Kel was excited about going to Rishikesh. She had spent numerous years of her childhood days in Rishikesh since it was so close to her home. Her Dad would take them there on holidays and they would attend the Holy Ganga Arti in the evening which was a spectacle to behold as the night approached by the riverside. She had found much inner peace and happiness just by sitting beside the holy River Ganga and watch her flow by. She had always yearned to get an opportunity to go there again whenever she got the opportunity. Besides, it had been a full year since her academic session started and she had not met her family.

She would get to meet her parents and her little sister Rosy. But this time there was a different purpose to make them meet the love of her life, Phil. Yes, she had told Rosy about Phil but her parents did not know. So she would need to inform them beforehand of her plans. She picked up the phone and dialed her Mother’s number. Her mother picked up the phone and said Hello Kel How are you? Kel said Mother I am fine to listen I have something good to tell you. I am going to Rishikesh with a friend in two weeks’ time and I will stop by our home on the way is that fine she asked. Her mother asked expectantly Who is this friend you are coming with?  Kel replied Maa he studies with me in the same department and he had a dream of a sage who has asked him to come to Rishikesh for an important work which I can’t tell you over the phone, however, will tell you once I reach Dehradun okay. I will let you know once we have the travel dates and bookings done.

Journey to Dehradun and Rishikesh

Phil asked Kel how she traveled to her home in Dehradun during the morning breakfast in the canteen. Kel said she usually took a cheap flight from Mumbai to Delhi and then from there she either took a bus or a train. The bus was direct to Dehradun or Rishikesh but the train went only up to Haridwar and then they would need to take the bus again. Usually, the train took 4 hours if it was not late and the bus took 5 hours however it would take anything from 6 to 7 hours during winters due to heavy fog in the area. You decide how you want to travel this is your trip I am just tagging along with you.

He researched online and got a website that was offering cheap flight tickets to Delhi from Mumbai almost the same cost of a train ticket. So he decided to book the flight tickets for both himself and Kel. He then searched for bus routes and found that there were buses plying every hour from Delhi to Dehradun so there was no reservation required. Kel had told him that they had to stop over at her home in Dehradun on the way to Rishikesh so that she could introduce him to his parents.

He then looked for some tour operators in Rishikesh and found many of them online who gave them a good reasonable five-day package which included activities like trekking, river rafting, religious trips, and budget accommodation for two. He made the payments for all the reservations through online banking using his debit card.

After all the reservations were done he called up Kel and told her the dates and other details of the reservations made. Kel was happy and she called up and told her mother on the plans when they were going to arrive in Dehradun.

On the last day of their academic session at their institute, Kel got up early and started packing her bags. She had received a call from her sister a few days back on what to bring with her from Bombay. She had shopped for all the things her mother and sister had asked for. She had also bought some clothes for her father which she was sure he would like. All the stuff needed to be packed and she had it out on her bed.

Phil had much simpler baggage just his clothes and toiletries and his trekking and mountaineering equipment to accompany him. He also remembered to keep his mouth organ which Kel loved to listen to when they were alone. he would play Kel’s favorite songs and she would listen to him for hours just placing her head on his shoulders. How could he forget these important things?

They called for a taxi to the Bombay airport and then caught the flight to Delhi which was on time. It took them around 3 hours to reach the airport and 2 hours to reach Delhi. After arriving in Delhi they took a cab to the Kashmiri gate bus station to catch a bus to Dehradun.

After reaching the bus station they got a Volvo a/c bus as it was hot in March in Delhi. Kel listened to music most of the journey which she had on her mobile while Phil watched the scenery as he had never been to this part of India before, They reached Dehradun in 9 hours of eventless travel.  They were tired of sitting in the bus for so long.

Kel’s father and sister had come to the Dehradun bus stand to pick up both of them. Kel introduced Phil to him and her sister there. After reaching Kel’s home Kel introduced Phil to her mother. Since they were tired both of them took a bath to refresh themselves and then ate sumptuous breakfast that Kel’s mother had cooked for them.

After breakfast since Phil was feeling sleepy from the overnight journey, he said he would take a nap and then look around Dehradun.

After he woke up, Kel took Phil around Dehradun as she had grown up in this city and wanted to show the places which were close to her heart.

Kel pulled out her scooter which her father had bought for her when she had joined graduation to commute to her local college. She took Phil to the local Sunday Market since it was a Sunday to let him taste the delicious smacking Street food known as Chaat in India. They enjoyed the Panipuri and other savories there. She then took Phil around the Rajpur Road and showed him the famous clock tower. Dehradun was the capital of the state of Uttarakhand and Rajpur road was like the mini version of Bandra Street in this hilly town. They enjoyed eating at the popular restaurant and had their hearts fill while enjoying each other’s company. Kel reminded Phil that they needed to sleep early today so that they could leave for Rishikesh the next day morning.

