The Lollipop Girl and The Black T-Shirts

Procrastination - Why do you deny my readers their basic right to enjoy this blog? Well, if you think you are tough, think again! I climbed the Chembra Peak, all the way! If I can do that, then I can do anything; and crushing you into oblivion is the first thing on the list.
"I know what my next post is going to be", these were my first words after I got back from the 3.5 km hill. Well, I have not been true to my word, but I am not going to go back on it either. Enjoy:

Lollipop girl - Do they call her that because she nearly tore the skin off her best friend over a lollipop? Or is it because she looks like one? A really tiny person, whose head might be the only visible part of her body. Well, she was just the lollipop girl before. And then, Chembra peak happened. Now we call her a champion!

They still laugh at what one of the guys said when he first started walking along the foot of the mountain, "Are you sure this is trekking? It looks more like strolling!" It didn't take him a long time to take the words back and gulp it in! As if with the press of a button the entire landscape transformed. The path became narrow, forcing us to move in a single file; the road was replaced by a bunch of rocks scattered on another bunch of rocks which made up the floor, often intervened by the roots of trees which fenced our paths, protruding themselves in awkward shapes every now and then! After every five steps we saw a steep incline, which would take everyone a while to figure out. None of them went alone. Groups of 2-6, holding each others' hands and pulling each other up the hill. Traversing that was... fun!

And lollipop girl did a jolly good job leading the way, bouncing along the crooked paths. While some of the less fit folks fought to catch their breath, our protagonist was gliding along, singing her favourite song, "Arikathayaaro, Paadunondo atho ente manasaano?" The scenery around them was magic, as the trees fencing the path slowly made way for really tall trees, a little waterfall on the way and giant rocks which made excellent spots for refreshing, and posing for photos. The view was simply spectacular, and the sun was kind upon them. Not beating on the trekkers, but gently showering upon them. She did sweat, but as each salty drop slid down her face, her lips twitched upwards. And then she laughed.

A chorus would join in. Slowly everybody got the hang of it. They all bounced along; getting into the rhythm of nature. And then like a magnificent climax, the scary steep bowed down and the trekkers were greeted by the most beautiful body of water in the world - the Heart Shaped Lake. Shoes were just tossed in the air and it took them great restraint, not to dive into the cool pond. Everybody bathed their legs in the blissfully cold water. Just lay back on the dry grass, open a packet of biscuit, have some glucose powder and stare at the water for a while. The trekkers earned it.

Ever seen those movies which go on and on, a joyful, musical, funny, romantic journey which gives you a great time in the theatre. And all of a sudden the word, 'Interval' appears on the screen. Only after that do you realize that the nerve wrecking, adrenaline pumping, roller coaster movie had just begun! "How many of you are going the rest of the hill" All the way to the top. Another 1.5 kms.

Some of them gave up. The others were like, "We climbed 2 kms already. It's just another Kilometer and a half! Let's do this thing" And the same guy said once again, "This is so much easier than before. More like a stroll."

The mountain was literally perpendicular and your thighs had to be built out of cement to ignore the pain. There was no more rocks, just sand. And long grass for meagre support. You never got the right footing. You placed your foot 2 metres ahead of you, and the sand down below pushed it back half a meter. You needed to pull yourself up with the help of the grass. But then again, your palm had to be made of carbon fibre to not get cut.

"Don't come along? It just gets worse!", two black shirts leading the way shouted.
"Well, if you can do it, why can't way?" Lollipop girl shouted back.

30 of them dragged themselves through hell. 10 of them couldn't get past the trailer - they retreated. "Well, if you can do it, why can't we?" was replaced by, "They couldn't do it, how can we?" The girl who ran up the first half of the hill, started to have her doubts. She was panting painfully. "What to do?" thoughts popped up. Inertia carried her forward a little more.

They reached a steady rock, Lollipop girl along with her companions. She stopped to think, "How high is this thing? How much more do I have to climb?" She began to wonder, "It keeps getting harder! I am starting to feel hungry." She began to doubt, "Getting down is going to be much harder! I don't think I can do it?"

"You guys move on. I am getting down. I am all out!" She announced. The lollipop face had shrunk, drenched in sweat, which no longer made her smile.
"Hey, you made it till here! Let's go a little more!" Her friends insisted
"No, I don't think I can."
"Come on, you can do it!"
"You don't understand. How will I get down now? It is too hard. I am a girl."

She convinced her friends, who moved on only to leave with her words. Not encouragement. Not consolation. Just words, "Being a girl is not a weakness!"

Lollipop girl stared downwards, but she couldn't start. Her feet wouldn't allow her to move downwards. Her heart was flying, all the way to the top of the hill. Her conscience wouldn't allow her to stop. Just like falling in love, the classic brain vs heart battle ensued. Reason fought emotion. Exhaustion fought ambition. She sat on the rock.

Cold winds blew her long hair over the mountains. Beads of sweat were wiped off in the graceful breeze. The scenery down below could never be penned down. The Heart Shaped Lake, shining down below! She could see the entire city from up there; the hills around her, the lush greenery and a few buildings peppered down below. The sight would make anybody exuberant!

"What are you doing over here?" Another fellow trekker approached her. There was another bunch of them racing up to the top.
"Thinking of going back."
"You made it till here. We will go a little more. Come along!"
"It is difficult!"
"Well, if they can do it, why can't we?" Two black shirts moved over the mountain

The climb resumed. The real journey began! Very soon lollipop girl realised that half way through was nowhere close. But she didn't take one step backwards. The group of 7 pushed themselves through the sand and grass. They didn't pull each other up. Enthusiasm did. The Black T-Shirts did!

Thighs muscles wear torn apart. Knees caps were knocked off. Fingers were slashed by the blades of grass. But nobody stopped moving. The pinnacle was so close, Yet so far! "No it isn't far! It is just there. We are almost there" Lollipop girl told herself. She re-assured the group. Nobody believed her. "We are nowhere close", everybody knew. But they moved on.

And no rocks threatened them. No climb intimidated them. They pushed along, chasing the Black T-Shirts. "We are almost there! We can do it" Lollipop girl announced! They doubted her. "Still a long way!"

The heart shape still shone in the distance. They were on top of the world. The breeze re-assured them. "We are almost there" Lollipop girl shouted. "Yes we are", they knew it.

Pulling themselves over the big black rock, greeted by the cheers of the Black T-Shirts and the brilliant forest on the other side of the mountain. She had made it. They had made it. And just for the filmy effect, Lollipop Girl was the first girl to touch the pinnacle!

"Being a girl is not a weakness"

Names were inscribed on the rocks. Pictures were captured and songs were sung. Some even dared to go, "Oppa Gangnam Style!" There was not one drop of pain in anybody's body. Just energy! There was no sweat, there was no exhaustion. Just cheers. Accomplishment! They did it!

Well, to be honest, getting down was twice as worse. They were hungry, and the slope was scary! It was hard to get the right footing and the sand was too slippery. But nothing was impossible. They had proven it. 11 of them! Anything could be conquered.

And all the trekkers, happily got back to the foot of the mountain, and from there travelled back to the hotel after a lavish dinner. A good night sleep after a splendid day.

Anything can be conquered.

Love