By Pallavi Verma 
The monsoon gods had other plans for me. A spontaneous decision to embark on a Himalayan adventure turned into a chaotic ordeal, beginning with a torrential downpour at Kashmiri Gate bus station.
In August, unexpectedly packing for an adventure to Himachal Pradesh . It wasn’t something I had planned, but somehow, everything aligned. By the time I reached the Kashmiri Gate bus station, rain had already started pouring down. I was hungry from the day’s journey, so I decided to grab a quick bite at McDonald’s. I ordered a cold coffee and a veg paneer wrap meal, which came with potato fries. The rain was relentless, so I took my time eating and waiting for it to stop.
When it became clear that the rain wasn’t going to let up, I decided to brave it. I packed my shoes in my bag and ran barefoot toward the bus stand. It was around 8 pm, and I was determined to catch my bus. After inquiring at the Himachal Pradesh bus counter, I headed over to the intercity Volvo bus section. There, I found out that the next bus to Manali was leaving in 30 minutes. I booked my ticket at the counter, but something caught my eye—although I had paid ₹700, the ticket showed a fare of ₹568. Curious, I asked about the discrepancy, only to be told that fares vary and that the counter price might differ. Even after checking online, where the fare was around ₹560, I didn’t get a satisfactory explanation. Frustrated, I let it go.
When it was time to board, we were led by a guy who was busy on his phone. As a result, a small group of us ended up waiting in the wrong spot. We eventually figured it out, but not without some frustration, especially since the rain was still pouring down and some of the passengers were senior citizens. The whole situation felt disorganized and added unnecessary stress to an already rainy night in Delhi.
Finally, I boarded the bus. It made a few stops to pick up more passengers along the way. I started watching a series to pass the time, but I was mostly waiting for a stop where I could use the restroom. We eventually stopped at a place called Rangoli, where old music played softly in the background. It was still raining. I ordered tea and packed some momos to take back to the bus. As I continued watching my series, I enjoyed the momos and eventually drifted off to sleep. The next day promised more adventures as I journeyed deeper into Himachal Pradesh.
This recount captures the spontaneity, the challenges, and the small joys that come with travel, especially when the weather and unexpected events add a twist to the experience.