Day 1: Camping beside the Ganga

The shrill sound of Kel’s alarm clock woke Phil up the next day morning, It was very early in Dehradun 5 AM and a light haze had covered the city from the Himalayas above. Kel was already up as she had to prepare breakfast since her mother was old and not feeling well. She liked Chinese food and enjoyed cooking Chowmein Bombay street style. Which she made for their morning breakfast for their journey towards Rishikesh. They had hired a taxi last night and the driver was waiting outside for them. Phil got up and took a hot water bath and was feeling refreshed after the heavy home food which Kel’s mother had cooked last night.

They boarded the cab and started for Rishikesh after bidding farewell to Kel’s parents and sister who were very pleased that they had got to meet Kel after almost a year. They were happy that Kel had found a life partner with whom she was truly in love. Phil could see the meandering hilly road and the view on the left side of the car window showed the mountain range known as Doon valley on the foothills of the Himalayas. Since it was early morning there was a light mist that had engulfed the entire region o the foothills. He asked the driver as to when the haze would clear and the drive replied it usually takes up to 11 AM some days even noon to clear. It all depended on the snowfall in the upper regions of the Himalayas. If there was heavy snowfall happening then the haze would almost hang there for longer during the day.

 Phil asked Kel on the way where will find the sage in this huge Himalayan mountain range? How do we get to him? Where is that cave that I saw in my dream? How will I locate it? to which Kel gave an altruistic reply If you are part of a grand plan the things will unfold to you by themselves. Have faith and watch for signs as they unfold.

They reached Rishikesh by 7:30 AM and located the tour operator with whom they had booked their 5-day tour package. the first day according to the schedule sent by the operator was to establish a camp beside River Ganga at a site which was a few kilometers from Rishikesh, They got down at the address given by the tour operator where a pickup jeep was waiting for them to go to the campsite.

The campsite was in a place named Shivpuri in Rishikesh. They could see three rows of temporary tents besides Holy river Ganga. They were given a tent as they had opted to stay in a single tent together. Kel decided this as she did not feel very secure sleeping alone in a tent beside the wilderness. Phil put his trekking and mountaineering equipment inside the tent and put his and Kel’s baggage also inside it. They then came out to drink tea which was being served to all those who had occupied the other tents or were their camp-mates. There was a makeshift arrangement for bathrooms too inside the campsite.

They drank tea together and looked around and saw a small stream of holy river Ganga flowing nearby. Ganga during the summers flows in a small stream here said the campsite organizer. During rains, the level rises and this campsite goes underwater so we don’t do any camping during the rainy season.

It was almost mid-day and the sun was looking down the doon valley mountains and soaking everyone in its hot energy. Phil had lived in a tent before but it was his own small tent that he used to carry. This was the first time when he was staying in a lifesize tent camp. The camp had a makeshift volleyball court and a cricket pitch as well for the campers to play during the evenings. There was also a bonfire site which the campsite organizer was showing them around the campsite. They were shown the designated spots in the river where they were allowed to take a dip and bathe as the Ganga was very deep and dangerous at some places. the camp organizer also told them that their morning would start with a meditation session besides the Ganga and would be of ½ hour duration at exactly 6:00 AM every day so they need to get ready before that.

Kel and Phil liked the camp and the freedom that it brought to them and also that they were able to be together with each other.

The Lunch was served in a makeshift camp nearby with a small Indian buffet spread. Kel did not like it much as it was very spicy for her. the lentils and curry had more chili than usual for her to digest. She also missed Noodles which the camp organizer assured them would be served in the evening.

After lunch, they rested for some time, and then it was time to play volleyball. Kel and Phil were in the opposite teams and they enjoyed playing with their campmates. they got introduced to others and only 3 of them were from Bombay some of them from Bangalore and Chennai and most of them from Delhi as it was nearby. some of them were second-timers to the camp as they had been here and liked it very much. Two of them had been to a different campsite however they heard good things about this camp and came here this year to try it out.

The Sun was setting beside the Ganges and it was a lovely scene to behold. Kel and Phil strolled along the river bed soaking in the sunlight with their hands wrapped around each other. They were truly enjoying each other as they felt a strong bond with each other which went beyond the physical touch. the feeling of bliss and peace had enveloped them in the beautiful serene environment of the campsite. They walked together for a long time talking about their friendship and looking into the future aspirations that each of them had after completing the course at their institute.

Like all final year students of the BIFR, Phil already had a job offer for continuing his research from a prestigious institute in Canada. Kel had also got an offer from an institute in Singapore Observatory. IF they pursued these offers then they would have to part ways and that is what they were discussing to make sense of how they could be together. Kel said she could give up the Singapore offer if Phil took up the Europe institute’s offer which was more lucrative. they could get married and then she could try to get a job in that country after moving there.

The sun had set in the valley and there was night in the campsite. There was ample arrangement of lights where they were staying and they had brought their torches in case they needed them. It was time for a bonfire and there was strictly no alcohol policy in Rishikesh as the local government did not tolerate any violation of making the Holy river Ganga impure. Tea and snacks were served as they all sang songs with the group. After a while, Kel and Phil moved out of the bonfire group and were again together. They felt very comfortable in each other’s company and would yearn to be together as cupid was doing its love play in their hearts.

