March 27, 2018, Nagani, Tirthan Valley, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India:

For the better part of the day, I sat and contemplated. ‘I sat’ is a metaphor, because I was walking or hopping over rocks and boulders most of the time. It is just now that I am ‘sitting’. The key activity was ‘contemplation’.

The river is mesmerising. Most rivers are … for me. The Tirthan at the end of March looks like a strong little stream finding its way across the valley. Most years, by April, this river grows and get stronger and roars louder, thanks to the melting snows from the glaciers near its source and also thanks to the torrents along its path. This year, it may be a different story. Apparently, there was a 25-minutes snowfall by way of winter. Specifics aside (assuming there were other snowfalls), it is obvious that there wasn’t much snow this winter.

And what is life in these parts without a good snowfall and a hard winter? What is a life that is comfortable and easily accessible?

The river is mesmerising. If you get down to the water line, hop over the boulders, perch on a suitable rock and gaze into its depths. There’s many a question and many an answer and many a Brown Trout playing hide and seek with Silver Fish, Rainbow Trouts and other occupants of the Tirthan.