I was tired after a long day of mountain trekking. 

It was my first journey and I was already tired of being carried away in a backpack. I was just a six year old girl, who was being carried by a strong person on his back throughout the rough terrain and bumpy path.

My Mother's elder sister insisted on going to the temple situated on the top of a hill as her last wish. She loved me like her own daughter and decided to take me along with her.

I still remember the delicious food we had on the way. We had a plate of Rice and Dal and then carried on with our journey.

As I look back to my first journey, I realise that it was a beginning of a beautiful inner journey of my life too. After that experience, I always tried to look for the deep meaning behind the life changing moments, little beautiful moments or the so called coincidences which are also known as the Serendipity in life.

My first journey gave me some of the most valuable lessons of my life. It taught me that wherever I am or wherever I go in the later years of my life, I will always feel a deep connection with the mountains and our village Deity will always be there to protect me and guide me in my life.

My ancestors have lived in the mountains for centuries and I feel a deep connection with them through my soul as I am indebted to them for everything I call my own in this world. They gave me the identity of a mountain girl, a mountain daughter and a mountain writer.

My first journey on the hard terrain taught me that life gives us a bumpy ride but the view of the village Deity from top of the hill seemed to be ethereal. The clouds were covering almost all the hills and their peaks were barely visible to our eyes.

I was mesmerized by the sublime beauty of the hills and my heart never left that sight till date.

I lost my heart to the mighty mountains and I decided to be a mountain bride, marrying someone from the hills and I am glad that I fulfilled my promise.

My first journey gave a new direction to my life as well added a new meaning to the life of this little dark skinned malnourished girl with big saucer like eyes, who tried to suck the entire beauty around her in her first journey so that one day when she would become a writer, she would pour out all her experiences in the form of words, which would come straight from the heart of the flowing rivers and from the depth of the core of the mighty mountains.