They sat at the river beach and let the voice of the river flowing down and making gurgling sounds and a sudden swish here and there. The camp organizer called out to everyone for dinner and they all assembled for it. True to their word Kel was able to eat chowmein this time and liked it very much. Since they were sharing a tent they moved on and started to prepare for getting sleep to prepare for the next day which would involve trekking.

Day 2: Trekking

Phil was reading a book gifted by Kel Prediction Secrets by Puneet Mathur as he wanted to understand what was occult science all about and was it really possible to predict future events in life? His interest in this field had increased after the dream that he had about a month back.

Inside the tent, it was getting cold as the night had enveloped the campsite. Phil was reading the book under a solar lantern which was charged during the day and Kel said let us go to sleep otherwise we will wake up tired from the trekking tomorrow. Phil said yes there is backpacking to do for tomorrow’s trek and they were going to go to two waterfalls the Patna waterfall which was near a village and another which is was in the wilderness Neer waterfall. Both those trekking trips would take a good part of their afternoon and then they would return back in the evening to the campsite. There were emergency things that Phil would always take with him in his backpack

They woke up to a misty morning beside the gently flowing water of the holy river Ganga. Phil and Kel woke up lazily and quickly finished their morning chores only to be greeted by the camps meditation instructor who had come from a nearby ashram in Rishikesh. They followed the meditation instructions with the other members in their group and felt refreshed. There is something about this place Phil thought it gives such an immense peace inside just to close your eyes and sit quietly was relaxing.

After the meditation session, they went to their tent and Phil asked Kel How will we find the sage amongst all these nature walk and sessions? I am not doing anything to search him actually and am following a routine set by the camp organizers. Kel said let us think about it after the mountain climbing session was done tomorrow.

Phil went to have his dip in the holy river Ganga and Kel followed taking her towel along with her. They soaked in the greenish-blue water with the understanding that this had the effect of washing away sins done in a past life. Kel said I am feeling very clean and refreshed as if a mound of heaviness has been lifted off me coming out of the water.

Phil had his own hiking checklist which he used whenever he put his backpack together and that is what he was doing now as well. He put together his hiking boots which he had also bought for Kel in Bombay. He checked in his backpack if he had a map, compass, altimeter, GPS device, a headlamp with batteries, he could need this if the trekking involved a heavy forestation area where even in daylight there was hardly any sunlight coming down the trees. he looked for two pairs of extra batteries which he may need in an emergency. His headlamp and sunscreen were also there in his backpack.

 He had bandages, and insect repellents surprisingly he was an insect magnet, unlike Kel who rarely got an insect bite while trekking. He had also kept a knife in case he needed it to cut some shrubs or a rope.

Phil had plenty of match stick packets both for himself and Kel just in case they needed them in an emergency. Kel had ensured he got rid of his smoking habit 3 years back during their 5-year learning stint at the BIFR. He was also carrying biscuit packets and energy bars for a quick snack and had plenty of them to last him a few days if he had to thrive on them. He also packed an extra pair of clothing in case he got wet or they got torn during the trekking. Kel’s backpack was almost a replica of Phil’s backpack apart from her toiletry items and clothes.

The tour operator called out to everyone in the camp and they all assembled to get in the bus which would take them to the first trekking site of Patna waterfall.

It took them about 2 hours of a road trip to reach the site from their base campsite. The tour operator explained the safety instructions to the group and asked them to follow in a narrow line and not stop doing adventurous things like taking selfies and risk their lives. They were going to get through a trail which sometimes had wild boar and leopard spots as well and it would take them as a group not more than 2 hours to come back.

Kel and Phil stuck together with Kel giggling occasionally as she was enjoying the greenery and company of Phil at the same time. The trail was rocky sometimes and had water streams flowing along with it sometimes. There were at other times steep rocky climbs which made the trekking even more interesting. Phil gave Kel a stick which he found along the way so that she could hold on to it whenever there was a steep climb.

The Patna waterfall was just 7 kilometers from Lakshman Jhula the main bridge attraction of Rishikesh. It was a sight to behold. The water was falling from at least a distance of a few hundreds of feet right into a small pond which had been created around where the water was falling down. You could just sit in that pool of water and enjoy it all day long in summers under the sun. They both bathed in the light stream of the waterfall and Kel threw some water from the pool of water onto Phil to tease him to which Phil replied back by throwing more water back at her. they went about laughing around the pool as the people in the group watched and enjoyed a couple has fun. They came out of the waterfall after some time and changed their clothes in the shrubs nearby as there were no toilets in the wilderness.

They saw a Tea stall near the waterfall and immediately went to get tea for themselves as did other people in the trekking group. The tea and snacks refreshed them and then the group started its journey back to the trekking starting point to catch the bus for their next destination. As they reached the bus there were three young boys who were found missing by the trekking organizer and he called out to the group to check if they had seen them? to which some folks replied they had seen them take a selfie and maybe that is why they had got delayed. The tour organizer started cursing them and his stars saying why does it have to happen on his trips and that folks do not listen to instructions. He went back on the trail to search for them and found them along the way coming back. They said they had lost the way while looking for another waterfall stream which they found flowing down.

