Dare to shake hand with death???

By nature i m very adventrous,always seeking oppurtunities to do something new n apart(be it risky).But mind you sometime,being overadventrous cost you and it happened to me this summer while we were having vaccation time at IIT.
I would like you to read whole heartedly as every line of the post narrates my real hardtime experience and is not any imagination work.(as you will find in other's blog)
There was big exitement as vaccation was approaching,it was time to chill out after such a nasty mugging time(of two sems) at IIIT.I had planned all the activities (not involving any type of study work.....full time masti) that i was goin to do.As i reached home,there was shahi welcome at home and usual remarks from parants " he looks so lean and feeble".As it was pre-decided to have some adventure this time,i thought of making some good health.So,I joined gym for some 15 dys.
The journey started exactly on 1 june 2006,when i left Dehradun for Uttarkashi(Uttarkashi is some 150 kms from Dehradun to the north)where my Maternal Uncle lives.It was great feeling to be in a place after such a long time,where you spent your childhood days.I met my all near and dears and felt the glance of the time which i spent with them some years ago.After enjoying some 2-3 days ,i inform Mammaji of my plans to have some adventrous trip.My plan was to visit a plateau,Danda Devrana(as it is called in local language).It got a temple of Lord Shiva built there .It lacks any type of human settlemente as condition there are very tuff to cope up with.Only once a year people came from far places to visit the temple and it's a great celeberation time there. This plateau is in the lap of Himalaya,some 2500 m above sea-level.From my childhood i always heard about its beautifulness and legends dat God Shiva comes there for his meditation.So,now i wanted to end this curiosity and might be i am lucky to encounter the God there.
Though Mammaji didn't discourage me,but offer some better options."lets go to shimla or gangotri or vaishno-devi".But i was determined and keep on insisting and at last all was settled.We(Mammaji and me) were going to have an expedition.We packed all the necessary things with us and was ready for the departure.It was a 1 n 1/2 day jouney from our present location.We started at mid-noon,after having good breakfast.Our night was going to be spent at a cottage on halfway which is occassionally used by the travellers.
what kinda can you hope this journey?It was real ordeal for me.Initially,The wide enthusiasm in me make me to gallop like a horse on the steepy slopes of himalayas.But after a while,all faded,i was struggling to follow Mammji from behind.Trekking for 10 minutes and then resting for 20 minutes,we were now going this way.In the meanwhile while resting,I would adore the rich flaura n fauna,the thik dense devadar forest around,flowers of all kinds and shades diplaying all possible types of colours ,bird chirupping giving releif to your mind.Isn't it heaven?I wish to remain there forever with nothin to worry.(no C assignment to work with neither any class to attend).I often wonder why only we homosapiens develop such complications for us.At the developing stage like other beings,he was provided with such serene nature.and look where we endup and where other beings.We called this difference as brain(that we are supposed to possess).Infact,we damn species are the biggest fool of all,for we are destroying this motherly nature that created us.
I m not here to give any type of philosphy,let resume the trekking from resting phase.Meanwhile we had some refreshment.It realy gave some energy,and we started again ,me singing at high pitch the song"Mussafir hoon yaron,na ghar hai na thikana..."."Oops what a view" i yelled as i view around from a high rock.I never saw anythin of that kinda before.I took out my camera and stood on the top of the rock and started taking snpas from all angle of th place.Suddenly i heard some hissing sound.I turn around and try to inquire what it was.
"Ooh my goodness,what it is.....a biggggg k-k-kobra."I cried out stammeringly, with all power in my throat.The camera from my hand slipped in bewilderment and fell down,this made him more annoyed,as he was sleeping under the shade of the rock.What i got him was....a glimse of his huge body for 5 seconds.I never had seen such a snake in my life,even on television.I have seen many programmes of Discovery on snakes,but i would say there is no match for this species.He was a giant,2 times in length as compared to my height and in thickness it would measure to my thigh.Having look at its giant body,i thought it would be a python,but when i saw the head having a om mark on it,i got i am facing a giant kobra.The hissing sound as loud as someone taking breath,he was staring at me,for it was me who disturbed his sleep.In a flash,he could have raised his head and cought me.But i would say it a miracle,nothing of that kind happen,and it give me oppurtunity to save my life.In a flash,i make a big leap from the rock like a monkey and ran steadily without gasping for breath.After i realised,that i have ran quite far from the giant'place,i look around for Mammaji ,he was beside me,looking very tense.He did not saw that giant, and therefore asked what happened.When i told him about the giant kobra,he was in pure disbelief."Oh man you saw the Lord Shiva in disguise of a kobra."he said to me.Perhaps it may be,because snakes are never of that kinds.I wish i could have taken the snap of that giant,as aproof of my encounter with Lord shiva,but I was damn fool throwing my camera there.And it was far from my dream to go again there and pick up the camera and take the sanp of the sleeping giant.
