Chapter 3 The Roar of the Falls, Glistening Eyes, and the Echo of Saheb
Following that brief respite in the shack, we plunged deeper into the soaked, verdant embrace of the Sahyadri.
The heavy downpour had settled into a fine, ethereal drizzle.
With every breeze, crystalline water droplets rained down from the ancient canopy, filling the air with the intoxicating scent of wet earth and wild mountain blossoms.
Re-energized by the food, the heavy rucksacks felt lighter on our shoulders.
The wall of unfamiliarity had crumbled entirely; our two groups were now moving as one cohesive unit. Laughter, corporate jokes, and old Bollywood melodies drifted along the trail as we navigated small streams and helped one another over slippery, moss-laden stones.
Yet, throughout the walk, my subconscious was persistently aware of one person—Anvi.
She would quietly match my pace, walking right beside me for a stretch, then falling just a step behind. She didn't speak much, but her eyes were anchored on me far more than on the surrounding scenery.
After a few kilometers, the trail inclined steeply, and the mud grew thicker. I moved ahead, scouting for firm rocks for everyone to step on.
Suddenly, Anvi walked up alongside me. Placing a hand on her hip, she adjusted her raincoat hood and asked with a playful, mischievous glint in her eyes:
"So, Saheb! How much further do we have to walk? Our feet are about to give up on us!"
The moment she uttered that word—Saheb—with that exact playful cadence, an electric jolt shot straight through my heart!
My boots froze in their tracks for half a second.
From a dusty, forgotten corner of my memory, an echo resonated...
Back in my college days, someone used to tease me and call me Saheb with that very same affectionate cadence.
But who was it? Where did that memory belong?
In the relentless grind of corporate survival, that memory had been buried deep.
I shook off the daze, smiled at her, and said, "Almost there, Madam! We've covered more than half the distance. Just a few more hills, and we'll reach the village."
"We'll see when your 'few hills' actually end!" she replied with a mock pout. There was an enchanting warmth in her innocent smile.
Walking behind us, Supriya watched the entire exchange with a knowing, subtle smirk. Whenever a large pool of mud appeared on the path, Supriya would deliberately call out:
"Hey Sanket, give her a hand, will you? Look, Anvi is slipping!"
Anvi would blush furiously, glaring back at her friend. "Supriya, shut up! I can walk just fine!"
Yet, I would turn around and offer my hand with a smile. Anvi would hesitate for a heartbeat before placing her soft, cold hand into mine. Our fingers remained intertwined until we crossed the slippery rocks. That brief, tender touch sent a quiet thrill racing through my veins.
A moment later, Yash caught up with me. Nudging my shoulder, he leaned in and whispered slyly:
"Well, well, Mr. Sanket! Something is definitely brewing here! What’s the real story? That girl hasn't taken her eyes off you since Lonavala!"
"Knock it off, Yash!" I playfully nudged him back. "She’s a junior from our college back in Nagpur. We're from the same hometown, that's all. She's just being friendly."
"Oh sure, totally innocent! We'll see by tonight whether she's just from your hometown or from your heart!" Yash winked and jogged ahead to join Tanay and Vedant.
By 1:00 PM, the forest grew denser. The cloud cover thinned slightly, but the mountain air grew bitterly cold. Suddenly, a thunderous, roaring cascade of water reverberated through the valley.
As we rounded a sharp bend, the deafening roar filled the entire gorge.
"My God! Look at that!" Ajay shouted.
We stepped onto an open rocky ridge, and the sight before us stopped us dead in our tracks!
From the towering, pitch-black chest of the Sahyadri, a colossal, milky-white waterfall plunged hundreds of feet into the abyss below!
A cloud of fine spray drifted on the wind, blanketing the entire gorge in a shimmering white mist. Velvet-green moss clung to the cliffs, wild orchids bloomed in rocky crevices, and a faint, magical rainbow curved through the water droplets caught in the gentle sunlight.
It was an otherworldly spectacle—a slice of heaven for weary souls caged in concrete cubicles.
"Incredible!" Vedant and Rahul screamed, running toward the base of the spray.
Exhaustion evaporated in an instant. Dropping our bags, everyone began dancing under the cool mountain spray, clicking selfies, and laughing wildly. Ajay and Yash stood near the edge of the stream, shouting in sheer triumph.
I stood on a dry boulder, capturing the panoramic grandeur of the valley on my phone.
Then, my gaze drifted away from the celebration toward a quiet, isolated corner.
About twenty feet from the main torrent, sitting alone on a large, wet black rock, was Anvi.