The trekking group reached the starting point of Neer waterfalls and the driver said we would go for lunch after this trekking. There was a fee for entry to the waterfall as it was maintained by the Forest department and the tour organizer had bought tickets for the entire group.

As the group entered the waterfall campus they saw many visitors returning back and there was a semi-tar road that was curving down as they went along like any other mountain road. they had to walk quite a bit and reached a place where they saw makeshift small restaurant selling tea, Maggi noodles, and packaged snacks. Kel said to Phil I am going to have Noodles when we return back.

The tar road ended at a dirt track which was also had curve ends lead to a spot where the tour operator asked them to climb the rocky terrain. Yes, it had stepping stones but was very rocky so if you did not have good shoes you would most likely slip and not able to climb. The climb was sharp and it immediately gave the view of the beautiful waterfall when it ended. The waterfall was actually many streams of water flowing down from the rocks and to their wonder, there were red plastic tables and chairs to sit right in the middle of the waterfall pool. The invigorating and refreshing sound of water gurgling its way down the rocks was enough to cheer everyone after the long walk.

There was also a bridge much ahead that Kel and Phil could see full of tourists walking through it to the other end and they decided to climb to it. The bridge opened a magnificent view to the mainstream of the waterfall. It had a pool of green water which was shallow and they both waded through it as they were wearing Bermuda’s which would not get wet. They did not go to bathe in the waterfall as they had only a single piece of clothing and they had changed into them in the last waterfall. They liked the Neer waterfall more than the Patna waterfall as this had more beautiful scenery to offer. they took a couple of selfies around the place where the water was falling on the rocks.

There were other people in the group who wanted to go to the 2^nd waterfall and so they hopped along to find another spectacular stream flowing with crystal clear water. they saw some empty stools placed in the shallow pool of water and sat there and washed their mouths and feet to refresh themselves.

The group then moved to the 3^rd waterfall however Kel and Phil decided they would stay here and return back to the bus after some time. Phil said soaking in the serene clean environment how clean and green this place is very much like our campus. Pity our campus does not have a waterfall like this and also the flora and fauna here are so different the trees and shrubs are so different from our campus. Kel agreed and picked up a few pebbles to keep with her from the water flowing beneath her lovely feet.

They moved back to the bus reluctantly as this was so different from the busy life of Bombay and had made them forget their daily life on the campus and all worries of which job offers to accept. Phil told Kel I am going to use one of the techniques given in the book Prediction Secrets to decide which the best job offer is for us. What do you think will it work? Yes, I think it will bring you more clarity said Kel. Why don’t you use those techniques to do predictions to find out when and how we will find the sage? Good Idea said Phil that is the only thing that I can do now. But you know I have turned into a believer due to your influence. My scientific instincts warn me not to delve into these subjects. But I am getting over this inner conflict with your help. let us see what the prediction results say for us. I will do it at sunrise tomorrow morning and what better place than beside the holy river Ganga to seek answers from the unknown. Kel was satisfied that this was going the way she had wanted it to be.

After returning to the camp Kel went on for a nap as she was damn tired after the trekking expedition. Phil also took lunch and then took a nap to wake up by the camp organizer to assemble for a bonfire as the evening was approaching. Kel asked Phil to go as she needed more rest and was not in the mood.

Phil got on with the bonfire group there were fewer people today as many were resting and some of them were sitting by the river shore and having fun. Phil took to reading in the tent the book Prediction Secrets and wanted to understand it fully in order to select the right techniques and the questions to be asked the next day morning. He felt there was someone up there guiding him to this otherwise a non-believer like him would never take to prediction for a major decision in his life. Let us give it a try and see if it works as the author says in the book. Kel woke up before dinner and asked Phil Did you choose a technique and did you have questions ready for the prediction the next day morning? Phil said yes he had selected a very easy prediction technique Indian Chit system and a coin flip technique which did not require any special apparatus in order to be done. these techniques were also suited for the kind of questions that he had to ask.

Day 3: Mountain Climbing

It was drizzling cold and foggy the next day morning and all of Phil’s plans to do a prediction had gone for a toss. Nature is so unpredictable, maybe I should have predicted yesterday if I would be able to do a prediction today or not said Phil sarcastically. Kel said don’t worry you can do this tomorrow morning as well. But I feel if you want to meet the sage we should stop following the camp’s schedule and do some work ourselves. We could go around Rishikesh and find some things about any saints sitting in caves. One guy in the group was saying there is a Vashishtha cave where he is still meditating was it Sage Vashishtha in your dreams we need to find out. For that we will have to visit it on our own we can’t tell the camp people about it she said. Phil agreed and added let us follow today’s routine or mountain climbing as it was also a scene of my dream that I saw. Who knows I may get to meet the sage today!

