Does the title of the blog surprise you? Well, 'fare' as a verb means to do, to behave. Let me give you an example. 'How did you fare in the exam?' means 'did you do well in the exam?'. If it is indeed the way the verb fares, the title must surprise you, right?
Well, I read a news item, and it did not fare well with me. It described the extremely bleak weather in the 'devbhoomi', Uttarakhand. Especially were mentioned the districts Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri and Haridwar. It was stated that the rivers are in full spate, and there are landslides galore.
It indeed made my heart bleed. I have recently been there. As luck would have it, neither a drop of rain nor a single boulder from a landslide disturbed my journey. In fact, each one of these districts, despite all the corrosions, both natural and man-made, fared really well throughout my journey.
Indescribable was their beauty. At every twist and turn that went in to the making of the narrow strip of the road, a newer and lovelier vista would open up. My mind, my vision, my imagination are filled to capacity with those lovely, truly divine visions. My ears can still hear both the gentle murmur and the giant roar of those rivers, tributaries of Bhagirathi/Ganges, who were at times like a bubbly brook, at times a regular deep stream. Honestly, the mountains and the rivers really felt like friends, long lost but now forever united, eternally together.
It is hence difficult to read that thunderstorms, cloudbursts, boulders due to landslides are destroying that noble beauty full of divine peace. Sure, the climate there IS tough, quite a bully whose rough moods can change any nano second. Human beings, moreover, are adding their own disturbances. Why, there are houses that are almost built mid-stream!
One knows all the causes. One regretfully accepts, too, that one cannot single-handedly do much to prevent the loss, and yet this mind of mine, this hurt heart, this seared soul of mine refuse to just read the news item, and clean forget it. The only supplication from the bottom of my being is to the Lord who SURELY listens to the fervent prayers, and protects all the wonders one genuinely cares for. Amen!
Pratima@ If such are my worries, imagine the tensions of people surviving there day in and day out. Real bravehearts!
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