I can't… I'm scared of heights,” I said, panicking badly as I hung suspended from the zip-line, one foot dangling in the air, safety harness in place. Even as I tried to think of a face-saving excuse to chicken out of this daredevil exercise, Neil, the instructor, let go of the pulley, assuring me, “Trust me… one zip is all you need to get high on adventure.”

My heartbeat rocketed to new levels as I whizzed past the zone of nothingness, hanging on the thin rope. During those brief, five minutes of adrenaline rush, there was nothing but air 1,000 ft above and below me. I felt like hollering ‘Kreaagah' as I did this Tarzan-like rope trick.

I was at Kikar Lodge, a private forest reserve, about 90 minutes' drive from Chandigarh. This six-year-old resort, rich with 1,800 acres of green woods, is perhaps Punjab's best-kept secret, and home to barasinghas, leopards, wild boars, barking deer and nearly 180 species of birds. It attracts people of all age groups — from 70-year-olds seeking a peaceful retreat, middle-aged executives searching nirvana and 20-somethings eager to experience the blood rush of adventure.

“Pull me up, pull me up… I can't do this… I know I can't,” I panicked again, holding on to dear life, as I desperately clung to the edge of the 80-ft deep cliff, two ropes dangling from either side of me. My fears, however, bowed to yet another of my wild impulses and I won… truly, as they say, dar ke aage jeet hain (conquering one's fear leads to victory). I rappelled my way down, walking perpendicular to the cliff face, feeling not much unlike an astronaut on the moon's surface who has made a giant leap of faith.

“There is a child in each of us, fantasising to do Superman stunts. I give my guests a chance to live their most fantastical dream,” says Amrinder Singh, Director of Kikar Lodge. And I could see the child in him come to the fore as he cleared each obstacle and bump on the rough forest terrain, as we drove our rugged quad bikes over it.

Next on our day's agenda was something that sounded more romantic than adventurous — an open-jeep drive into the heart of the woods on a moonlit night. This was the night safari, involving a rugged drive through the forest, sharing a drink under the open sky, anticipating a leopard among the thick bushes, and the chill growing with every passing hour.

The night safari concluded, but the night was far from over, as we lounged beside the shack, warmed by the soft glow of a bonfire. We chatted through the growing chill. Intoxicated by adventure, we discussed everything under the sky… from business to politics to personal anecdotes. Only then did it strike me that there is a novel in each of us — enough masala to get people talking through the night. The only element missing, perhaps, was a guitar and its soft notes that could have transformed the night into a Majnoon's melodic profession of love. Pardon me for being a hopeless romantic!

It's been weeks now, but the journey continues in the quietest corner of my head, with the mind often recollecting more than what it saw.

Fast facts

Getting there: Direct Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Chandigarh, followed by a 90-minute drive to Ropar village; the overnight Himachal Express, which reaches Anantpur Sahib early morning, from where it is a 30-minute drive to the resort; direct six-hour car drive from Delhi.

Accommodation: The resort, with 30 cottages, offers two day-three night packages ranging from Rs 14,000 to Rs 18,000 per couple.

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