The One Where Trip Almost Didn't Happen

As you all can guess from the title that this article is inked with a li'l pinch of world's famous sitcom, so you can assume safely that you will surely get few references ahead.
(Spare me for my grammatical atrocities, if any)

Spoiler ahead : The article doesn't help much in exploring Shimla but its about the unusual turns we faced in reaching there. This article also celebrates and engraves my favorite quote for the life, i.e., in the end, everything becomes sorted, Happy Ending 🙂.

So let me start by mentioning that it was my 3rd trip to Shimla but still a lot of things were different this time, I was accompanied by my life partner, better half and the life support (in the literal sense 😉, Yes she's a Dr.) with me.

We planned the trip thoroughly but as the famous
F. R. I. E. N. D. S. couple quoted, 'Honey It's Us', so its got to be full of hiccups and plot twists.

We were in different cities (professional hazards) when we planned this up for last Christmas and new year eve and the first bump we faced was a week ahead from our trip, as the hotel cancelled upon us due to some cost revision issues, even when we booked the venue well in advance, through renowned 3rd party portal.

Somehow using my professional forte(sarcastically winning any arguments skills), i got us refund + 4k as penalty bucks, which helped us eventually, to book even better venue.

Secondly, it was the circumstances that hit us, it was protest season all around and planning intercity travel, keeping our pre-scheduled commitments intact was too difficult.
Train wasn't an option because of over booking and thus we 'landed'(pun intended) on the flight option. So, we booked a flight which wasn't ready to get 'land' because it wasn't even taking off in the first place, as another, mishap occurred in the form of the thickest foggy day of the season, which cancelled her's flight that too after check in.

I mean, how often this happens, huh..

BUT BUT BUT, since we were intellectual enough, we had booked two flights of the same day.😎

I KNOW!!!

Though she had to wait out full 10 hrs for that 2nd flight (hats off to her patience).

Third plot twist came when such delay in take off and additional 2 hr en route delay resulted clash with our advance booked bus timing, from Delhi to Shimla.
Flight landed at Delhi Airport at 9 pm and our bus was to start off from Central Delhi at 10pm.
For those who know about Delhi Airport Metro, they will be slightly relaxed in thier mind right now while reading this, as such commute, via that metro, to board bus on time is a cake walk.

But!!! Could this be anymore nail biting? Answer is YES.

while i was being courteous gentlemen enough to go and receive her from airport, i forgot my trolley bag in the airport mini shuttle (operates between Aerocity Metro to Terminal 1 arrival) in most unthinkable amateurish way.

However, I still went ahead and received her with a smile, then gathered enough confidence to tell her bluntly that how recklessly i forgot my bag in the shuttle.. Phewwww.. 😪

It is to be noted here that she was already hell tired, hungry and annoyed by now, as she was waiting on the airport since 8am to 6pm,then even the flight took double in air time but even after all this she cared enough to stand by me and didn't make it an issue, in fact she did brain storming and requested authorities, with helpful staff members, we got to know that bag has been located (yes it's happening in Delhi), all we have to do was wait out till the shuttle comes back after completing trip and gas refilling.

The wait was of 45 min, so out of 60 min that we had initially to board the bus is cut to only 15 min.

It goes without mentioning that it was a lost battle..

BUT.. our intellectual minds were on duty again..

After acquiring the bag, we immediately booked a cab and after sitting inside, we requested the driver to cancel the trip because alternatively we offered him doubled up direct cash money without the cab company's commission in between.

We did this trick as we wanted to board the cab for chasing that Shimla bus all the way till city border and cab companies doesn't gives thumbs up to such kind of chase sequence usually, without destination being marked in the app.

Time for Joey's drum roll here, as we were eventually successful in boarding the bus after a long heart pumping 1.15 hr of chase, alongside keeping throughout coordination between both drivers.

We stayed there for a week, enjoyed little snow, daily sunsets, friendly dogs, exotic hilltop cafes, and long treks.

This was a trip which is in our adrenaline memory now and we believe will surely inspire generations(at least ours) to come that sometimes traveling thrill can score higher than the destination itself, all it takes is support of your travel buddy, who resonates in sync with your heart beats.

Having said that, would like to mention that such trip could never have been completed without the helpful people around, related to travel community.

This is what gets us going, some crazy twists, friendly people and tales/memories to remember.

We were indeed fortunate enough to get support from everyone, including platform like this to reach out to others and keep everyone's faith flames high..

Its the power of positive attitude..🙂

(have shared some clicks)