Sindhu’s trek boots

I am sitting here in the corner of her house, sad, unmoved, dusty and rusting. I feel it’s been ages she took me out from this corner and I hate sitting at a place doing nothing. It’s extremely boring and frustrating. I wonder why she has not taken me out for so long, like common man it’s been two months and don’t ever remember not going out for so long!

The last trip that I had was perhaps my most adventurous trip ever. I was hooked on to her feet climbing the mighty Himalayas! After she canceled her Himalayan trek thrice, I became very skeptical that I would ever visit Himalayas. Every time she canceled that trek, it was like taking me to the highest point and then pushing me down. Such a disappointment by my owner! Well finally when I got to visit Himalayas, I was thrilled beyond imagination!

I would also like to tell an interesting fact how I ended up with my owner. I was too young to remember what and who was my first owner but I have overheard Sindhu entailing my story to her people. She says, she had borrowed me from one of her friends when she had to visit Canada for a very brief time of one month. When she got back to India, she was asked to visit Canada and Sindhu ran out of time to buy new shoes. She packed me tight in her checkin bag and left. Because Sindhu used me extensively in the snow, water, sun and forests in Canada she decided to pay my first owner some money and let her keep me with herself forever!

I sometimes wonder how my first owner would have treated me but this also doesn’t mean I like the way Sindhu treats me. She has never washed me ever since she had had me for almost 4 years by now.  She never cleaned me after using me in the snow because of which I would almost choke on the salt in the snow everyday. some how I survived through those gruesome days and emerged like a pro with my outer skin permanently damaged into a rough surface.

I thought I would get some rest after she gets me back to India but alas what a foolish thought it was! What happened next totally blew me away. Hadn’t I not rested for a month or so, she wore me for her 2 days trip on her borrowed bike and this literally drove me crazy. Continuous pressure from the brakes  and gears for 650kms in 2 days had left me sore all over my sole. I literally wonder what I am made of, because I very quickly recovered from this turmoil !

Once she was back, she started using me extensively in the rugged paths of Western ghats and outskirts of Bangalore. By now I started enjoying my journey. Once she took me on bike, the other time she took me into the forests. Some times I would end up climbing hard rocks and sometimes crossing swift rivers. My first long trek was to 8 days to Coorg. The experience of different trail every day was so refreshing.

It was during this trek that I once through I would literally drown into the stream and become useless forever. Sindhu was crossing a rock over the stream and she slipped. Left side of me was completely soaked in the water. Although that was not a problem, the real problem was that everytime she got a break during the day she just removed me and kept it in the sun to dry up. I was so ruggedly made that I stayed sexily damp till late night and now she kept me beside the camp fire where they were dancing the night. That’s how I became dry and ready for the next day. I was literally baked in the scorching camp fire but yet again emerged victoriously!

Now I hate to rest. I am so accustomed to going out that it suffocates me to sit idle in the corners and boxes of the house.

I probably became old now and ready for retirement as I overheard Sindhu talking to her husband about buying new trek boots. I feel pathetic because literally I have started loving to go out now. Different trails, different weather, heavy rains, the smell of fresh forest slush, sharp sunshine, deep green views of western ghats and fresh snow peaked mountains!. I just keep waiting to go on my next trip ! I have performed well under tremendous pressure and moreover I don’t feel I am aged at all ! I still have a long way to go, more to see and a lot to learn!

I can’t wait more to get out in this monsoon to feel the ghats again !

Dear Sindhu! Pleaseeeee takeeeee meeeee alooong withhhhh youuuuuu!!!

-Sindhu’s trek shoes

Candid trek shoe picture clicked by my husband at har ki dun valley :-)