The Salted Days – Day Fourteen
Vanz to Matwad | 16 January 2026
I had been looking for a purpose for this walk. I was wondering what would change. I was hoping I would become self-actualised by the end of the March. And today, before dawn, on the penultimate day of the walk—well, nothing had happened. What a disappointment, right?
Wrong.
I woke up at 4:45 am to check the time on my alarm clock. The alarm was set for 5:15 am. I lazily walked around the empty room I was sharing with no one, wondering why I had woken up at all. I needed just 20 minutes from start to finish to get ready. Even 6 am would have been early.
That’s when it struck me.
The transformation is happening. The body is adjusting to something I had probably never attempted before. Everyone was ready by 6:20 am as planned.
A short drive to Kapletha Police Chowki, a couple of photographs of dawn and smoking chimneys, and we were off for today’s walk at 6:59 am—Dandi Standard Time (DST).
The sun did its trick again, stopping us in our tracks. Each sunrise has been so different, so beautiful. We walked briskly and near Asunder moved onto a village road. The feel of walking on these roads is hard to explain—fields on both sides and just you in between.
Soon we hit the highway, crossed the Purna River, and entered Navsari.
It is an old town with narrow, winding roads. Yet the traffic was as good—or as bad—as any other city I’ve seen. One interesting aspect was the stretches of wall paintings done in bright colours along certain roads.
Today, I noticed my emotions running riot as we got closer to our destination. Irritation when things didn’t go as planned. Changes made without my knowledge. As my mind quietened, I realised this was my mistaken sense of control asserting itself. I also noticed that as the mind weakens, the body asserts itself negatively. Stepping onto a kerb caused a slight pain in my knee—something I hadn’t felt for the past fourteen days.
We crossed into the centre of Navsari, passed the bus depot and the police headquarters. At a main junction stood a larger-than-life statue of Gandhiji bending to pick up salt. None of us could resist the temptation for a group photograph. Traffic halted. People gawked as we 60-plus year olds helped each other up the high pedestal—groaning and grinning in equal measure. Naval NCC cadets joined in, photos were taken, and we moved about 800 metres ahead where refreshments had been arranged.
Suddenly, we entered what felt like a posh locality—quiet lanes and independent bungalows. Laxmi Nagar Society, where a battalion NCC is headquartered.
I think the last three days are gently resetting us to return to normal life. Tea with light snacks followed—tea, samosa, dhokla, milk cake, jalebi, biscuits… only. Some retired officers working in the diamond industry came to meet fellow walkers they knew from our army days.
After a longish halt, we stepped out at 11 am and chose the longer main road instead of a slightly shorter route through the old town. The sun beat down again, but today no one complained. We were close now.
An enthusiastic shopkeeper insisted on sponsoring tea for all of us. He wouldn’t accept payment. All he wanted was to be part of a group photograph—which was the least we could do.
We walked on and soon climbed the Gandhi Smriti Bridge. Right beneath it lies Gandhi Smriti railway station. In April 1930, Gandhiji was arrested, and at the railway crossing under this very spot—this bridge didn’t exist then—the Frontier Mail was stopped, and he was quietly taken away.
Soon after, at Eru Chowk, we received a grand welcome from the local police—garlands and chilled nimbu pani, wonderfully refreshing. We crossed the agriculture university, bamboo resource centre, and other institutes along a narrow, tree-lined road. The thick canopy and sunlight playing hide-and-seek through the leaves felt like mercy.
As we walked, I looked at the map on my phone, zoomed out, and realised how minuscule a part of this vast country we had actually traversed.
Another halt followed—boiled eggs, five kilometres short of Matwad. The way we were eating was astonishing. At Matwad, yet another warm reception awaited us, followed by lunch. After a short rest, we decided to go to Dandi beach.
We splashed in the water and watched a scenic sunset. Thereafter, we returned to Navsari, where accommodation had been arranged at the Agricultural University guest house.
Only five kilometres short of our destination now.
The feeling is surreal. I can’t find the words to describe it yet.
I will do that tomorrow.
Lessons for the day:
• Be a good person—just don’t try to prove it.
• Resetting yourself quickly from a negative mindset is important.
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