Manali | Travel diaries part 4

Read what happened before this.

The bus journey is something that never excites me and to be honest, I hate traveling in the bus for hours. I can easily manage 2-3 hours of journey but, traveling for 8-9 hours was already making me a bit sick. nevertheless, it was around 11 pm. The temperature had already started to decrease. I grabbed my blanket, listening to bellyache by Billie Eilish and was staring outside the window. It was very dark, the mountains and the trees standing tough were trying to convey something to me. As the Himachal roads are one-way roads, I could only see the lights, coming from the vehicles from the front. Soon I realize that I was completely lost. The song that I was listening too, had no meaning for me, those beats that I loved the most, were something inaudible to me. It was just like someone is kicking my eardrums and I was just not ready to hear it. Soon I was just flowing from one thought to another and I don't know when I went to sleep. I could feel my body moving left and right, as and when the vehicle took a left turn and vice versa. There were a few times where I completely hit my forehead to the front seat this would usually happen when the bus driver had suddenly applied the breaks. later, after struggling for some hours, I opened my tiny eyes, around 3 am and tried to look outside the window. I saw that our bus wasn't moving anymore. I asked my friend and she told me that there was a landslide that happened a few meters ahead and it would take a few hours to sort everything out. At that moment I could only think and hope that no one is injured. I then glanced at my phone, for a while and sat near to my friends, as they were not able to sleep. We talked for a while and after 3-4 hours the road was cleared and we started moving towards Manali.

Around 9 am we took a halt for breakfast. I quickly brushed my teeth and quietly sat in the dining area. My body wasn't ready to gulp. So, I just laid my head on the table and rested for the next 15 minutes until my friends were having their breakfast. later, we board the bus. Now I was sitting in the front seat having the window seat with me. I grabbed my blanket, rested my head towards the window, and started gazing at the beautiful green mountains and the trees. My head vibrated as the bus moved and I slept hugging myself in that cozy weather. 

After a while, I opened my eyes and I was stunned to look outside, the view was so mesmerizing. I could see the mountains slightly covered with snow, meadows dancing with the wind, welcoming us. The clouds were looking like cotton candies and the sun was perfect. It was like I am inside a photograph. It was surreal. The bus then started to cross the dazzling beas river. The river was sparkling and bluish-green and the view was breathtaking. Every road turn was coming up with a new surprise, welcoming all the upcoming engineers into its arms. 

Even though I was born in Himachal, I had never experienced snowfall or touched the snow. like I have only touched the refrigerator ice and hailstones that too whenever I visit my hometown. So while on the bus, a moment came, when it started to snow. I was so happy to see the snow, I then opened my window and pulled my hand out, so I could catch one of those tiny diamonds. I caught one of them in my hand and looked at it, within seconds the snow melted. The wind was blowing fast and the weather was getting colder. So I thought of closing the window, it was stuck and was quite difficult to close. I pulled the window backward with all my force and I realize that I just broke my nail while closing it. So, I love my nails a lot, it takes a lot of time and nourishment to grow them. I just thought about my nail for 10 sec and after that, I forgot about it. I was so engaged with snow and was very happy like a little kid who receives sweets whenever he/she accomplish something. Watching snow was one of the accomplishments for me.

                                           

 After driving for an hour we reached our hotel around 12 pm, grabbed our bags, and went to the rooms that were allotted to us. We were staying in "Whistling pines". The interiors were on point and the view was panoramic. The mountains were covered with bedsheets of snow and the trees were standing high.

We were told to get some rest, as we had traveled the whole night and there was a DJ session scheduled for us in the night. So I took a warm shower and called my mom that I reached Manali. Me and my friends decided to go for a walk and also visit a mountain near to our hotel. I touched the snow over the leaves and took a few pictures. 

It was the time for the dance and my girl gang had already decided earlier that we will wear knee-length dresses. But looking at the weather I dropped the plan. The temperature was already negative. So, I didn't change my clothes and went as it is. I danced for a while and then went to the room and slept.