I have no idea where this is going…

No, I am not kidding. Today, I decided I that I want to start writing a story, in instalments, hopefully a bit everyday. After a few weeks, we see where it gets to, shall we? So, as readers, do add on to the story in the comments, I will insert where it fits and if you do find something incorrect in the narrative e.g. the cold weather was unforgiving but she pushed on, having taken a swig of vodka from her flask. Honestly, people, I neither drink vodka nor know much about snow and the cold weather. So, you have to help me there :). Let’s get started then…

She held on to her sherpa’s hand as they trudged along in the thick snow.

What have I got myself into, she thought as her mountaineering boots got stuck again in the deep snow. She looked up. The sky was darkening. They were on the North Ridge of the Himalayas, known as the most unforgiving climb. But Neyna wasn’t planning on reaching the summit. No. She had somewhere else to go to.

The stack of paper almost hit her face as the pieces scattered on the carpet around her. Neyna was almost in tears. This must be the highest state of bullying, she thought as she looked up at her Boss, the editor of the travel magazine that she worked for. Neyna was a travel journalist who had travelled far and wide to cover amazing stories and trails. She even had an award to vouch for her prowess in seeking out niche travel stories. Since she joined this magazine, the number of subscribers for the online magazine had increased. Paid subscribers. That meant only one thing — increased readership and revenue.

But here she was facing her editor, almost in tears when the latter decided that her story was trash. A couple of weeks ago, Neyna had travelled to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific to cover a story on how investment by the Chinese government in that island nation has affected tourism. The main island of the Cooks was Rarotonga which had magnificent reefs, that were destroyed when the Chinese government built a port there. With the port came modern deep sea fishing which helped the fisher folks of the Cooks but it destroyed nature and the beautiful reefs. Neyna wanted to bring the realisation to her readers but he editor thought otherwise. Strangely, it was her editor who had approved her travel to the Cooks!

Neyna knocked on the glass door and entered the office of her editor. The woman did not look up.

You have three minutes, she said to Neyna as she sat typing on her laptop.

“Where they don’t speak”, Neyna said. Her voice quivered.

What? Her editor looked up from her screen, eyebrows raised.

Neyna was already feeling uncomfortable. She started fidgeting with the end of her blouse.

Trembling, Neyna started to speak. “On the Himalayas, the is a place where people do not speak,” she said. She wanted to travel there and see for herself how people communicate without speaking, not only amongst themselves, but also with just anyone.

Aaah, her editor sounded sarcastic. So, basically you want to travel to the Himalayas to summit the mountain? Neyna almost tore the end of her blouse.

Her voice trembled as she said “No, it is not like that.” Learning the skill of communicating without speaking is a specific talent, she added.

Are you going alone or is your no good boyfriend accompanying you? The editor was still cynical; lunatic, Neyna thought as she started telling how she chose the story…

I stop here for today, people. Do add on your thoughts to this story and let’s see where it leads, to…