They got ready and ate breakfast to find that there was a bus ready to pick them up for taking them to the mountain climbing site. There were only a handful of people going for the event today as not all of them had the mountain climbing gear or experience to go there. The rest of them would stay back and do river rafting and other activities near the campsite.

Phil had been doing mountain climbing for the last 4 years and had mostly done it in the state of Maharashtra. this was his first time here in Uttarakhand. There was another person on the mountain climbing group who had been to Uttarakhand before. The bus took them to a village known as Kyarki village near Rishikesh. The tour organizer told them they would have to trek about 2 hours to reach the mountain where the climbing would actually happen. it was a small hillock of a few hundred feet that needed to be climbed.

They got a nice view of Rishikesh city as they were hiking towards their mountain climbing destination. The organizer told them the villagers had abandoned this path long back as it was quite treacherous and had taken another one. But experienced mountain climbers still used this for the thrill it provided. At one point they could see the complete River Ganga and a bird’s eye view of Rishikesh city. The tour guide took them to another route than going to Neer village where they had gone yesterday and it took them another 1 hour of trekking to reach a rocky mountain which must be about 400 feet in height. There was a light haze that could be seen as they looked down the hills and the Doon valley hills. The tour organizer told them that this rock mountain was classified as 5.9A which means they needed rope support to climb. The ascent was pretty steep they could see that. The good thing was that the terrain had small protruding rocks which would provide good stepping stones as they went up.

Phil and others took out their climbing gear which included anchor ropes to hook on to a rock and then make a climb upwards. Phil put safety latches around himself and Kel and tied a rope around themselves so that they could be safe in case there was a fall. Phil said to the group that he would start the ascent first and others said they would wait. Phil threw the anchor first for himself and then for Kel. It took him quite a few throws to get the spider firmly catch up in a rock crevice above. Once both the ropes were secured he tied the dangling safety rope to the safety catch in Kel’s waist and then in his waist. Now they were secured. It was time to climb up.

Phil started and Kel did after him. The ascent was difficult as it was almost a 90-degree angle. Initially, when Kel was climbing she stepped on some loose stones which came out due to the impact of her rubber shoe and she immediately dropped down but the safety latch made her hang in the air. Phil came down and pulled Kel towards the mountain rock and made her firmly step on a firm stone.

They ascended to the peak in about 50 minutes and were exhausted after reaching the top. But the view they got to see was breathtaking and was worth the effort they had put in. Phil took out his phone to take some selfies and videos to show when they returned back to their campus. He remembered the sage in his dream and told Kel there is no sign of him yet I don’t know where will I find him. Kel showed him the 13 storied temple below which was visible from where they stood and said I want to visit the holy temples there and make a prayer which I think should materialize your dream. Phil said okay let us now descend and make way for others as they were waiting,

Kel climbed down first this time she was careful not to step on loose stones and was watching each step not to make a mistake. Phil followed her and came down as well.

They came back to their campsite in the evening and were dead tired. They showed the photos of their small expedition to others at the campsite who had not gone for the session. Kel asked Phil to enquire if they could go to temples tomorrow and not do the camp activities. The camp organizer agreed and said he would arrange a taxi which would cost them actuals for the next day. The taxi would be there around 10 AM to pick them up and take them around the main temples of Rishikesh. Phil thanked them and they both went to take a rest.

Phil made preparations in his tent for making a prediction for tomorrow and told the tour organizer not to disturb him for the meditation session tomorrow. As they were about to sleep Phil held Kel closely in his arms as if telling her she was looking very beautiful. Not now told Kel reading his mind you know I am a traditional girl with traditional beliefs.

Day 4 Religious visits

Phil woke up early on the 4^th day of their trip to Rishikesh and took a dip in the holy river Ganga. the water was very cold and there was a haze in the morning on the bank of Ganga. There was no sign of rain and Phil thought this was a good sign. He had prepared questions that he wanted to ask for this prediction session. It was just about sunrise time and he selected a quiet spot on the river shore to do his prediction. he had all the three books of volume series Prediction Secrets by his side to have a look at the results of the prediction. He was going to use two techniques the Indian Parchi System and Indian 3 numbers techniques for getting answers to his questions. His first question was “Will I get to meet the sage of my dreams on this trip to Rishikesh?” he had cut out two chits one with the answer “Yes” and another with the answer “No” written across them.

He did his prayer and folded the chit papers and then closed his eyes to pick up the piece of paper with the answer. The answer he picked up was “Yes”.

He then had another question on his Job offers for which he had received so far he had two offers and wanted to know if he could take up the one from the European Institue for Advanced Research and what would be the result. He had purified the 9 coins required for making the prediction by dipping them in the holy water of Ganga when he took the bath. The coins were of the same denomination of Indian currency 1 rupee.

