Dawn had come some hours before
How many I did not know
yet Rishikesh was still waking
The monkeys had yet to rise and be the scourge of the jhula
the bridge was free from almost all but me
Behind the peaks of Neelkanth the sun brought a glow that fed my senses
I could help not but stare at the vast beauty of its ethereal light
Waking too was the river
Her sereneness was not merely felt by Her majestic presence, but Her surface too was a layer of glistening peace
I stepped off the bridge, on to the other side, and with just a few strides I stopped face to face with Shiva, while beside us hopeful cows foraged through the streets rubbish
I had only one thought, one desire, one need, one quaking ambition, one deep feeling of a love that was about to be realised – chai.
More precisely, chai-shop-chai, ten-rupees of the finest glass cup of spiced sugary milk this side of Haridwar.
I could only embrace the morning, embrace each step, knowing that this chai was the beginning of all the unknown yet to be
Rishikesh, India // 30”01”17