In January 2026, we went on a team outing. Our destination was the peaceful hill station of Matheran near Neral, surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees. It was a refreshing break from our daily routine. I am excited to share my feelings about this journey with you. This time, instead of writing a blog story, I want to share some highlights and memorable incidents from these two wonderful days with each of our team members.
Hi, I am Sheetal.. Let’s explore this journey and teammates…
Puneet – The Focused One with a Hidden Funny Side
Let me start with our newest team member, Puneet, who joined us around five months ago. This was his first outing with the team. At the office, he is usually very focused on his work and rarely looks around or talks much. So I was curious to see how much he would open up in a different setting like this.
To my surprise, he turned out to be quite funny and easily mingled with everyone.
On the day we arrived, everyone decided to rest for about an hour. Amit was extremely tired and fell asleep within a minute. Puneet, however, decided not to sleep. He waited patiently for everyone to wake up so that we could go out together.
After an hour, when Puneet and I decided to wake everyone up and head out, he went to Amit and said in a very serious tone, “Hey Amit, get up fast. We need to go back to the Sion office.”
Amit, still half asleep and a little scared, replied, “Why? What happened?”
At that moment, everyone burst out laughing. Puneet continued his playful, “salt-sprinkling” jokes throughout the outing. His mischievous sense of humor kept all of us laughing during this wonderful team trip.
Amit – The Quiet One with Unexpected Punchlines
Our second member is our computer teacher, Amit. He is someone who usually walks quietly and speaks very little. In fact, he talks only when it is really necessary.
Our journey started from our Sion office — me, Shamal, and Karan. We were all on time. When we called Amit and told him that we would reach his place in the next 20 minutes, he was completely shocked and asked, “How come?” We reminded him that the timing was already decided. But without missing a beat, he said, “But Sheetal always comes late… so I just woke up!” Hearing this, the other two started laughing and wondered how Sheetal had actually managed to be on time for this trip. Amit’s few sentences are often like this — sometimes shocking, sometimes funny, and sometimes simply showing his innocent side.
Also, Shamal and I troubled him a lot by clicking his photos again and again. We kept telling him that we were making a portfolio for his better future. And surprisingly, he willingly allowed us to take the photos. Of course, we all know that he secretly enjoys getting his photos clicked too.
Shamal – The Creative Soul Who Survived the Matheran Walk
Our next member is the team’s creative person, Shamal. She is very sincere and also quite sensitive. She reminds me of that student in class whose homework is always 95% ready, and the remaining 5% is pending because, as she says, “I did not get the details from the team.”
I knew that she does not enjoy walking much. And Matheran is a place where you have no choice but to walk everywhere. The only other option is horse riding if you like it. But even then, she did an amazing job. She walked a lot with us throughout the trip. I was honestly surprised and happy to see how well she managed.
During the trip, she also shared some of her ups and downs of life with the team. It was nice to see her accepting herself and slowly emerging as a new and stronger person.
The funniest moment was when Amit, Shamal, and I decided to try a virtual ride experience. Out of the three of us, no one had tried it before. We chose a simple snow ride and took our seats.
Amit and I were enjoying it, though sometimes we also let out small screams because a few moments were a bit scary. Shamal, however, was completely quiet. I thought she was handling it very well. Here also she is good.
But after the ride ended, when I asked her how it was, she said, “Actually, I closed my eyes whenever there were scary turns or high jumps!”
Harsh – The Quiet Force Behind the Scenes
Our next member is our volunteer, Harsh. Unfortunately, he could not join us on this trip because he needed to be with his family at that time. But we definitely missed him.
Harsh is a very humble, mindful, intelligent, and experienced person. He is always ready to help. In fact, if we are sharing this story with you on our website today, it is largely because of him. This website was born because of his initiative and efforts.
We are all very thankful to him because, through this platform, we are able to share so many experiences with so many people.
I am also sharing a photo here from our first team outing, which also happened in Matheran. During this trip, Karan and I were remembering many of Harsh’s discussions and ideas from that earlier journey.
So, thank you, Harsh. You were surely missed on this trip.
Karan – The Calm Leader Who Brings Out the Best in Others
The last member is our NGO’s founder, Karan — observant, sharp, fearless, and an amazing soul. He always enjoys walking in Matheran, which is one of his favourite places.
He speaks very little, but he has a way of making others talk through his thoughtful questions. One night during the trip, we all sat together and shared our views about each other.
During that conversation, Puneet said to Karan, “You are a good human being who never gets angry,” and he shared many other kind words about him. But when he said “never get angry,” Shamal and I immediately started giggling. Karan looked at us and just gave a pleasant smile.
Shamal and I are the oldest team members, so we know that Karan does get angry when there is a strong reason for it, although it is very rare. But his way of responding is different. Instead of reacting immediately, he goes into silence and speaks only when he feels calm inside. He is always careful that, even in anger, he should not hurt anyone. We have experienced this sometimes. We respect his silence. He is a meditative person, and this way of responding makes him unique.
At such a young age, he has been working passionately for social causes. His ability to stand firmly on the right path comes from the deep compassion he carries within. He also always makes sure that every team member grows not just in work, but also as a person.
Sheetal – The Dreamer Who Found Joy in the Journey
A little about myself — I truly loved Matheran from the bottom of my heart. I knew it would be cold, but I still came with courage. I didn’t carry enough warm clothes, thinking I would manage.
I had a small dream — to sit outside in the corridor at night, with a cup of tea in my hand, listening to soft songs. But that plan didn’t work out. It was too cold to sit outside, and we all had to stay indoors. I was a little upset with myself for not being prepared.
But looking at all the fun we had together, I realised that this small missed moment didn’t matter much. The tall trees, red soil roads, long walks, and cold breeze made the journey truly meaningful.
In places like this, surrounded by nature, you also get a chance to meet yourself.
Apart from all this, we clicked a lot of funny photos and enjoyed some great food. It was a fun few days, and our bond became even stronger.
Oh, how can I forget our bonfire! It was a surprise from Karan. On that quiet and cold night, we all sat around the warm fire while listening to Jagjit Singh’s ghazals. It was such a peaceful and beautiful moment.
And to make the evening even more special, we also had an amazing vegan chocolate cake that truly made our day.
I truly love my team. We are all working together for the betterment of the boys in Dongri Observation Home. Moments like these make our bond stronger and give us the strength to stand firmly even during storms.
Maybe you have read about us on the “About Us” page… but this is the real about us. Hahaha.
Matheran gave us beautiful views, long walks, and many laughs — but more than anything, it reminded us how lucky we are to have each other as a team.
