We clambered into the buses at 5:30 am and despite the cribbing, waking up early seemed effortless on 29th February and it was fascinating to see everybody dressed so well and with a general bright and bushy-tailed demeanor. We were all five times more excited than we actually had been when we were first told that we were going to be travelling to Rishikesh with our classmates, excited enough (much to the amusement of our principal, Mr. Jaffar) to start playing loud music and singing at the top of our voices before our journey even commenced. We stopped on our way to have breakfast, albeit not at the usual 5-star type restaurant that we’d go to. But eating with friends on a sunny winter morning in a garden had its own charm. After a riveting seven hour long journey (with a few pit stops), we reached our destination and not only was our camp on a beach, but the best thing about this beach was that it had beautiful mountains as a backdrop. Like the gluttonous kids we are, we jumped at the sight of lunch after our long journey and couldn’t wait to get hold of the best tents with our best friends.
We were then introduced to the camp instructor, Mr. Partho, who later in our lives will be remembered as a great orator and one of the most adventurous people we have ever met. Sir first told us about the basic rules that we were to abide by during the camp and then we headed off to try out some kayaking. Every morning, we got accustomed to his cheery “Rise and shine, children!” followed by coffee/tea and cookies. The first time (for most of us) we were introduced to river rafting, which turned out to be one of the most exhilarating experiences of our teenage lives.
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Some of the best moments during rafting (despite being utterly scared) were stopping to have Maggi near the waterfalls and jumping into the ice-cold water without giving that crazy idea a second thought. Although, this was something we reconsidered when a certain 11th grader (we all know who) fell into a ‘grade 4’ rapid, but was pulled back immediately into the raft by his raft-mates. While swimming in the freezing water, ‘going with the flow’ was given the most literal meaning!
After the rafting, we also visited a village and came across hard lives that we had never seen before. Singing old Hindi songs whilst trekking on the hills made us feel like we were characters in a movie. The end of our days were usually marked by the concluding bonfire on the glittering sand under the silver moon, during which we shared stories, had mimicry sessions and our personal reflections.
Before we left for home, we had 15 emotional minutes to connect even more with the nature and to reminisce about our time there. To let our thoughts flow, Mr. Partho asked us to collect two pebbles each, one for ourselves and one for a friend and later, as we were assembled in the breakfast area, asked us to tell everyone why we had chosen those specific pebbles and companions. We sat there, in silence and tears of euphoria as we saw different sides of ourselves and our school-mates. Some turned out to be brave, some funny, some strong and some more tender hearted than we had ever imagined.
A hats off is in order: not only to our friends, but to our fantastic and exceedingly patient teachers who went on this unforgettable trip with us: Mr. Jaffar, Mrs. Aarti, Mr. Anil and Mrs. Indira, with whom we developed a sense of friendship.
We not only departed with memories, but came back home feeling like different people altogether. Whether over rapids that splashed into our faces or during long strenuous walks, the bonds that were created and strengthened are something that will be cherished forever.
Form 11
