Treasure of Life

Some moments make you pause and look back, not at what you have achieved, but at the people who quietly became part of your journey. For us, the Pachmarhi reunion with the girls of 1995–96 Pachmarhi and Himalayan camp was one such moment.

After almost three decades, the girls of NON STOP22 came together again. We gave them that name because they talked endlessly, were energetic, and full of mischief, reminding us of the popular Non Stop 21 audio cassettes of those days. Three decades had passed, but when they came together, the spirit was unchanged. The laughter, teasing, singing and camaraderie returned as if we had only met yesterday.

These were girls born to other parents, yet somewhere along the way, life gave us our own share of their love and affection. We were never their parents, but they allowed us a little place in their lives. Over the years, they became our girls.

What touched me most was seeing how carefully they had planned the reunion. They coordinated among themselves, divided responsibilities, created a beautiful book, planned activities, arranged surprises and guarded their secrets from us with the excitement of schoolgirls. These accomplished women, now professionals, doctors, administrators, artists, homemakers and adventurers, were quietly working together simply to make us happy.

Thirty years ago, we were the ones taking care of them on the trails — checking whether they had eaten, whether someone was tired or unwell, encouraging them when the going became difficult. At Pachmarhi, the roles had quietly reversed. They were taking care of us.

It made me think about my own journey. I have always felt fortunate that my passion became my profession and allowed me to travel, explore and meet people. We never set out to change lives. We simply tried to do our work with sincerity, integrity and commitment. Sometimes we helped; sometimes we challenged; sometimes we became unpopular because we wanted young people to learn to carry their own responsibilities.

Only now, through their memories and their book, did we understand how deeply some of those ordinary moments had stayed with them.

The reunion was not merely about an adventure programme from thirty years ago. It was about trust, affection, shared values and relationships that survived without regular contact, reminders or expectations.

Life is indeed a beautiful canvas. We keep adding people, experiences, friendships and memories, often without knowing what the final picture will look like.

Looking at these girls today, I realised that some of the finest colours on my canvas came from those years.

This is my treasure of life — not something accumulated, but something created through honest work, unconditional affection and relationships that ask for nothing and yet give so much.

And after thirty years, NON STOP22 reminded me that some journeys never really end. They simply return to us, carrying laughter, memories and twenty-two girls who will always remain our girls.  

By Avinash with Bimla Deoskar