The sun had already risen by the time the other friend woke up, and together we walked down to the small market for a cup of morning tea before returning to the hut. The warmth of the tea in my hands and the air felt fresh, yet my mind kept going back to the night before and the hours I had spent talking to her under the stars.
After a while I decided to go for a short walk. A dog I had never seen before began to follow me, walking ahead as though it knew the way and then circling back to sit beside me for no reason. We eventually settled on the rocks by the river, both of us staring at the calm water that reflected the morning light. There was nothing to do but sit there, cherishing the company of the dog and the place, and letting my thoughts wander to the conversations that we had through the night.
The friends joined me after some time and we sat together for a while before the water activities began for the day. I wanted to try kayaking and asked if they would come, but they told me they had already done it the previous day and would wait for me before leaving, as they had plans for another destination. I agreed and walked over to the counter where they charged me 600rs and gave me a life jacket.
A man with a bright green kayak was waiting by the water. He asked if I knew how to kayak and when I said no, he told me to get in and gave me a few simple instructions from the shore. My first few paddles were clumsy and the kayak swayed, but soon I found the rhythm and it began to glide across the water. The sound of the paddle cutting through the river, the gentle sway of the boat and the way the light shimmered on the surface made the whole moment feel almost unreal. The river stretched open and quiet ahead of me and for a while I felt as though I was floating through a dream, one of those rare experiences that stays on your memory forever.
When I returned I walked back towards the hut expecting to find them relaxed, but instead they were moving quickly, packing their things as if they were late for something. I asked what the rush was but received no real answer, only that the guy had suddenly decided to leave for the next place and so she was leaving too. Before they went I asked her for the number of a guide she knew in Cherrapunji so that I could arrange my travel there and she gave it to me.
I still did not understand why they were leaving in such a hurry, but I told them I would quickly change out of my wet clothes and join them for at least part of the way, even though my route was different. I stepped into the tent to change, and in the middle of it there was a knock.
Her voice came from outside, “We are leaving Saru. Bye bye.”
I called out, but by the time I came out they were already gone. I had not even managed to step forward, to see her face one last time to say a proper goodbye. My bag was still unpacked and my words were still left unsaid. I stood there for a long moment wondering if I had done something wrong, searching for a reason that would make sense of how quickly it had all ended. But some questions are never answered.
The stranger who had stayed with me the entire night, who had shared laughter and a thousand little stories by the river, had left without a wave or a backward glance. The night we shared had turned into a memory in an instant. It was no longer something I could touch or live again, yet it stayed somewhere very deep.
Some people come into your life unexpectedly, share a moment that changes you and leave before you can even say goodbye. All I could do was hold on to the memory of her voice, picture of her in my mind and a hope that our paths might cross again someday.
I began packing my own things. I was left with questions that would never find answers and the memory of a night, a night that would stay with me for a Very long time.
With that thought, I set out to the next place letting the journey continue...
Peace
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