With the moon as our extended torch,
we proceeded with our plan to visit
the Pangong Tso lake

We hoped to view the glory of sunrise,
enjoy the beauty of friendship between
the lake and the rays

Our Jeep ate up the miles from our tent
to the designated place, the tires and rocks
creating a music in motion

We heard a sudden screechy sound of tire burst,
and came to a stop at an odd angle, having
missed to see a deep hole

We got down with great difficulty, thanked that
we had a spare — pulled the jeep out after thirty
minutes of sweat and effort

We made quick work to fix the tire, set off — looking
at the road as we drove, rather than the stars and
hoping we don’t miss the sunrise

The sun listened to our plea and delayed its rise,
waited for us to reach and settle under the canopy
of stars and clouds

The panic and rapid heartbeat of the near miss we
had was replaced with the anticipation to capture
the handshake of nature