He threw them thrice in a sequence to get three numbers. In the first throw on the cloth in front of him, he got only 1 coin with heads up so he noted down the number. In the second throw, he got the result for the present with three heads up and he again noted down the number three. In the third throw, one of the coins got stray and rolled out of the cloth. So he prayed again and threw the coins again and got the number 9 all heads up. he then opened the book Prediction Secrets and read the result for the prediction as follows: 1 meant that he was partially successful in the past. This was true because the institute had approached him 6 months back and they were not able to give him a job offer at that time. For the present, the number that had come up was 3 which meant Success. He had successfully got the offer. Now he was curious about the future and that was what the prediction was all about how would it span out in the future. The number he had got was 9 which meant excellent success. He was thrilled and showed Kel who was sitting beside him on what the prediction had revealed. They both thanked the Gods who helped them in the prediction and then joined the group for having breakfast.

The taxi driver arrived at their campsite on time and they started for Vashishtha cave. Legend had it that Sage Vashishtha had got self-realization in this cave and that there were some yogis meditating in the caves nearby. It had been three years since Kel and Phil had been meditating and they had felt quite peaceful after adopting it in their everyday lives. Now it was time to do it in a holy cave. It took them an hour’s time to reach the cave from the campsite. Once they arrived they first went to the rocky shore which was in front of the caves and then moved towards the cave. They could see there was nobody there in the cave compound. However, there was a dark door where on the gate was written Vashishtha cave and that is how they understood this was the entrance.

It was really dark inside the cave and their eyes took a few minutes before they got adjusted to the darkness. They could see an idol in the far left corner and on the right they saw a shiva linga. There was a priest who was doing a prayer routine on the shiv linga by pouring water and other ingredients. He gestured to them to sit down and they could see there was nobody else in the cave apart from them at that time. So Kel and Phil put a woolen cloth on the ground and then sat down inside the cave. Immediately on closing their eyes they felt a feeling of peace and calm engulf them. Something that was indescribable but was relaxing their senses. They sat in that state for quite a long time oblivious of their surroundings with a couple of people who had come and left the cave. Phil prayed to the sage to guide him and appear before him if he was the one in his dreams.

It must have been a few hours when Phil opened his eyes and touched Kel who was still in a trance-like state to leave. They stood up and offered their prayers to the Shivlinga and the priest gave them some holy water to drink. They then asked for directions to the Jesus cave or Ishu or Isha cave and the priest told them it was at the backside of the cave. The winding path to the right would take them to that cave.

They came out and then took a right turn along the shore of the Ganga to reach the Ishu or Jesus cave. Legend had it that Jesus Christ had come to India and had meditated here to gain self-realization. They saw the cave was completely abandoned and there was nobody there. It was very rocky in comparison to the Vashishtha cave. There was carpet flooring which helped provide some cushion to their bare feet from the rocky path. They sat there in meditation for half an hour and then came back to their taxi to go to the next destination the 13 storied temples near Lakshman Jhula on the banks of the river.

No sign of sage here said Phil to Kel. He did not appear as he had in the dream inside the cave. Is this going to happen for real? I don’t know if we are doing the right thing by trotting to different places. Is this how we will find the sage? My mind is completely confused now. Kel said consoling Phil Sages will not appear before you if there are other people around. Because the connection is direct with you and not with other people. There were so many people visiting the cave how do you expect any miracles to happen there said Kel. Then this has to happen in a place that we have not thought of till now said Phil and how is it going to happen I am not getting any clues to it either. Kel retorted Yes I know it is kind of frustrating but you need to have faith and pray that we get to meet the sage of your dreams. We do not even know the name of the sage so we do not know if it was Vashishtha Sage or some other. I am sure our prayers will be answered. Phil agreed to let us pray in the 13 storied temples.

VISITING THE 13 STORIED TEMPLE.

The taxi dropped them at the Laxman Jhula circle for them to go to the 13 storied temples. They walked barefoot to the entrance and saw the magnificent view of the temple standing tall, right beside the fast-flowing holy riven Ganga. The structure of the temple looked modern as it spanned across the banks of the river in a rectangular shape and had boxed-shaped glass windows on each floor overlooking the river. The gentle breeze was blowing as the sun shone over the temple to highlight its multi-colors.

They entered the temple with a group headed by a tour guide and came to know about the legend and the stories behind the place know as Swarg Ashram or Heavens Abode which was connected to the ancient Pandava rulers and their quest to achieve heaven. There were thirteen floors and each provided with a picturesque view of Rishikesh. the best view they had was on the top floor where they could also see the mountain range on which they had climbed the other day. Phil stood there in front of the deity and prayed for a long time for providing guidance on how to meet the sage of his dreams.

Phil thought of asking the tour guide if he knew of any sages who were still meditating in the caves nearby. The tour guide looked at him in bewilderment but said yes there is one who is known as Monkey Baba who meditates in a cave. Phil asked for directions and he told them it was near Nai village. which was more than 15 kilometers from here.

After climbing down the steps from the 13 storied temple Phil came down and sat on the cement platform along with Kel. They were watching the Ganga flow with a heavy current in front of them. They decide to visit monkey baba as told by the tour guide. Phil asks his taxi driver if he knew of Monkey Baba near Nai village. The driver said he did not know but he went to a local tea stall to find out about it. He came back saying he knew how to reach there but we will need to ask the locals for directions to the cave to Monkey Baba.

