The precariousness of life

As the luxury Volvo bus raced up the Himalayas, I could see the powerful Beas River flowing away to the plains of the Punjab. Ahead of me were snow-covered peaks and to my right, a small barricade separating the road from a 300-metre cliff over the Beas. The blue waters of the mighty river were flowing as fast as the bus driver was driving in the other direction.


I’d be lying if I didn’t say the breath-taking ride was also scary. One mistake by the driver, one mistake by another driver coming from the opposite direction, one wrong turn or one little accident of nature and we would have fallen into the Beas to meet a painful death.

When the bus finally did reach the town of Manali, I was both happy and relieved. Seeing the reflection of the early morning sunlight on the snowy mountains helped me realise one thing. There is no sight in this wonderful country as beautiful or as glorious as that of sunlight on the Himalayan mountains, with a clear blue sky in the background adding to the array of colours. I have seen the backwaters of Kerala, the beaches of Goa and the bejewelled cities of Rajasthan, but I have to say that stunning as they are, they pale in comparison to the mighty Himalayas.