I went to the river for silence. Instead, it taught me something louder than words: Road Trip Reflections: A Morning by the Sabarmati
On my road trip from Jaipur to Ahmedabad, as I arrived at Ahmedabad, I had one clear intention — to greet the Sabarmati River at sunrise and sit in quiet meditation by its waters.
But as life often does, the Rain God had other plans.
Stepping out of my carefully chosen hotel near the riverfront, I was welcomed by a light drizzle. Umbrella in hand, I made my way eagerly towards the river.
When I reached the upper-level ramp, I walked barely a hundred meters before being stopped by a locked gate. It wouldn’t open until 9 a.m. — and here I was at 7, heart set on being by the river. Two hours suddenly felt like eternity.
Disappointed, I leaned over the railing and spotted a woman below, walking gracefully along the riverbank with her umbrella. For a moment, I thought luck had smiled at me again. I tried calling out, but the distance swallowed my voice, and soon she disappeared.
As another wave of disappointment rose, two young boys suddenly appeared, effortlessly leaping over a section of the ramp on the far side of the gate. My heart lit up. Perhaps luck wasn’t done with me yet.
Without a second thought, I followed their path. And there I was — finally walking along the Sabarmati, the drizzle falling softly, the river flowing quietly beside me.
I didn’t sit to meditate as I had planned. Instead, I walked in silence. And as I walked, I realized: a silent walk too can be a meditation for a seeker.
When I returned to the upper ramp, I saw a couple facing the same locked gate I had earlier. They looked at me curiously as I appeared from the riverside. The woman asked, “Is it possible to access the river from here?”
I nodded. Their faces lit up with joy as they discovered their way in.
In that moment, it struck me — sometimes, beginnings as small as these are enough to rewrite not only our story, but someone else’s too.
So, if you ever feel your steps are small but your spirit longs to create something BIG, remember: no step is truly small. Every step carries the power to ripple out, touching lives in ways you may never imagine.
Take that first step. Don’t wait for perfect conditions.
Because neither your step is small, nor are YOU.
I’d love to hear — has a small step in your life ever led to a big change? Drop your story below, let’s create ripples together.
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