Degree of Happiness
Word count: 1.7k
Genre: Non-Fiction, Anecdote.
The sensation of reaching euphoria knows no bound. You’d feel so overwhelmed and emotional that it is understandable if a few droplets escape your eyes. I’ve felt something close to this before; laughing with my friends at absolute silliness, playing UNO cards with my cousins, feeling air run through my hair as I ride the pillion with my father on his scooter, or when you inhale petrichor all the while wrapped up in your velvet blanket. I guess one would call this feeling content. Now imagine this feeling multiplied by infinity. That’s euphoria. And that’s what I’m feeling now because this time I’m flying. I’m gliding in the sky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Born into a family of nomads. We simply can’t sit still at home; we have to keep moving. Of course, each of us has different reasons for travelling. For instance, my mother needs an escape from the household chores and my family’s business. Whereas my father’s main motive is to discover new water bodies for him to experiment on with his reel and rods. As for me, I simply want to enrich my life with experiences (sorry to sound pretentious, but I do genuinely enjoy the little things in life). And in my sister’s case, she’ll do anything to escape from the clutches of studies. We’ve had the pleasure to be on various kinds of vacations: food trip, Adventure travel, staycations, overseas travelling, long drives, pilgrimages, beach trips, and I dare say, even luxury vacations. However, this voyage would fall under the category of unforgettable holidays. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “…a classic blend of peace and tranquility which makes it a haven for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts…” These words from a random tourism site are the reason why I wanted to visit Manali. Convincing mom was easy, but my penny-pinching dad was an impossible feat. But that’s why we have my sister, her puppy eyes would do the job. What follows next is the routine process of family discussion, planning, and some more discussion when my father realized it was going to cost more than he thought. The day arrived where I, along with my family, reached the infamous town nestled in the valleys of the Himalayas. Usually, people keep a bucket list, but I’d like to keep a Done List. That way I can see how far I have come in life rather than all that is yet to arrive. I’ve had my fair share of adventures. Parasailing, sea walking, trekking to name a few. Right now, the list is too short for my liking, but that’s okay, Manali will help me make it longer. On the first day, we embark on our trip to the next addition to my list. The notorious wild white water is an enchanting siren indeed. Despite how dangerous she looks, she’s calling my name and I willingly await to be devoured by her. Should I be scared? I probably should, but am I? Absolutely not. I am definitely river rafting today. My family joins, of course. “If you are going, then so are we. Might as well go down together” is what my father promised. The four of us and our newly acquainted rower are all settled on our inflatable raft. While my father makes small talk with our new friend, I was busy taking in this surreal moment. A moment when your gut tells you to embrace yourself because what happens next is definitely going to be extremely good or extremely dangerous. A weird combination of excitement and fear. All I can do now is hope I didn’t bring my family into danger for my selfish wants. “Here we go!” screamed my mom. And the wild white water devoured me. God knows how quickly I turned from an agnostic believer to a religious devotee when we all got out of the water and were able to inhale the cold air instead of the icy water. Nevertheless, the smile never left any of our faces, in fact, we were all laughing and screaming. A memory I never want to forget is now created. Teasing the waters as the boat dips its neck in and out of it, we all were living in the moment rather than just surviving it. Beyond any doubt, it was worth
every penny my father had reluctantly let go of. That evening was spent in the villages, gobbling the hot dumplings and sizzling orange jalebis from the old lady vendor near our accommodation. Before my eyelids retire for the day, I coaxed myself into believing I am not afraid. For what comes tomorrow is the final addition to the list for this destination. And far more dangerous. Because I have to do this alone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Icarus was gifted with wax wings by his father to escape the King’s prison. The only warning his father gave was to not fly close to the sun. Icarus soared into the blue sky. The wind running past his hair, his mind was captivated with his greed to go higher. And higher the Greek man flew. But Alas, before his father could stop him, it was too late. The wax from his wings melted and fell into the sea and so did he. As I stand on top of the descending slope, all I can wonder is if I too would fall like Icarus. Would my parents have to witness the fall of their child, like Icarus’s father once did? Though my sister and my mother are also going after me, the fact that I’ll be first bothers me a lot. Of course, I am glad it is me before my family, but it also doesn’t change that I will be the first one to fall. Knowing that my sister will be frightened if she sees me panicking, I pretended to be the brave girl everyone believed me to be. The suffocating safety gear and the terrifying view from here are giving me anxiety when I am not even claustrophobic or acrophobic. Paragliding is a recreational adventure sport. The pilot usually sits in a harness (the safety gear that is currently choking me) dangling below the paraglider’s fabric wing. I’ve heard all about paragliding from my uncle who does it as a hobby. I just wanted to experience it at least once, who knows I would live long enough to see it tomorrow. And this is the perfect opportunity. Fortunately, I am given an instructor since I’m only a mere beginner at this sport. So today I’ll fly with an instructor. Maybe in the future, I’ll fly on my own, but for now, I’ll have to share my special moment with my instructor so that I can come out of this alive. “Are you okay? Are you ready?” “Huh?” “Is the gear all tight and set? Are you ready to fly?” “Oh.” Good lord. Is he seriously asking me if I’m ready to die? I am afraid that I would have to disappoint him, but I’m not. Luckily for him, my body refuses to listen to my brain and muttered “Yes, the gear is tightly fitted. I am ready.”Ugh, my socially inept self simply can’t coordinate well. It’s too late to back out anyway. My father paid a good sum just to fulfill my wish. The instructor was all geared up while I was busy monologuing in my head and he hopped on the second harness behind me. “Get ready on count of three.” “Okay.“ “One. Two. Three!” . . . Wow. The possibility of dying is the least of my concern at the moment. All I can see is how small the world is from this view. And how gravity isn’t pulling me down and I’m floating in the sky. And how, unlike my previous worry of being suffocated by the safety gear, this moment right now feels so liberating. Screams and tears of content keep escaping me as ecstasy fills me up. A moment so ethereal and euphoric rarely comes together. I would really appreciate inspiring instrumental music in the background for this moment, but the melodic silence would have to suffice. The sensation of reaching euphoria knows no bound. You’d feel so overwhelmed and emotional that it is understandable if a few droplets escape your eyes. I’ve felt something close to this before; laughing with my friends at absolute silliness, playing UNO cards with my cousins, feeling air run through my hair as I ride the pillion with my father on his scooter, or when you inhale petrichor all the while wrapped up in your velvet blanket. I guess one would call this feeling content. Now imagine this feeling multiplied by infinity. That’s euphoria. And that’s what I’m feeling now because this time I’m
flying. I’m gliding in the sky. I won’t fall like Icarus. He didn’t have the safety gear. The fool should have just listened to his father just like I listened to my instructor. When he realized I have calmed down, he spiraled us in the air. The moment is much more magnificent. I should definitely thank him later. But for now, I need to focus on living this moment before it dies out and that’s exactly what I did. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My mom and sister thought it was a piece of cake after seeing how well it went for me. Unlike my case, the wind was not that favorable for them and their landing was a bit rough. Nevertheless, the experience was too good to be ruined by the landing for them. My father’s acrophobia increased seeing how high we were all up in the sky and begged us not to make him witness his family do such adventures again. And as the cliché goes, “all good things come to an end.” We were nearing the end of this memorable holiday. Even so, I am happy I got to extend my Done List with two more additions: River Rafting and Paragliding.
For many Manali was a destination worth visiting, for me Manali was a memory worth cherishing for days to come. ‘Where to go next?’ is a question that will always occupy my fantasy. I guess I’ll have to wait until one of my fantasies turns into my next story.