Chiiz – Volume 2 2017

Andaman Islands.
I embarked on my first solo trip on 12th
January 2015 and that day I realised how
rudimentary my idea of the term ‘living’
had been ever since I gained consciousness,
up until now.

The minute we entered Andaman airspace,
my sight shot out of the window. I held my
breath and my world stopped. I fell in love,
I fell in love with that place and it was the
first time I ever realised that apart from
people, one could fall sincerely in love with
places too. That thought took few minutes
to sink in my practical and pessimistic
mind.

Andaman welcomed a scared, skeptic, lost
girl from Delhi, with a warmth of a mother
and it ushered me with the sheer revelation
of what it meant to be alive. Suddenly it
dawned on me, all the beautiful texts, vivid
imagery, stupendous stories that I ever saw
and read about people’s travel tales, this was
how they were revelling in the pure ecstasy
of life all along. I was tripping on this newly
found drug that my mind immediately
registered and in turn pumped up my brain
chemicals to bolster this escapade.

In hindsight, those twelve days
metamorphosed me into a better version of
myself, like a new human update installed

by my processor. But now that I think of

it, at what moment did it exactly happen?

Was it a cumulative result of the series of

events which unfolded with each passing

moment of that journey? Did it happen

on that evening when the freshly painted

shamrock bench at the end of the pavement

comforted me with the breathtaking view

of the setting sun? Or did it happen during

that refreshing afternoon I spent devouring

delicious prawns under the sky with

nothing but the sound of blowing wind

creating a mesmerizing symphony for me

to make my meal more enjoyable? I still

d o n’t k n ow.

What I do know is that every street felt like

home and every person familiar. I found

myself in bits and pieces in the Islands I

visited, the sunsets I enjoyed, the travellers

I met, and the places I dusted with my

footprints. I connected to every narrow

passage and every passing picturesque

scenery. I found solace under the generous

shadow of ageing trees and met some

beautiful souls along the way.

It’s quite enthralling how a change in

horizon in your sight can literally change

the horizon of your perceived self, how

a place can make you weak in your knees

and wet your cheeks at the same time with

a smile on your face, how you can have

the most meaningful conversation with a

stranger knowing very well that you too

will share this intimate bond and then

shoot off to completely opposite directions

and most of all, it’s enthralling how these

events gets imprinted on your soul, forever.

Ever since then, I haven’t stopped. Even

though I have travelled to many places,

only a few of them being solo, I always

carry that discovered solitude within my

heart. I still see every new thing with the

vision of a child and experience the same

exhilaration on encountering beauty. I find

peace being with myself, contemplating

at natural and man-made marvels. I find

contentment in getting lost and discovering

unbeaten paths, off the map. Even if I’m not

able to create a luxurious life for myself in

the future, I’ll still be rich with my collected

tales and experiences.

My definition of ‘Travel’ has a spectrum

that reaches far out to the limits of this

world and myself.

One word, which upon embracing, can

set you on a path of self-discovery that’s

going to alter your physical, spiritual,

psychological, moral, and mental self.

Are you willing to find your own meaning

to it or are you going to wait for your ‘Push’

forever?

Breathing Serenity

Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO80

Raghav Khanna

New Delhi, India