ONE LONE STAR
It was my habit to venture out. Try new things, like once we got into trouble in Sikkim with one of my favourites Sanjoo (Now Lt Gen Sanjeev Kanal). But this incident happened in the deserts. People knew that I used to take long walks alone and love to be with nature. So this late evening, we were free while the major portion of the group was yet to fetch up. Everybody was busy setting up camp. We were also tired after a long journey. This part of the desert was not so lifeless, there were trees and shrubs at distances.
So I went walking. Enjoying the evening breeze. Till I reached a high dune with a sharp ledge. The site was beautiful with the sun that had just set beyond the horizon and was still colouring the sky with its hue. I sat on the warm sand as the wind blew, making it uneasy at the edge as if it would just give way. That creepy feeling below is good at times. And then I decided to let go. It was the best slide of my life, as I felt like a child being wshed down by an avalanche of soft sand. I could climb back up no more so tried talking a detour. It was dark I did not have a watch, and with all my knowledge of astronomy, I could only see the North Star. I could now measure the time lapsed but could not know the exact time. I had to return!
I knew people get lost in deserts, there was no other lights, no guidance and there were life threatening sidewinders too. I kept walking ... hours had passed but no camp in sight! It was past midnight surely. Then I got very tired and exhausted, my water bottle was almost empty. Gradually fear was gripping me, as all sorts of thoughts haunted me. Surely I wouldnt die ... but things could happen. I was lost.
After a lot of deliberation I decided to conserve my energy and sleep under a tree atop a dune till it was dawn. One on my bad nights that I ever had, desperately waiting for light. Everything was so silent dark and cold. But as people say that I can sleep anywhere and snore!
I got my morning tea with a "good morning saab"! Afterall I was sleeping so close to the perimeter of my camp position!
That's getting lost in the desert!
It was my habit to venture out. Try new things, like once we got into trouble in Sikkim with one of my favourites Sanjoo (Now Lt Gen Sanjeev Kanal). But this incident happened in the deserts. People knew that I used to take long walks alone and love to be with nature. So this late evening, we were free while the major portion of the group was yet to fetch up. Everybody was busy setting up camp. We were also tired after a long journey. This part of the desert was not so lifeless, there were trees and shrubs at distances.
So I went walking. Enjoying the evening breeze. Till I reached a high dune with a sharp ledge. The site was beautiful with the sun that had just set beyond the horizon and was still colouring the sky with its hue. I sat on the warm sand as the wind blew, making it uneasy at the edge as if it would just give way. That creepy feeling below is good at times. And then I decided to let go. It was the best slide of my life, as I felt like a child being wshed down by an avalanche of soft sand. I could climb back up no more so tried talking a detour. It was dark I did not have a watch, and with all my knowledge of astronomy, I could only see the North Star. I could now measure the time lapsed but could not know the exact time. I had to return!
I knew people get lost in deserts, there was no other lights, no guidance and there were life threatening sidewinders too. I kept walking ... hours had passed but no camp in sight! It was past midnight surely. Then I got very tired and exhausted, my water bottle was almost empty. Gradually fear was gripping me, as all sorts of thoughts haunted me. Surely I wouldnt die ... but things could happen. I was lost.
After a lot of deliberation I decided to conserve my energy and sleep under a tree atop a dune till it was dawn. One on my bad nights that I ever had, desperately waiting for light. Everything was so silent dark and cold. But as people say that I can sleep anywhere and snore!
I got my morning tea with a "good morning saab"! Afterall I was sleeping so close to the perimeter of my camp position!
That's getting lost in the desert!
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