We rested untill came into our senses.Mammaji asked me to forgot about the event as such events are common in jungle,but he was not aware of what i saw,since it was only me who witnessed it.I tried my best to forgot but every time the picture of hissing head of kobra came into my mind,a shivers run through my whole body.Without talking we trek ahead and after few minutes we reached the cottage.It was getting dark by now.We could saw a faint light comming from the cottage.I was happy to know that some travellers were already there to spent night.
The cottage had a a single room with a small kitchen and over it the thatched roof of bamboo.After having aquainted with them,we told them about our expedition.They warned it was not safe to go there these days,as weather was too bad and wild animals are roaming in open.These people were going back to their home with their herd of sheeps and goats which they carry after the rainy season to highhills,as at that time the pasture is found in abundant.I was feeling so hungry( so hungry that if IIT mess food was served,i could double my usual diet......u can guessed how hungry i was).We prepared common meal,which consist of rice,some kinda of dal,and no vegetable.I never realised how delicious a food could be,in that situation.After filling every inch of my stomach,I could saw the relief,as my hungerness faded.
As I was feeling weary,I took a shawl from my bag and went to sleep,there was no bed,a wooden plank was kept over the floor meant to be a luxurious bed for the travellers.After everyone finished with their meal,all were sitting in the room and were realting their experience to each other.I tried to make deaf ear to them but couldn't,one of them was narrating his encounter with a ghost while travelling in the night this way.I gave all type of condolescenses to myself to wipe out my fear,but all invain.In some circumstances you are compelled to believe the things at you dont't believe,it was one of those circumstance.Suddenly, i felt that i need to attend call by nature,it was hard to control.I woke up and asked Mammaji to company me.I took torch and went outside,other persons offer to company if we are afraid,but refused.I was cursing my stoamch to overeat.I searched a place to untidy.I was flashing torch around in fear.As i was flashing i got a glimpse of two bright dots of light some distance away.I thoght it some type of flying insects.But it was continuously glowing.I inquire what it was, so i went near(see my adventrous nature).I was some 5 feets away from the object,when i flashed torched on it."H-H-H-Help-p-p , a T-tigger-r-r.....Mammaji ,Mammaji..." i continuously yelled,dumbstruck at my place.I have never seen a tiger in my real life,his eyes shimmering like a lamp in the night .And again this horrifying figure was staring at me.His eyes were fixed at me and head steady up,makin growling sound.I don't know what to do,as if i forgot to run.But agian the same miracle happened,the tiger was in its place and made no movement.It was almost for 15 seconds that he and me was just staring at each other.As i return to my senses, i signalled my leg to run."run run run yogesh,you bloddy fool ,why you came to such a place."Iwas cursing myself.I didnt saw anything in my way just keep running towards the light comming from the cottage,behind me Mammaji yelling for me.Many times i fell down bruised my legs,but the fear to save my life make me to ignore all these.Hearing my crying all the people came outside and held me.I was panting heavily unable to answer any of their question.Some one of them bring water and gave to me.After few minutes,when i realised i am alive,i broke into a sudden laughter.Everyone was amazed at my behaviour,as if i have gone mad.I do only know how narrow escape was this,where i had shaked hand with the death and that too two times.
i couldn't slept all the night.Early in the morning i woke Mammaji and told him to return"i have enough of this Mammaji,i can't go ahead."Mammaji was also afraid for my well-being,so he gave his consent.So,we retraced our path,and my dream to visit the plateau remains a dream.When i told about my experiences at home,everyone was in disbelief.I don't have any proof to show them,even only wittnessee was I.
I often think how it happened to me and that too two times.May be it was an encounter with the Lord shiva .


Om Shanti Om.