Present Perfect

It was a usual work Wednesday. But, there was much excitement to the day as Thursday and Friday had been declared as holidays and it was going to be a four day long weekend.

Maria, Parin and Eva had planned a vacation in the lap of nature for which they were going to leave tonight. This was the reason for an extra gleaming smile on the faces of the three girls today at work. They had planned to go to Lansdowne; a breathtaking hill station in the beautiful state of Uttarakhand. It was going to be a 7 hour drive into the hills. Parin was specially interested in capturing the beauty en-route so the girls had planned to travel back during daytime. Eva had bargained this deal by emphasizing that this way they would reach Lansdowne all fresh and energetic and they can catch up on the scenic beauty en-route while returning.

After work Maria and Parin had already reached back to their flat and had already started finalizing their luggage for the weekend. The girls had made their own small 'Things to Do" list and one main check-list to be fulfilled before leaving.

Eva was the last one to come back that day. She dropped her bag on the couch in their living area and moved to the fridge to grab some water. It was July and Delhi was all hot and humid. Eva and Parin were in the bedroom ticking off stuff from their personal 'Things to Do" list.

The girls had finished packing as the clock struck 6:00 p.m. They all sat together for some coffee.

"I hope we have taken everything." Maria exclaimed
"Most probably..." Eva said with a grin

The girls had an early dinner by 8:00 p.m. and the cab came at 11:30 p.m. to pick them up. They reached Lansdowne early in the morning at around 7:00 a.m.

As their cab stopped in the porch of the hotel Eva woke up Parin and Maria.
"Get up.. We have reached"

As they stepped down from the cab a slight fog enveloped them. There was a cool breeze running across moving over the potted flowers that accentuated the beauty of the place. The area was surrounded by lush green mountains, birds chirping and a fresh scent hung in the air.

They were greeted at the reception by the hotel staff where they checked in and moved to their room. There were not too many luxurious hotels around and the one they had booked was also a humble one on the recommendation of another friend. The room was clean and had a small terrace attached to it. The terrace offered a breathtaking view of the valley and a constant scope for fresh breeze. The hotel had a garden which could also be viewed from the balcony.

Parin leaned over the balcony and took a deep breath. "The air is so fresh, I can feel my pores breathing this air."
"It is a beautiful place indeed far from all the city madness." replied Eva who had just finished her facebook check-in at Lansdowne.
"Leave aside your phone for once." exclaimed Parin
"Haha.. It's a holiday and I just checked-in." She looked at Parin and saw that she was unimpressed,"Okay.. okay.. i'll put it aside"
"We are here to relax... for once let go off your phone for a few days." said Parin
"I don't use it that much" Eva replied
"Oh really.. Do I need to remind you that you can't leave your phone even while going to the washroom." Parin mocked. "What is so urgent I wonder sometimes." she giggled.
Eva looked at her and smiled.

The three of them freshened up and set out to explore the places around on foot. The girls had been to a nearby local market where they stopped at a eatery overlooking the hills and tried the local cuisine for lunch. They also shopped for some clothing and souvenirs from the local shops. Besides a streak of 352 picture selfies and 12 travel updates on facebook by Eva alone. Who was closely followed by 231 picture selfies and 10 travel updates on facebook by Maria.

The next day again the girls set out to visit Bhulla Lake that was nearby. It was a beautiful water body that was lying amidst the mountains. The lake was covered by a thin layer of fog running over it. There was a small cafe nearby which offered snacks and tea. The girls spent the day boating and sight seeing. Besides another pile of selfies and facebook travel updates.

They were back in the hotel by evening after a breathtaking and tiring day of exploring the hills. After resting for a while, they ordered dinner in the hotel. Parin had come up with the idea that they should eat dinner over the terrace. The food arrived and the three of them gathered around the table in the terrace to relish the food in the chilly evening breeze. After finishing their food the three of them sat there taking about work, home, food and everything else that came to their minds. They talked about how life was in our childhood days and how it had changed so much.

"Look around... what is life after all?" Eva continued "The locals here are so simple and loving. They are living such uncomplicated lives... and we are stuck up in whirlpools.. at work.. at home.. everywhere.."
"True... But the least we can do is to forget everything for the next two and a half days and just enjoy where we are" Parin said "Sometimes the problem is that we forget to live the present and regret it when it becomes our past."
"Deep thoughts" Maria exclaimed.
"So, live this place today my darling and forget your phone if possible." Parin said taking a dig at Eva.
Parin and Maria burst out into a laugh.
"Challenge accepted" said Eva switching off her phone. "You can keep it."
Parin and Maria looked at her totally stunned by this newly awakened Eva.
"Are you serious? Because i won't return it" said Maria
"Yup.. let's live the present." Eva exclaimed and in her heart immediately regretted saying.

So the next day they were all set to trek to Hawaghar snow view point. The girls were ready to go and all set except Eva's phone and selfie stick that were resting peacefully somewhere that only Maria knew of. Eva was missing having her smartphone with her and sensing this Parin and Maria had also decided to leave their phones behind for a day.

The girls began their trek.The walked along beautiful curving roads flanked by lush green pathways, flowering valleys, pine trees and many small view points spread across the area until they reached the hill top. The hill top offered a breathtaking view of snow capped peaks nearby and the deep lush green valley in which Lansdowne was situated. As they sat over the hill top the mesmerizing beauty of nature had washed off their minds of their stresses regarding life, work, future among all other things that are out of their hands. No diversions, no pressures and no worries.... All that prevailed was the calm breeze, the breathtaking valley and the freshness of nature.

The three of them had been in the hills for the past three days; but there was something different about today. Today was the first day when they had felt the deep fragrant air that surrounded them. Today they sat there absorbing all the beauty of nature with their own senses and not through a lens. Today they were totally connected to their current surroundings without any inputs about the world and it's worries. Today they revived the long missed out energy spring within their soul.

Life is a present God gave us to live and enjoy in the present.