They moved off Rishikesh into a dirt track taking them along the banks of River Ganga and then moved into a barren road that just had gravel on it for about 10 kilometers. The taxi reached a very small hamlet that had a few shops so the driver got down and asked for directions to the cave of the Monkey Baba. The locals gave him the directions and said it was further up about 2 kilometers from there.

They reached the end of the road which showed a small temple-like structure. Phil and Kel got out of the car and looked around and saw nobody sitting there. They saw there was a monkey tied near the temple structure in a cage. It was quite fat to look at and was well fed thought Kel.

They got into the temple and saw a few idols of Gods placed there. A priest was doing ritualistic prayers to the idols so they waited for him to finish. the priest was oblivious of their presence and continued his ritual for at least 15 minutes. Kel sat down near the wall and made a slight thud sound while placing her backpack on the floor. This startled the priest and he looked towards them. He quickly kept his things on the altar and offered the holy water which was a common tradition in Indian temples. After that, they asked the priest that they wanted to meet the monkey baba. To which the priest replied he was the Monkey baba. His looks were clean-shaven and he looked to Phil to be of not more than 50 years. So he again asked I want to meet the Monkey Baba who lives in a cave. The priest replied again saying he was the Monkey Baba and the cave was beside the temple entrance. He showed them the cave and they entered it. He switched on the lights so that they could have a look at it. Phil could see bats flying around and also he spotted a few rats running around the floor of the cave. He also saw some clothes hanging there along with some modern-day steel utensils and a bed on the floor for the Baba to sleep.

This did not look like the Sage of his dreams neither did the cave look familiar. Phil said I am disappointed I had high hopes that I would get to meet the sage. But neither is the person nor the cave that I am looking for. There is absolutely no resemblance to it at all. they thanked the Monkey Baba and then came back to the car. Now Phil was thinking it was afternoon already and they needed to get to their last destination for the day before sunset which was visiting the Neelkanth Mahadev temple. Maybe I get some guidance there. But I will surely pray there as well.

The legendary temple was more than 30 kilometers from Rishikesh and would take them about 2 hours for to reach there. So they decided to stop over at a popular restaurant known as Little Buddha Café to have food on the way.  Kel chose this café after reading the reviews on the internet and she wanted to taste the Buddha Green Delight dish at this café apart from another Chinese fare that they had.

They moved on towards the temple after taking a turn from the small Garuda temple and the journey by taxi took them to a winding dirt track as the temple was located on a hilltop. The road was bad and had a lot of bumps on the way apart from being a winding hill road it had big potholes enough to make a truck stand in there. It was faith that kept them going like other pilgrims. The scenery out of the car windows was good and they could see other mountains nearby with a lot of greenery around. they could occasionally catch a glimpse of River Ganga and her tributaries flowing through the Manikoota mountain range. Kel spotted a waterfall and asked the driver what it was and the driver said it was Kalighati waterfall.

They reached the temple complex and it was not crowded that day as it was a weekday. Usually, the crowds came on Sunday’s so they were in for some luck. As was the tradition they first went to the small water jet to wash their hands and feet before going inside to pray to the lord. Kel took some items for offering to the Lord Shiv so that the priest could offer them to him. They reached the main sanctum sanctorum of the temple in no time as there were only a few people ahead of them in the queue. Phil offered his prayer for getting guidance on how to get to the sage of his dreams.

After they had offered prayers to Lord Shiv here they came out and Phil sat in the footsteps of the temple. Kel went to buy some items for her Sister and Mother from the shops inside the temple campus. Phil was thinking tomorrow was the last day of their stay at Rishikesh and he had come with a lot of hope here based on a dream. he started thinking probably he was a fool to follow a dream and think that it would come true. Life was not lived based on dreams. probably he had to be more scientific in life and not turn out to be a dumbass.

Phil was lost in thought sitting on the stairs when it all happened in a flash of minutes. Just as he was lost in his thoughts with his head down there suddenly appeared an ascetic who was climbing the stairs where Phil was sitting and he was gazing at him from far as he neared him.

The ascetic came close and made his presence felt by touching his left arm and leaning down so that Phil could look in his face. He muttered in a soft but firm voice “Listen to your inner voice you will achieve what you seek”. The ascetic smiled at Phil and then quickly moved up the stairs to disappear in the crowds above. He quickly disappeared as he had come giving Phil no chance to follow him. Phil felt a strange sensation through his body as the ascetic had touched him and he could remember seeing that face which was brown in color but had a glow that told him this was not an ordinary person.

Kel came by while Phil stood up and was looking back to see if he could spot the ascetic in the crowd. He told Kel that he had been touched by an ascetic who had told him to listen to his inner voice. What did he mean by that he looked puzzled at Kel? Kel looked back at him and said maybe it means you need to meditate as that is what we do to listen to our inner voices. I am sure you will find the answer very soon. Okay, it is getting dark to let us go back to the campsite said Kel. They took the taxi back to the campsite and were able to reach it before the sunset.

