Bored IITian went out for coffee but ended up in Rishikesh. Proves best trips and experiences are never planned
It started like any ordinary weekend plan—a quick coffee run with friends. But for IIT Kanpur graduate Harsh Pokharna, the day took an unexpected detour when someone at the café casually suggested, “Let’s go to Rishikesh?” Without much thought or planning, they agreed. What followed was a whirlwind road trip packed with chaos, calm, and plenty of curveballs.
Despite the weekend rush and peak-season traffic, their cab driver, to their surprise, was game. “Chalenge sir,” he said—and they were off. Singing songs and exchanging silly jokes, the group made their way to the spiritual town. Once in Rishikesh, they grabbed a bite at the Beatles Café, met a fellow traveller, and swapped monkey horror stories—one involved stolen snacks, another a monkey slapping an old lady before casually walking away.
The chaos mellowed into serenity as they attended the Ganga Aarti and sat quietly by the river, soaking in the peace and talking about life. They wandered through local markets, laughed at “thug life” goggles, and nearly bought a funny sticker. They returned late at night, starving, exhausted, yet inexplicably content. Harsh summed it up best in his Instagram post: “Impromptu plans >>>.” Sometimes, all it takes is coffee and a little spontaneity to make the best memories.
One user shared that the Ganga aarti, especially in the evenings, was the highlight of the experience. Another found the entire story incredibly cool and exciting. Someone else couldn’t get enough of the quirky monkey moments, calling them especially amusing.
Social experiment in Jaipur
However, this is not the first time he has mentioned his impromptu plans. A few months ago, when he was in Jaipur for a month and a half. While his parents were thrilled, he found himself feeling a bit bored, so he decided to run a fun social experiment. He posted a simple Instagram story: “Open to meeting people in Jaipur.” Suddenly, Harsh found his calendar full. He was out almost every day, catching up with old friends, meeting strangers from DMs, and striking up new conversations. His final takeaway? Sometimes, all it takes is being a little bold on Instagram. In his words: 10/10 recommend being shameless on IG.
Despite the weekend rush and peak-season traffic, their cab driver, to their surprise, was game. “Chalenge sir,” he said—and they were off. Singing songs and exchanging silly jokes, the group made their way to the spiritual town. Once in Rishikesh, they grabbed a bite at the Beatles Café, met a fellow traveller, and swapped monkey horror stories—one involved stolen snacks, another a monkey slapping an old lady before casually walking away.
The chaos mellowed into serenity as they attended the Ganga Aarti and sat quietly by the river, soaking in the peace and talking about life. They wandered through local markets, laughed at “thug life” goggles, and nearly bought a funny sticker. They returned late at night, starving, exhausted, yet inexplicably content. Harsh summed it up best in his Instagram post: “Impromptu plans >>>.” Sometimes, all it takes is coffee and a little spontaneity to make the best memories.
One user shared that the Ganga aarti, especially in the evenings, was the highlight of the experience. Another found the entire story incredibly cool and exciting. Someone else couldn’t get enough of the quirky monkey moments, calling them especially amusing.
Social experiment in Jaipur
However, this is not the first time he has mentioned his impromptu plans. A few months ago, when he was in Jaipur for a month and a half. While his parents were thrilled, he found himself feeling a bit bored, so he decided to run a fun social experiment. He posted a simple Instagram story: “Open to meeting people in Jaipur.” Suddenly, Harsh found his calendar full. He was out almost every day, catching up with old friends, meeting strangers from DMs, and striking up new conversations. His final takeaway? Sometimes, all it takes is being a little bold on Instagram. In his words: 10/10 recommend being shameless on IG.
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