March 25
✨ It began with uncertainty — but ended with peace, wonder, and a reminder that sometimes... you just need to leave to find yourself.
We were stuck — mentally and emotionally both. Post-college chaos, future plans, never-ending to-do lists. It all got too much.
So one random evening — we booked it. A trip to Darjeeling and Sikkim. No long discussions. No detailed planning. Just a thought, "Let's go." And so we did.
We landed at Bagdogra Airport, and the moment we stepped out, the air felt different — lighter, colder, freer.
The taxi ride to Darjeeling was like a visual therapy session. Cone-shaped trees lined the winding roads like a painting we'd driven into. Hills rolled one after another, as if waving hello.
We found a cozy hotel and later ate at Glenary's, a colonial café from 1885, where time slowed down. The food was warm, the music mellow, and the wood-paneled walls felt like a hug.
We hired a taxi for sightseeing.
Peace Pagoda & Japanese Temple: The calm was infectious. White domes, prayer chants, and that rare silence that speaks louder than city noise.
Rangeet Valley Tea Garden: I had the best tea of my life. Sipping it, I looked over endless green — it felt like poetry in a cup.
Himalayan Zoological Park: A unique place — where real, once-living animals, now gone, were preserved to look alive for study and display. It was eerie and moving, like time was paused just for us to look closer. And oh — the red panda was the fluffiest ball of joy.
We ended the day with the iconic toy train ride 🚂— with laughter, songs and the feeling that somehow, everything was falling into place.
That day? I was the main character in my own "Barfi". Every breeze, every sunset, every smiling stranger, almost everyone — played the background score to my "Saawali Si Raat" moment.
We left for Sikkim. A 10-hour journey through a road that never felt tiring. Because how could it? When every turn opened into a jungle? Into stillness?
We had momos on the way — the kind that ruins Delhi momos forever. Spicy, authentic, and steaming hot in cold air.
I looked outside - smiled and whispered "I found my Green Forest today". Sikkim was colder, yes — but the warmth of its people made up for everything. Locals helped us, they guided us, smiled like we were long-lost friends. We weren't tourists. We were welcomed.
We roamed around MG Marg, Gangtok's heartbeat. No vehicles. Just people. Laughter. Tibetan flags. Food stalls. Street music. Local crafts.
It was easily the best mall road I've seen. There was magic in the air — a mix of tradition and youth of calm and chaos.
At 6 AM, we left for Lachen — a small town tucked high in the mountains.
It took us 14 hours. But no one complained. Somewhere along the way, tired, I asked the driver - "Aisa kya hai Lachen mein?" He smiled and said,- "Lachen mein jannat hai."
I didn't know then. But the next day — I felt it.
We woke up at 5:00 AM. Sleepy. Cold. Tired. But then... we saw Kalapatthar.
Black mountains, dusted with snow, glowing gold in sunlight. The ice glittered as if kissed by stars. It was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that lets your soul breathe.
My heart whispered: "Yeh jannat hai."
Everything I was worried about? Forgot it all. That moment! — it stays with me. Even now.
Gurudongmar Lake – A Mirror of the Gods 🌊
We drove higher, to 15,000 feet, to one of the world's highest lakes — Gurudongmar.
The lake was frozen, yet it shimmered. The wind was sharp, but peaceful. The silence? Divine.
This was one of those places you know - Some places don't need words. Just presence is enough.
We returned with sore legs, camera rolls full, and hearts overflowing.
What began as an escape, became a reconnection — with nature, strangers, our own selves.
"The trip I didn't plan... turned out to be the one that planned me."
— Iti