The Story Of A Journey Poem by chandra thiagarajan

The elderly parents two
Their son and daughter-in-law
With their three grand sons too
Set out on a tour with awe!

They were in lovely Darjeeling
Known as the Queen of Hills
The Kanchenjunga was appealing
The snowy peak gave them thrills.

To Sikkim and Gangtok
At the season of snow fall
After an animated talk
They decided that all

Should visit the Nathula Pass
At an altitude of 14,450 feet
They underwent a tourist class
To have an insight of the feat.

In the Himalayan peaks
Is the famed Nathula Pass
Where the snow streaks
On the mountain pass.

One of the highest rim
Drive roads in the world
It con-joins our Sikkim
And China via a path twirled.

From the Indian side
In guard were our soldiers
They could view China wide
From their stands with shivers.

In Tibetan 'La' means Pass
It is a major tourist attraction
Through the Tsongo lake they pass
Their hearts with fascination.

At a shrine they alight
It's of Baba Harbhajan Singh
At an elevation of 13,100'-the sight
Made the children joyously sing.

Soon the daughter-in-law got ill
She felt dizzy and fainted
Suddenly her pulse fell
They were left unaided.

The gents were clueless
The mother-in-law started praying
They were all helpless
The children started crying.

As a God- send a Doctor
Of the Indian Army Hospital
Rushed in to help her-
His First-aid revived her a little.

She was in the Army Hospital presently
Where she was treated for ' Hypoxia'
The provision of oxygen mask was timely
Which gave relief from deep Asphyxia.

It was an exhilarating moment
To see her being survived
When her eyes that were dormant
Opened to see the world, all were revived!

With a heart melted
And overflowing gratitude
When money was gifted
The Doctor struck at their attitude

Rescinded and uttered
'Don't make me a sinner
It is more than absurd
Can I be a money- spinner?

We are here guarding
The L.O.C.—as sentinels
Our very Country we're protecting
I'm bound to spell

For protection of one entity
Don't you ever offer money
After-all it is my bounden duty
To defend one and all in our Country.'

Feeling dwarfed at the message
They were all wonder-struck-
The noble deeds of the Army in bondage
Loomed large against their luck.

The daughter-in-law in this story
Is none other than my youngest daughter
Who recounted our Army-men in their glory
With tenderness and eyes brimming with water! !