Sharayu Jakhotiya

I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Somewhat because of the cold and also slightly because of fear. I could now actually see the last protruding rock at the top which I knew was the summit. From that rock started the beautiful Tapovan meadows. That also meant my nightmare was soon about to get over. I must say some of the tears were tears of relief. The last part was taking its toll on each one of us. The road to the top never eased out and we were still ascending at a 70-degree angle over very, very loose rock and gravel. I closed my eyes for just a second when I remembered how I had seen that huge rock rolling down the slope after it was touched by one of us. Every step I took, I held my breath to check if the rocks were rolling down. my feet kept slipping at every step I took and I had to steady myself. There was nowhere to hold either. I made the mistake of clutching at a couple of rocks in the initial ascent and as soon as I touched them, they came off and rolled dow