An Incantatory Call

The steep, rocky, dry, snow-clad, heartless mountains in Leh seemed to take a toll on my soul (technically, my airway). The icy dryness was cracking my core. The trip to the north was failing to soothe me. Instead, I was looking for some warmth, to help me go on.

As I was about to kneel down before this nature's peaking cruelty, a little school boy walked  across me, humming a slow tune. Suddenly, the tune mesmerized me! My blood deprived heart, now began to flood suddenly with emotions. Joy, relaxation, admiration , inspiration gushed their way into me. The seemingly everlasting drought, had finally come to an end! Finally, I was a human again- with flesh and blood. "Did a simple tune turn my world upside down?" I wondered. "or was it the hypoxemia talking?"  At that time, the latter opinion seemed to be believable. So I stuck with it.

Next day, as I entered a Tibetian monastery, the tune was everywhere around me. Later, it struck me that the "tune" was in reality, the "religious hymn" of the people!  After that, a mild humming or loud chants started having a calming effect on me. It was an extraordinary religious experience for me, as I humanly felt closer to God. A realization dawned upon me that, a simple thing can have such a quick impact on somebody. The new peacefulness was developing its roots inside me. The world was suddenly a better place, the best in fact.

The contentness knew no bounds. All the goals, ambitions, greed were crushed, for a moment, under this huge rock of solitude. My family thought I had turned my way to spirituality or worse- exorcism! But this was something else. I have not yet found a correct word to express it. But I can only say that, for me, the time stood still. 

                     As I was hastily browsing a shop , I came across a dusty rack covered with cobwebs. On keenly observing, there it was! Peacfully lying in the rust - the record of my "inner call". The search was over. Mission accomplished.