Kel and Phil came back to their tent after the dinner and were watching a youtube video of a conference that had just happened in their institute. Their favorite Professor Mrs. Mohini Mridul was giving a lecture on astrophysics which they watched with all intent. They enthused over the lecture for some time,

Phil asked Kel what is the best time to do meditation and she said Sunrise is the best as Mother earth wakes up and there is a fresh flow of oxygen in the environment. So they decided Phil would meditate as the ascetic had told him in the morning to get the answer on how to meet the sage of his dreams. as he remembered the words of the ascetic “Listen to your inner voice you will achieve what you seek”. That is what he intended to do the next morning.

Day 5 Searching for Answers

It was a calm and peaceful morning in Rishikesh besides the quick and rapid Ganga flowing beside their campsite. Phil woke up with the sound of his alarm clock piercing his ears. Kel always argued with him not to use such shrill sounds for morning alarms. She reached out for the mobile alarm and shut it off with disgust banging the phone on the bed.

Phil woke up and completed his morning duties. He picked up the morning yoga mat from his tent and walked towards a quiet spot near a tree on the bank of River Ganga. He went to the holy river and sprinkled the water on his head three times to purify himself. He thought to himself he was going to use a technique taught by the Meditation center in Bombay to quickly calm his mind so that he could listen to the inner voice.

 They had taught him that the biggest hurdle to listening to the inner voice or consciousness or the soul talk as some people called it was the inability to silence the mind and then the true inner voice would be audible. It required years of practice and Phil had been practicing for more than 3 years now. It was his inner voice that had finally told him to come to Rishikesh in search of the Sage.

It took him about half an hour to silence all the thoughts and then when he reached a state of trance-like state he asked the question “Where do I search for the Sage that I was in my dreams?”. He sat quietly under the tree waiting for a sign or an answer and it happened all of a sudden when he saw before his mind’s eye that there was a waterfall which he had seen while going towards Neelkanth Mahadev temple. He had like a movie flashback the image of the waterfall and the cave come before him and he immediately understood that the path to reaching the sage was at this place on the river Ganga. He thanked his Inner Guru who was guiding him to accomplish the purpose of coming to Rishikesh and finished his meditation to go to meet Kel to tell her what he had found out from his Inner Vision.

Kel was already awake and waiting for him to come back. She was thinking of starting to pack things as this was the last day at the camp. Phil came to her excited and told her he had used the technique taught by the Bombay meditation group and was able to silence the mind. he asked the question to the Inner Guru or the soul and then he saw in a flash image of a waterfall they had seen on river Ganga while going to the temple yesterday, the waterfall he said was definitely the place we should target to go and I think we will find the sage there. But nobody spoke to me there was nobody speaking like an inner voice but an inner vision said Phil complaining to Kel. She said these are things that are not scientific okay so don’t try to apply your scientific temperament to them. Accept what is happening and we will reach our goal. Phil agreed that all this cannot be proven in a lab so it is better to accept and see if he can reach his immediate goal of reaching the waterfall.

People had started leaving the camp after breakfast which was south Indian fare and served hot. They told the camp coordinator that they would be leaving the camp and would shift to a hotel in Rishikesh if he could arrange for a good one. The coordinator was helpful and said he will arrange for a taxi and a good hotel within their budget.

They shifted to a resort that was right on the Neelkanth road and largely uninhabited inside the forest beside the river Ganga. They liked the place and asked the resort manager if they could rent a raft for few hours to go near the waterfall?

The resort owner told them about the charges and said these rafts were owned by them and they would provide an assistant who would help them go to the waterfall nearby.

After their sumptuous lunch consisting of a delectable 4-course buffet which had a lot of spicy Indian curries and local vegetables they rested for an hour and then asked the resort manager to get them the raft.

The raft arrived after an hour with the assistant as it brought back a couple of tourists who had gone by to enjoy the rapidly flowing waters. Phil had prepared a backpack with all emergency items such as a torchlight with extra batteries, food to last them at least a day, a first aid kit in case they got hurt, ropes for climbing in case they needed to amongst other things. He was very anxious and so was Kel as this trip would decide if they would be able to achieve their dream goal.

They both moved towards the river Ganga where the assistant guide was waiting for them in the raft. It was a beautiful Dark Blue colored raft with Water Adventure written all around it. The Guide was sitting at the back and would be the main person who would steer the raft with the help of the stern mount. It had several paddles for the guests to use in case they wanted to have fun steering the raft. They were given safety life jackets or personal flotation device or PFD and helmets to wear in case they encountered a raft collapse or an accident. This was a whitewater raft that had grab ropes on both sides for them to grab if the ride got bumpy. They got into the raft and put their feet firmly into the foot cups below to ensure they were not dislodged easily if a big river wave hit the raft. They had all security in place and their backpacks too with them as they hoped to find the cave and the sage.

Would they find the sage?