Times to cherish in times to come

It's been a while since I wrote. A really long time. Now that things have settle down after a very hectic few months, I decided that I really have to find ways to enjoy. This enjoyment had to mean something other than video games or TV. Something had to be different.
So we took a vacation to Lonavala, a very scenic place in the heart of the Sahyadris. Mingling with nature and embracing it like never before was a different experience all together! A 16 km cycle ride, a walk amidst the clouds and a few misadventures ensured that the trip would be an enjoyable one.
After we returned, a few of us figured out that we were really missing the serenity of Lonavala and felt a dire urge to experience nature at its best again. Soon we found ourselves at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a week after we arrived at the concrete jungle.
The cycle trip and consequent trek at Lonavala really motivated us to feel good about how long we can walk/trek/cycle. Trusting our endurance we went ahead and decided to take a 6 km stroll to Kanheri Caves. Celebrating each kilometer we traversed, we finally reached the 5.5 km mark, gasping viciously we were soon in for a shock. The last 500m was an uphill climb. The ascent sucked the life out of our already tired legs but eventually we realized that all that struggle was worth it. The waterfall which lay before us was really picturesque. Below our feet, we saw the whole of Mumbai. There were couples galore, we jokingly mumbled to each other about how unfortunate we were to be in the company of each other and that we should have bought girls along instead! All that was followed by a tired walk back to the place where we started. We knew something was missing. And that something was a Safari. For just a dollar (Rs. 50)we saw the most majestic mammals to roam the earth viz the Royal Bengal Tiger and The Great Indian Lion.
Awestruck we were at the sight of such magnificent beasts. We soon made our way back to the entrance. And there we were surrounded by cars,shacks and a claustrophobic mechanical ambience. Contrasting atmospheres really made us look back and realize how much fun we had. Like they say 'You don't really know what you have until you lose it'.
The search to fill our stomachs ended when wee spotted a certain 'Hotel Ramdev' and rejoiced. Needless to say, we hogged our hearts out. After a much needed lunch we bid each other goodbye and headed back to our homes. An inevitable text soon arrived on my phone which exclaimed about how much fun we had that day and how tired we were. A few lines and laughs were shared. But trips like these remain etched in our memories for a long long time. The roasted maize, witty chats and comebacks, the lies we tell at home to elope from the monotonous parental nagging, the tragedies, the moments of togetherness and the gaze at the near future are just too good to forget