Chindi in Karsog, HimachalTo a village of Alsindi and then just before a small town of Churag, a road bifurcated to right to an ancient temple of Mahunag, supposedly a powerful deity of the region-KARSOG VALLEY. The temple was 12kms from that fork on the road.Nine kms before our destination- "HPTDC’S Hotel Apple Valley Resort Mamleswar", Chindi, we saw a beautiful PWD Rest House at the edge of a hill facing a beautiful valley and the distant snow peaks.Wow!
And then we reached to our hotel. I was amazed! A Swiss chalet type on a small hillock with a terrace garden-The Apple Valley Resort, surrounded by apple trees on its slope. What a place! We climbed few steps and came to reception. That was first level from the parking lot. I was pleasantly surprised with a signboard and a quotation on it. This was a first time I had seen a display board by any hotel with a meaningful message on Nature!
"I wouldn't live for ever, I wouldn't if I could but I could live another day,
so I pray to you today
please don't pluck me."
With the dusk approaching, the breeze was colder now as we climbed up to our room on the second level. There were rooms at the third level also. It was a large room with a sitting room and the tariff was only $ 20 with all the amenities. Behind our room was a rising hillock leading to what's called as 'LOVER'S HILL".I don't think I can express in words here the heavenly experienced I felt sitting on chair carved out from a trunk of a pine tree of a height of 2 feet, surrounded by rose bushes with a setting crimson Sun behind rising mountains far away. At that moment, I wished to live for ever, to be cremated there...
I must have slept. My grandson Ronnie was shaking me. Looked at my watch which showed 10.25 PM. In spite of room being heated, I felt cold.
"Nana! There was some sound from the sitting room as if somebody was scratching the glass window. I'm scared, Nana", whispered Ronnie with his eyes popping in the darkness of the room. I got up slowly, removed the blanket, switched on the bedside light and sat quietly. Signalled Ronnie to be quite.
We waited."scraaaaaaaaatch!"...."scraaaaaaaatch!",a feeble sound from the direction of the sitting room. I remembered about the dense forest behind our Hotel, "The Lover's Hill" and that the windows of the sitting rooms were opening back way towards the hill and forest. I had heard about wild animals in this part of the region.I too was scared.
We got up, opened the door to the sitting room. The light switch was on the other side near the main door. The sudden chill in the room added to our scare. I opened the glass window. Squeezing my eyes I tried to see through the open window.
And then I saw and so Ronnie. 
I ran and switched the lights on. Looked back again. There was nothing. By this time Ronnie was shaking. Poor kid! I hugged him. Again we switched the lights off. Took some time get used to the darkness after lights. Then I saw again. It was some animal or something resembling an animal, a dark figure slowly moving away from the window and climbing up then on a tree. A Panther??? We waited and saw the creature disappearing behind the hillock.
I took Ronnie back into our bed room. I kept the lights on. Ronnie was with me in the bed. It was considerable time before he slept. I had been thinking about the incident and decided to ask the Hotel staff next day morning. Finally I too drifted into sleep.
The bed tea was served at seven in the morning by a green jacketed tall waiter, a smile of silver capped peaks, fresh twist to his mustaches and a loud "Good Morning".
I narrated him the previous night's incident. He smiled.
"That was nothing, sir. Must be the Hotel's dog "Moti" who wanders about in the night- a big one, like Panther".Then he turned and smiled at Ronnie.
"Hello Baba! Would you like to take a ride on a mule?" Ronnie didn't reply.
l looked at Ronnie, then at the beaming face of the waiter and laughed.ADDRESS:
The Mamleshwar, Chindi, Distt. Mandi (HP) Tel: (01907) - 222638