An Unforgettable Trip
The Thunderbirds - This was the name that Namrata, Pooja, Kajari, Latika, Ayesha, Moni, Geetika, Ritu, Parul and Priyanka had given to their gang of 10. Everyone in St. Anna Girls' School knew them. They were always seen together.
"Guys!!!!! The list of places for the mid-term trip has been put up on the notice board," announced Namrata, who in her excitement had got up on a chair to grab everyone's attention.
That did it. What had been an orderly classroom a few seconds earlier was now an empty class. The entire class had dashed off to see the announcement on the notice board.
They were screaming, yelling and piling on top of one another just to note down the names of the places they were to choose from for their mid-term trip.
Priyanka, the most enthusiastic and aggressive of the lot was their representative in that swarm. After ten minutes of struggling she finally managed to push her way out, triumphant. The rest of the gang surrounded her.
"So where should we go for the trip this time?" asked Priyanka.
"First tell us the options we have, silly!" said Kajari.
"OK! Jaipur-Udaipur, Dhanaulti, Kasauli and a trek from some place called Magra to Sehestradhara."
"Hey, I have a great idea. We should choose the trip that most students are least interested in. We will get to enjoy more," suggested Parul.
"That's right," agreed Pooja.
The next morning they checked out the number of students going to each place and finally gave in their names for the Magra-Sehestradhara trek. Besides their gang of 10, there were just eight others who had opted for it.
The day finally arrived. All of them got into the bus along with two staff members who were escorting them.
"Now this is cool! We can have the bus to ourselves," chattered Namrata.
"Hey, I want the window seat!" shouted Priyanka in a shrill tone.
"Relax, we can all have window seats," said Latika.
The journey from Dehradun to Mussoorie took two hours. The first day was spent in seeing the places of local interest. It was from the second day that the real fun started.
The group began its trek from a place called Magra near Mussoorie. Two mules followed them with the supplies of eatables and pots and pans. Each student was carrying her own rucksack.
From the height of the hilly paths the beauty of the valley was breathtaking. But the track was rough and narrow. Each step had to be carefully placed.
It was 9 am. They had been walking for three hours and tiredness was setting in. While the enthusiastic ones were way ahead with the guide, some of the team members who enjoyed the company of the teachers had latched on to them. 'The thunderbirds' were right at the back, with the mules.
"I am feeling very tired, let's sit for two minutes," pleaded Ayesha.
"And I am dying to pee!" said Moni.
"OK, we take a two-minute rest, decided Latika.
"But where should I go?" asked Moni.
"The rest room is this way ma'am," said Latika pointing mockingly to a bush.
Everyone laughed.
It was then that they heard a scream. It was Moni from behind the bush.