Travel

Neelu complained her husband, "I repeatedly keep on asking you to take me for pilgrimage, but you never pay heed to it. Look at my friend's. How lucky they are! Ther husbands take them to so many places round the year."

Naresh said "Ok,ok I, will soon make a plan, now stop all this old raga."

After few days Naresh made arrangements for the pilgrimage and happily, they left for Shri Badrinath dham. Neelu's dream caavelme true. During entire journey she kept singing bhajans, imaging about bathing in holi rivers, the Alaknanda,the Ganga,the Yamuna and the Mandakini. How her sins would wash away, and she will attain Moksha.

When they reached there, they were mesmerized. Located at a height of 11,500 feet above the sea level Shri Badrinathdham, magnificent sight to behold!

It was a pleasant sunny morning. They booked a room and left the luggage and taking their clothes went for the dip in the holy rivers. After having a bath, they went for Darshan. Here the pilgrim's entry is regulated according. to allocated time. They entered the temple, made a devotional offering to the deity and sought God's blessing.

By the time they felt hungry and took brunch and

sat out for sight-seeing. Joshimath ,Auli, Adi badri, Bhimpur, Valley of flowers and Goovindghat. How four days passed they did not realize. They packed bags and made for the station.

Their train was little late, so they spread a mat on the floor and then Neelu heard someone asking something. She turned and saw a girl of ten or twelve years old, asking, "has the train for Delhi left?"

Neelu said, "No, it has not.", the girl sat near them. After some time, the girl got up and checked taps for water. But there was not a drop of water.

Neelu told her to buy water. Then she looked blank and sat silently. Neelu understood. She gave her ten rupees to buy water. She was so happy she bought a bottle of water and drank to her hearts content.

Neelu asked her in where she lived in Delhi. She said in Pritampura but did not remember exact location.

Neelu sat there thinking only about that girl. How would she travel alone so far, what if she failed to locate her house? And these thoughts made her restless. She could not share anything with her husband. He might scold her and ask her to mind her own business.

In the meantime, both the trains arrived.Neelu made the girl board the train for Delhi and safely made her sit near the window. Naresh asked Neelu to board her train because it was about to move. Both of them boarded the train. The started moving. The girl was looking at Neelu. Neelu's eyes were filled with tears, both waved hands at each other and then Neelu got up from her seat pulled the emergency chain. The train stopped. she gripped her luggage and holding her husband's hand boarded the train that was leaving for Delhi. Entering the compartment, she hugged the girl. The girl felt relieved and Neelu's face was shing with the firm decision that she had made. 

She was thinking that if she was able to help the girl meet her mom in Delhi that would be her real pilgrimage.

After leaving the girl safely, they started for their destination. Neelu was watching the trees running in the opposite direction. Her face reflecting satisfaction.