. We had covered almost 20kms from Pangong when our bike skid in the sand and fell. With little/no hope once the bike was straight we sat down wondering if the entire decision of doing this route made sense, when my husband’s eye fell on the oil indicator. He noticed it was empty. He freaked out - “We can’t ride; there is absolutely no oil in the bike”. As we sat hoping and waiting for some rescue, I prayed asking God to find us a way in this wilderness. We started our ride backwards with no hope. And to our surprise, in that remote area where we hadn’t seen an Indian in last hour of riding, we found a Russian couple who were lost from their biker group. Interestingly, during our conversation with them on engine oil, we noticed our bike had enough engine oil. The fall had made the oil move over to the other side of the engine making it look as though it had no oil. The Russian couple rode along with us and helped maneuver through the sand and then wished us good bye. I kept turning back again and again and realized they did not follow us. They just waved us bye. Who were they really and what were they doing there precisely when we needed help?

WE rode along some very difficult terrain without maps or GPS through chasms of melted snow and empty barren land and after some futile attempts at finding home stays or hotels we finally reached the town of Nyoma at 2330. Then again, out of nowhere, we managed to gain the attention of a couple in the lone truck which was passing by. They referred us to some homestay options and came along to check the same with us as well then realized they were all full. As we almost lost hope, this couple asked if we would go to their home. A warm home, with the warmth of a family who took care of us and ensured we were not only comfortable but also taken care of, was much more than we could ever dream of, in the middle of nowhere that we were. Our hosts refused to accept any payment we tried to offer.

Twice in that day, just when we lost hope, a couple coming out of nowhere to help. It has to be more than coincidence. While I wanted to meet the creator of this canvas; was He also trying to speak to me?

Next morning, I was refreshed and rejuvenated not for our next destination but for life for I had seen the face of God!!