The Salted Days – Day Twelve
Bhatgam to Surat | 14 January 2026
Last evening, we decided to walk into Bhatgam village after a nice snooze. I got an opportunity to fly a kite for a while, which I managed to cajole out of a young kid. Just two minutes later, the kite suddenly decided to go out of control and went into a steep dive. I coolly handed the string back to the kid, who nonchalantly brought the kite soaring again. We returned, did some stretching, had a simple khichdi–kadhi combo, and went to sleep.
Mornings are fun. I never thought I would say that. One can get ready lazily in the quiet. Today, our start was different. The NCC organised a quaint send-off, with all of us singing the patriotic song “Hum Sab Bharatiya Hain.” A short puja later, we got into our transport and headed to Sandhier, where we had finished our walk yesterday.
Sharp at 7 am, we started walking. There was a bit of a nip in the air this morning. And yes, we caught the sunrise yet again. I, as a human being, am so full of myself in my head—to think that the sun rose again for us. In reality, it was always there, providing a sunrise every moment to someone or the other on this earth. It is I who slept and rose.
Exactly one hour and 5.5 km later, we turned off the road toward Delad and reached a very small Yatri Niwas. We organised a quick meet-and-greet and our standard go-to breakfast—thepla, pickle, chilly chutney, and a hot cup of tea.
The walk thereafter was entirely on the main road. We entered the outskirts of Chaprabhata at 10:30 am. The sky was filling up with kites. As we reached close to our destination, we received a tumultuous welcome. It is Veterans Day today, and the local Army formation organised a large gathering of soldiers. We marched along the main road, nearly creating a traffic jam, with close to a hundred soldiers and civilians joining us over the last few hundred metres. Firecrackers were burst as we approached the Sabha Bhavan. A pipe band played a military tune. A cake-cutting ceremony had been organised. Local civilian dignitaries presented us with bouquets, and tea with pakodas, jalebis, and more was laid out. All ideas of simple food were thrown out of the window.
A police escort had been provided to help us navigate city traffic since we were to stay at the Government Circuit House tonight. This turned out to be a double-edged sword. While it helped us cut through dense traffic and signals, we were also routed around the city, increasing our walk by about 7–8 km. By the time we realised this, it was too late. We put our heads down and trudged on.
The roads crisscrossed the northern part of the city. Kite flying had reached a frenzy, with big speakers on tall buildings blaring thumping music. While many kites soared, those that lost duels floated down, chased by children wielding long branches modified to snag kite strings (manja). We got entangled in strings hanging from trees and electric lines, with metres of cut manja strewn all over the roads. Being Makar Sankranti, feeding cattle is considered auspicious, and many roadside stalls had sprung up to collect donations for feeding cows.
We logged the extra kilometres and eventually crossed the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Bridge over the Tapi. A right turn and another a couple of hundred metres later brought us to the imposing Government Circuit House where we were to stay tonight. I decided to practise detachment—with frugality and simplicity—for this half of the day and night.
A lavish lunch awaited us: pokh, paneer, dal, two sabzis, roti, rice, papad, salad, and shrikhand to top it all—followed by chaas and sweet lassi. And how could I forget the sweets brought from home by the last batch of walkers who joined us today? Bapu, mujhe aaj ke liye maaf kar do.
A magnificent large room was allotted, accommodating two walkers each. My roommate and I quickly took hot water showers and got ready, as the IG Police of Surat Range had invited us for tea. For the first time in my life, I travelled in a police vehicle sent to pick us up. The interaction was wonderful, and tea turned out to be khakhra, jalebi, sandwiches, pokh, and tea. I stuck to just the tea—anything else would have come out of my ears. After a very engaging interaction, we returned to our rooms to relax—though only briefly—as we had also been invited to attend the ISPL (Indian Street Premier League) match at Surat Stadium between Majhi Mumbai and Falcon Risers.
Today’s key lesson for me has been “Suno sabki, karo apni”—especially if one is confident about what one is doing. The slightest doubt can derail things. The other lesson is that nothing is truly in one’s control. When we cannot control our own heartbeat or breath, how can we believe we control what lies outside us? The last eight extra kilometres under the harsh sun taught me this lesson the hard way.
It was a 33 km day—hard walking that has brought us into the final lap of our journey. Five fresh pairs of legs have joined us, taking our strength to fourteen. We have already walked 358 km, and Dandi is now just a little over 60 km away. We will likely exceed our planned distance—but it has been worth every step.
Tomorrow, we are off to Vanz.
← Back to Echoes of Dandi | → Next Day
No comments:
Post a Comment