She was completely detached from the joy around her. With her knees pulled tightly against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her gaze was fixed onto the roaring water plummeting into the deep gorge.
The spray drenched her clothes and hair, plastering wet strands against her cheeks. In her quiet, solitary posture lay a profound, heartbreaking sorrow.
Involuntarily, I raised my phone and zoomed in on her face. The sight made my hands tremble.
There was no joy on her face. Her eyes were brimmed with tears that mingled with the water spray and rolled down her pale cheeks. Her lips were pressed tightly together, desperately fighting back a sob.
Capturing that moment on camera, an inexplicable ache gripped my chest.
'Why? In this breathtaking paradise where everyone is ecstatic, why is she in so much pain? What wound is she hiding inside?'
Slipping my phone into my pocket, I carefully navigated the slippery rocks and walked toward her.
Without a sound, I sat down on the black boulder, barely two feet away from her.
Though she sensed my presence, she didn't turn. She continued staring into the rushing water.
For several minutes, only the deafening roar of the waterfall and the whisper of the wind filled the space between us. The silence felt heavier than words.
Finally, in a gentle, concerned voice, I broke the silence:
"Are old memories troubling you, Anvi?"
Anvi flinched slightly. Hastily wiping her wet eyes with her sleeve, she forced a faint, melancholy smile and turned to look at me.
Her eyes were red. There was a raw, aching vulnerability in them that cut straight to my soul.
She remained quiet for a moment, staring into the rising mist.
Taking a deep, unsteady breath, she said softly:
"Sometimes I think, Sanket... in those concrete, money-driven cities, we forget how to truly live. From morning till night, it's just work, targets, and competition. In that endless crowd, we lose ourselves so completely that our true feelings, our very souls, wither away."
She pointed toward the endless mountain ranges, her voice trembling:
"And when you step into the vast embrace of nature like this...
all our fake masks crumble to dust. Some people, some connections, vanish from our lives so suddenly, Sanket...
without a goodbye, without an explanation!
You try your best to forget them, burying yourself in work.
But when unexpectedly... without any warning...
those very people, those very memories stand right before your eyes again...
you don't even know whether to laugh or cry. "
Her lips trembled. Her words carried such an intense, desperate plea that it felt as if she were speaking not to me, but to the ancient mountains themselves.
"Old memories surge into your chest so fiercely...
you get so lost in them that you can't tell if you're dreaming or awake.
In that loud, fast-paced world, I had left a part of myself behind years ago.
I came here just to breathe... and coming here, I realized that the person I had been searching for, that memory, is alive right here. "
Her mysterious, poignant words sent my mind reeling. I couldn't comprehend who she was talking about.
Looking at her slumped shoulders, I spoke with deep empathy, hoping to comfort her:
"Anvi... life is like this flowing waterfall.
No matter how many jagged rocks or steep cliffs it encounters, the water never flows backward; it only pushes forward.
Memories can bring joy, but they can also bring pain.
They walk beside us like shadows. Some people leave our lives unfinished, perhaps out of their own helplessness, or perhaps because destiny had other plans.
Instead of clinging to what was lost, living means gathering yourself and moving ahead. "
Leaning in slightly, I added with heartfelt conviction:
"Give yourself time. In the stillness of these mountains, you'll find the answers you seek. Whatever pain you've locked inside, let it wash away in this roaring water. Trust in the universe... when the time is right, everything falls back into place."
Hearing my words of consolation, Anvi turned her head slowly.
Her tear-filled, kohl-stained eyes locked directly onto mine. In that moment, her gaze held an unspoken, screaming truth—as if her soul was crying out:
'You foolish boy, Sanket! The person who left me behind without a word is none other than YOU! And today, you are the one advising me to move on?'
Yet, not a single word escaped her lips. She simply closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat.
After a quiet pause, she opened her eyes, a faint, grateful smile gracing her lips, and whispered:
"Thank you, Sanket... Sometimes, just having someone sit beside you, listen, and understand gives you immense strength."
"I’m always here for you, Anvi," I replied with an easy, reassuring smile.
Just then, Ajay’s voice boomed from the trail below:
"Hey Sanket! Anvi! Let's go, guys! We need to reach the village before it gets dark!"
"Coming!" I waved back.
We both stood up from the rock. Anvi dusted off her clothes. Her face appeared much calmer now, but a new, resolute determination shone in her eyes.
Rejoining the group, we set our course toward Udhewadi, the village nestled at the foot of Rajmachi Fort...
Little did I know that this emotional conversation by the waterfall was merely a single spark before a massive emotional eruption around the campfire tonight.