Another August and another trip outside Mumbai. This time, a trip to the northern most Indian state of J&K to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine near Katra. Thanks to my friend's initiative, who has been visiting the place once a year, the air travel and hotel reservations were done pretty peacefully. A unique way of spending the long weekend as the cheapest possible trip schedule came out to be Sunday-Monday. Alas, at the very last moment, Mayank canceled his tickets due to ill-health. The person who was most looking forward to the trip couldn't make it. As they say, ' Mata ka bulawa aaya nahi is baar ' . So the 2 Mulundites made their way out to Jammu during the wee hours of the morning on a tiring and excruciating journey to Mata's abode. With the first leg of the journey from Mumbai to Delhi being uneventful to say the least - except that the seat left vacant by the absence of the third musketeer was occupied by a young good looking lass :). For the fi